Valentine’s Day diners: Who they are and where they eat

Valentine’s Day remains a significant commercial moment in the U.S., with 54% of adults saying they celebrate the occasion. Among those in a romantic relationship, participation rises to 67% - ranging from 65% among married Americans to 76% among those in a relationship but not living together. Even among those not currently in a relationship, two in five (41%) say they mark the day in some way.

Dining out plays a central role in how Americans celebrate. Nearly half of Valentine’s Day celebrators (47%) say they go out for dinner to mark the occasion, making it the third most popular activity behind gift buying (54%) and celebrating at home (52%). For restaurant brands, this positions February 14 as a high-traffic opportunity. For the purposes of this analysis, those who say they celebrate Valentine’s Day by dining out are referred to as “Valentine's diners,” while those who celebrate but do not dine out are referred to as “Valentine's non-diners.”

But who exactly are these Valentine’s Day diners, and how do they differ from those who celebrate without eating out?

Valentine's diners are not dramatically different in age profile from non-diners, but the composition does tilt toward prime earning-age consumers. Millennials make up 37% of those who celebrate by dining out, compared to 33% among non-diners. Gen Z accounts for 26% of diners versus 29% of non-diners, while Gen X representation is nearly identical across both groups (21% vs 21%). Baby Boomers are slightly less represented among Valentine's diners (14% vs 16%).

Looking at income backgrounds reveals more noteworthy differences. Nearly half of Valentine's diners (48%) fall into the middle-income bracket, compared to 40% of non-diners. Higher-income Americans are also over-represented in the diners’ group (13% vs 10%), while lower-income consumers are more prevalent among Valentine's non-diners (37% vs 30%).

Behaviorally, Valentine's diners are heavier restaurant users year-round. Seven in ten (71%) say they dine-in at restaurants at least once a month, compared to 63% of non-diners. Weekly dining frequency is also higher among diners (28% vs 23%).

Looking at the types of restaurants, they most often visit, Valentine’s diners over-index across several formats. Looking at raw percentage-point difference, casual dining shows the strongest relative preference, with 55% of diners saying they frequent these establishments compared to 49% of non-diners. Independent restaurants also stand out, attracting 40% of Valentine’s diners versus 34% of non-diners.

The gap continues across other formats: 24% of diners visit cafés or bistros most often (vs 19% of non-diners), 19% opt for buffets (vs 14%), and 16% choose fine dining (vs 12%). While the absolute differences may appear modest, the chart is sorted by Z-score, which highlights the statistical strength of these skews rather than just raw percentage gaps.

The casual dining chains with strongest relative Impression among Valentine’s diners compared to non-diners

YouGov BrandIndex tracks more than 90 restaurant chains in the U.S. across QSR, Fast Casual and Casual dining. For this piece, however, we focus specifically on Casual dining brands to better understand how they resonate with Valentine’s diners.

While Valentine’s diners are generally more likely to report a positive Impression of most restaurant brands, it is more useful to examine where this audience over-indexes compared to non-diners. Ranking brands purely by overall Impression can simply reflect baseline popularity. Instead, ordering scores by Z-score highlights the relative lift between Valentine’s diners and non-diners, revealing which brands disproportionately appeal to those celebrating the occasion.

Among Casual dining chains, Buffalo Wild Wings shows one of the strongest uplifts, with Impression 11 points higher among Valentine’s diners than non-diners (34% vs 23%). LongHorn Steakhouse follows with a nearly 10-point gap (29% vs 20%), while Chili’s records a 9-point difference (44% vs 35%).

Mid-tier uplifts are also notable. Red Robin posts an 8-point advantage (32% vs 24%), and Bonefish Grill shows a more than 5-point lift (12% vs 7%). Bahama Breeze, despite lower overall scores, more than doubles its Impression among diners (7% vs 3%), underlining how relative analysis can surface brands that might otherwise be overlooked.

Even category leaders such as Olive Garden demonstrate meaningful incremental appeal, with Impression rising from 44% among non-diners to 53% among Valentine’s diners. Outback Steakhouse (41% vs 33%), Cracker Barrel (37% vs 29%) and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen (12% vs 7%) also show clear positive skews.

Overall, Valentine's diners represent a commercially attractive segment: economically advantaged, more engaged with restaurants year-round, and more brand-receptive across QSR, fast casual and casual dining. For service providers, the opportunity is less about introducing consumers to the category and more about winning the occasion among an already active audience.

Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. The figures used in this analysis are drawn from responses collected between February 2025 and February 2026. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the U.S. and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.