Number of Restaurants Surveyed:737Gender:Male: 57%
ZAGAT SURVEY SUMMARY
2010/11 Atlanta Restaurants
Number of Restaurants Surveyed:737Gender:Male: 57%
Number of Surveyors:2,741Female: 43%
Total Restaurant Meals per Year:472,000Age:20s:8%
Avg. Meals Out per Week per Surveyor:3.330s:21%
Avg. Meals per Surveyor per Restaurant:9.840s:24%
Total Restaurant Meals per Day:1,30050s:23%
Est. # of Meals per Restaurant:59060+:24%
Average Meals Out Per Surveyor Per Week: ZagatU.S. Average: 3.2
Bos / Phil / Canada / DC/ Balt / SF / NYC / Chi / Miami/So. Fl / Atl / New Orl. / LA / San Antonio / Dallas/
Ft. Worth / LV / Austin/
Hill Cntry / Houston
2.6 / 2.6 / 2.7 / 2.9 / 2.9 / 3.0 / 3.1 / 3.2 / 3.3 / 3.3 / 3.4 / 3.5 / 3.6 / 3.6 / 3.8 / 4.0
Average Percent Tip: Zagat U.S. Average: 19.1%
SF / LA / TX / NYC / Chi / LV / Miami/ So. Fl / DC/Balt. / Atl / Bos / NJ / New Orl. / Phil
18.5 / 18.6 / 19.0 / 19.0 / 19.1 / 19.1 / 19.1 / 19.2 / 19.4 / 19.4 / 19.4 / 19.4 / 19.6
Most Popular Restaurants (last survey’s position):
1. Bacchanalia (2) / 6. Aria (5)2. Bone’s Restaurant (1) / 7. Chops Lobster Bar (4)
3. Buckhead Diner (6) / 8. Atlanta Fish Market (7)
4. Rathbun’s (3) / 9. Kyma (10)
5. Canoe (9) / 10. Cheesecake Factory (13)
Top Food Rankings (last survey’s rank):
1. Bacchanalia (1) / 6. Keith Rathbun Steak (22)2. Quinones Room at Bacchanalia (2) / 7. di Paola (11)
3. Aria (5) / 8. La Grotta (24)
4. McKendrick's Steak House (40) / 9. Chops Lobster Bar (15)
5. Bone's Restaurant (7) / 10. Hal’s on Old Ivy (-)
Top Décor Rankings (last survey’s rank):Top Service Rankings (last survey’s rank):
1. Nan Thai Fine Dining (1) / 1. Quinones Room at Bacchanalia (1)2. Nikolai’s Roof (2) / 2. Bacchanalia (2)
3. Quinones Room at Bacchanalia (2) / 3. Bone's Restaurant (4)
4. Canoe (4) / 4. La Grotta (7)
5. Dogwood (-) / 5. Chops Lobster Bar (10)
Best Buys (last survey’s position):Top Newcomers:
1. Paolo's Gelato Italiano (1) / 23 – Counter, The2. Varsity (6) / 22 – Leon’s Full Service
3. Five Guys (4) / 21 – Varasano’s Pizzeria
4. Willy's Mexicana Grill (9) / 19 – Evos
5. Chocolate Pink Pastry Café (5) / 16 – Ri Ra Irish Pub
Top Restaurants By Cuisine:
American (New) – Bacchanalia / Japanese – MF BuckheadBarbecue – Fox Bros. BBQ / Mediterranean – Café Lily
Burgers – Ann’s Snack Bar / Mexican – Taqueria del Sol
Continental – Ecco / Pizza – Cameli’s Pizza
Dessert – Aria / Seafood – Chops Lobster Bar
Eclectic – Metrofresh / Southern – Dogwood
French – Atmosphere / Steakhouses – McKendrick's Steak
Italian – di Paolo / Thai – Nan Thai
*Indicates a tie with restaurant above
Low response/less reliable
ZAGAT SURVEY SUMMARY
2010/11 Atlanta Restaurants
Atlanta Average Meal Cost Inflation:
Survey / Average Meal Cost / Average Meal Cost,20 Most Expensive
Atlanta 2010/11
/ $31.35 (+6.9%)* / $66.30(+0.3%)Atlanta 2008/09
/ $27.53 / $65.88*Annual inflation rate
Cost Comparisons To Other Cities:
City/Locale
/ Avg. Meal Cost /City/Locale
/ Avg. Meal Cost,20 Most Exp.
