Author Topic: American Dining Habits...  (Read 1313 times)

Offline Ball

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American Dining Habits...
« on: March 02, 2007, 01:16:43 PM »
Honest question... when i was in america, i was staggered by the amount of fast food places/restaurants along the roads.  It made me wonder how they stay in business with so much competition.  Do Americans eat out most nights rather than eat at home or something?

Offline kamilyun

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Re: American Dining Habits...
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2007, 01:28:31 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Ball
Honest question... when i was in america, i was staggered by the amount of fast food places/restaurants along the roads.  It made me wonder how they stay in business with so much competition.  Do Americans eat out most nights rather than eat at home or something?


We eat 6-7 meals a day.

Offline Seraphim

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2007, 01:41:36 PM »
We only eat out 2-3 meals a week. I think it's because the population is so dense nowadays. any piece of vacant land is (most of the time) is turned into apartments or 'condos' (squashed houses you can 'own'). makes me glad we live on a nice sized property, there's not many left in our neighborhood.

Offline Mickey1992

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« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2007, 01:43:25 PM »
Eating out is big.  Although you may notice them more because they are at the road side and driven by our car-driven lifestyle.  The restaurant service industry is huge in the US.

From http://www.restaurant.org

2007 US Restaurant Industry Overview

    * Sales: $537 billion
    * Locations: 935,000 — serving more than 70 billion meal and snack occasions
    * Employees: 12.8 million — the industry is the largest employer besides government

Offline Mickey1992

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2007, 01:45:54 PM »
Also interesting:

"Nearly half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some time during their lives and 32 percent of adults got their first job experience in a restaurant."

Offline Ball

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« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2007, 01:47:17 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Seraphim
We only eat out 2-3 meals a week.


only!

it is as i expected then.  thanks guys.  :)

Offline moot

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2007, 01:51:41 PM »
Yep, myself I barely cooked at home anymore, after 5 years living there.  It's just really convenient.
The food is a lot better at home but it's just easier to spend a few bucks and have it done quicker.
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Offline Ball

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2007, 02:00:14 PM »
I felt that while i was over there.  Really enjoyed eating out and trying all the different restaurants.

I did find it hard to eat healthily when i wanted to though, about the healthiest thing we could find was Subway at times.

Offline Mace2004

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« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2007, 02:04:02 PM »
Think from the perspective of efficiency.  We place fast-food joints along our major roadways just like gas stations so it's easy to keep our cars moving and burning fossile fuels in something close to perpetual motion.  This is our solution to the upcoming global-cooling disaster identified by experts in the 1970's and we're doing our part to stop another ice age.  I think we're doing rather well.  :D
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Offline moot

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2007, 02:06:50 PM »
I found healthy eating was pretty expensive, and not that mainstream, at the time.
But it is there, "natural" food markets and the like.
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Offline Seraphim

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2007, 02:09:56 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Ball
only!

it is as i expected then.  thanks guys.  :)


i must clarify: once or twice a week, we go to a restaurant (local italian place), once we might go to a fast food place, but we usually cook at home.

Offline Ball

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2007, 02:10:57 PM »
Yup, the Juice bars made up for the restaurants (quite funny when i asked for the shot of 'vit-a-mins', almost got the impression i was speaking klingon or something at times, the confused WTF look on the girl serving's face... "OH! you mean 'vita-mins!') very nice they are too.

Quote
Originally posted by Seraphim
i must clarify: once or twice a week, we go to a restaurant (local italian place), once we might go to a fast food place, but we usually cook at home.


didn't mean that as any insult to you, just the mindset that you 'only' ate out twice a week in a restaurant.  heck, if i lived in america i would probably eat out more than eat in :)

Offline Eagler

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2007, 02:18:29 PM »
The numbers of fast food joints are directly proportional to the size of the average fat arse American...

Yes, I think most eat out thinking it is faster and easier as both adults usually work. I prefer to cook/grill most meals for the family and eat out only when someone twists my arm to do so.
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Offline VooWho

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2007, 03:04:58 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Ball
Yup, the Juice bars made up for the restaurants (quite funny when i asked for the shot of 'vit-a-mins', almost got the impression i was speaking klingon or something at times, the confused WTF look on the girl serving's face... "OH! you mean 'vita-mins!') very nice they are too.

 

didn't mean that as any insult to you, just the mindset that you 'only' ate out twice a week in a restaurant.  heck, if i lived in america i would probably eat out more than eat in :)


If you ate out more in America, by one year you will have gained like 50 pounds, if you didn't exercise. On The Border enchaladas have 2000 calories. Eating home is more healthier than eating at a resturant or fast-food service because at those, they tend to have more cals, and fats, and all that bad stuff. Thats why there food is so good.

In america people tend to eat out about 2-3 times a week. The younger generation like mine, tend to eat out 3-5 times a week because 1) They have daddy's money, or 2) they don't know how, or don't like to cook. The older generations tend to eat out 2-3 times a week and cook the rest. In large cities though you do find alot of healthier resturants and fast-food service. In large cities you can find European, Asian, Middle East, and other region foods which tend to be healthier sometimes. Mexican food is big in the U.S. or in the Southern parts. I do like to go out to buy a quick meal because it is done on the spot, but sometimes they can screw up your order like McDonalds (I hate that place, but there breakfest is great). Thats what I like about America is that you have so many choices to go to. Home, asian, latin, european, or those great home-made resturants in small towns.

OH YEAH ALMOST FORGOT! Another thing we Americans do is cook a lot of microwave or oven products. I'd have to say almost everyday, every American microwaves or ovens a half-done product.
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Offline texasmom

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American Dining Habits...
« Reply #14 on: March 02, 2007, 03:30:43 PM »
So where are you at Ball?

Our family eats out a lot more than twice a week...  I'm a rotten cook ~ so they all enjoy eating out.


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