What’s for dinner?

We asked what matters most when you choose to eat out. Food quality came out on top and doubling down in written comments, participants mentioned quality 273 times. Service and value are the next most important qualities to local dinners. Though ambiance ranked low compared to food quality and other aspects of the dining experience, atmosphere came up frequently when you talked about your favorite restaurants - 124 of you mentioned that you love the ambiance or vibes of your favorite local spot.

What matters when you dine out?

We asked our foodies to share how much each of the following factors matters when they eat out - ambiance, consistency, convenience, food quality, service, and value.

Across all generations, food quality was the highest-rated factor, with nearly 50% of participants in each generation voicing that it matters a lot to them. Participants ranked consistency and service as the next most important factors, followed by value. Older generations, Boomers and Gen Xers, placed a higher value on service than Millennials and Gen Zers.

How much does service matter?

Survey participants ranked ambiance and convenience as the least important influences in diners’ restaurant decisions. Yet when asked to share their top three Gainesville restaurants, participants frequently pointed to convenience and ambiance as reasons they love a particular spot. Also, Gen Zers valued convenience higher than any other generation.

How much does convenience matter?

Dishing on their favorite spots, Gainesville residents wrote about fresh food, reliable service, and locations close to home as major reasons they keep returning for seconds. Diners mentioned quality, atmosphere, service, convenience, and consistency most often in their praise for their favorite places to eat and imbibe.

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How we eat

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What we love