From Gallop's Lydia Saad: PRINCETON, NJ -- The economic recession may be causing consumers to reign in their spending, but it has not stopped most Americans from going out to eat. Apart from the amount of money they are spending at restaurants -- something the Gallup Poll doesn't measure -- an early December Gallup Poll found 60% of Americans saying they ate dinner out at a restaurant at least once during the prior week, similar to the 64% recorded in December 2005 and down only slightly from 66% in December 2003.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/113617/Restaurant-Dining-Mostly-Holding-Despite-Recession.aspx