Alleson Knox, special to wtop.com
WASHINGTON – A survey by the National Restaurant Association finds men don’t mind getting restaurant gift cards as gifts on Valentine’s Day.
“Restaurant gift cards are popular gifts at any occasion, but we found that they are an especially good choice as a gift option for adult males this Valentine’s Day,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association.
Not surprisingly, women aren’t as receptive to getting restaurant gift cards, the survey found.
Forty-six percent of men said they’d like to get a gift card for Valentine’s Day. Thirteen percent of women liked the idea.
The association surveyed 1,007 American adults about their dining plans for the big day. Participants were given a list of six gift options and were asked which one they would most like to receive as a gift.
According to the association, 31 percent favored restaurant gift cards, followed by jewelry, clothing/apparel, flowers, chocolate and perfume/cologne. Forty-six percent of men favored restaurant gift cards over clothing/apparel, while 37 percent of women preferred jewelry over flowers and gift cards.
The National Restaurant Association said nearly half of American adults don’t plan to celebrate the holiday at all, or will celebrate with things other than a special meal. However, for the one quarter who do plan to celebrate, they will most likely be found dining in a restaurant, while the other quarter will celebrate at home or someone else’s home. Younger adults were found more likely to dine out, as are individuals in two-person households.
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