Tokyo† / $96.98 / Tokyo† / $282.09
Osaka† / $86.52 / Paris† / $219.02
Paris† / $75.10 / Osaka† / $196.58
London† / $60.37 / London† / $139.72
Las Vegas / $44.44 / New York City / $153.77
New York City / $41.81 / San Francisco / $115.44
Long Island / $41.41 / Las Vegas / $113.78
Miami/So. Florida / $39.86 / Chicago / $95.36
San Francisco / $39.40 / Washington, DC / $83.63
New Jersey / $39.24 / Miami/So. Florida / $83.25
Westchester/Hudson Val. / $38.99 / Los Angeles / $82.01
Connecticut / $37.71 / Westchester/Hudson Val. / $77.26
San Diego / $35.78 / Hawaii / $74.69
Chicago / $35.17 / New Jersey / $72.11
Washington, DC / $35.13 / Seattle / $72.06
Dallas/Ft. Worth / $35.03 / Boston / $71.63
Los Angeles / $34.95 / Long Island / $71.18
Baltimore / $34.23 / Philadelphia / $70.97
Philadelphia / $33.69 / Dallas/Ft. Worth / $70.61
Boston / $33.64 / Connecticut / $68.02
Hawaii / $33.18 / Atlanta / $66.30
Houston / $32.53 / Houston / $63.05
Atlanta / $31.35 / San Diego / $62.33
San Antonio / $31.34 / New Orleans / $61.04
Austin/Hill Country / $30.76 / Baltimore / $60.45
New Orleans / $28.52 / San Antonio / $54.43
Seattle / $27.68 / Austin/Hill Country / $54.52
2010 U.S. Average / $35.25 / 2010 U.S. Average / $76.74
†Based on 3/2/10 exchange rates
Food Average Service Average Service Deficit**
City/Locale
/ Avg.Food
Rating /
City/Locale
/ Avg. Service Rating /City/Locale
/ ServiceDeficit
Houston / 22.71 / San Antonio / 20.87 / Tokyo / 4.07
San Antonio / 22.58 / Dallas/Ft. Worth / 20.85 / Montréal / 2.97
Austin/Hill Country / 22.55 / Houston / 20.56 / Seattle / 2.43
Dallas/Ft. Worth / 22.40 / Vancouver / 20.36 / Austin/Hill Country / 2.24
Montréal / 22.10 / Austin/Hill Country / 20.31 / New Orleans / 2.23
Vancouver / 22.05 / Toronto / 20.16 / New York City / 2.23
New Orleans / 22.01 / Miami/So. Florida / 20.12 / Houston / 2.15
Toronto / 21.91 / Baltimore / 20.10 / San Francisco / 2.15
Baltimore / 21.89 / Atlanta / 20.09 / Boston / 2.06
Atlanta / 21.71 / Las Vegas / 20.07 / London / 1.93
San Francisco / 21.64 / New Jersey / 19.83 / Washington, DC / 1.92
New Jersey / 21.59 / New Orleans / 19.78 / Baltimore / 1.79
Tokyo / 21.55 / San Diego / 19.67 / Chicago / 1.78
Boston / 21.50 / Long Island / 19.61 / New Jersey / 1.76
Las Vegas / 21.41 / Connecticut / 19.57 / Toronto / 1.75
San Diego / 21.31 / San Francisco / 19.49 / San Antonio / 1.71
Chicago / 21.25 / Chicago / 19.47 / Vancouver / 1.69
Seattle / 21.14 / Boston / 19.44 / San Diego / 1.64
Connecticut / 21.09 / Westchester/Hudson Val. / 19.44 / Atlanta / 1.62
Long Island / 21.05 / Philadelphia / 19.37 / Philadelphia / 1.60
New York City / 20.99 / Los Angeles / 19.24 / Los Angeles / 1.59
Philadelphia / 20.97 / Hawaii / 19.22 / Dallas/Ft. Worth / 1.55
Los Angeles / 20.83 / Montréal / 19.13 / Hawaii / 1.57
Washington, DC / 20.83 / Washington, DC / 18.91 / Connecticut / 1.52
Hawaii / 20.79 / New York City / 18.76 / Paris / 1.52
London / 20.69 / London / 18.76 / Miami/So. Florida / 1.50
Miami/So. Florida / 20.62 / Seattle / 18.71 / Long Island / 1.44
Westchester/Hudson Val. / 20.49 / Paris / 17.88 / Las Vegas / 1.34
Paris / 19.40 / Tokyo / 17.48 / Westchester/Hudson Val. / 1.05
Zagat U.S. Average / 21.46 / Zagat U.S. Average / 19.68 / Zagat U.S. Average / 1.78
**Service is the weak link in the restaurant industry.
ZAGAT SURVEY SUMMARY
2010/11 Atlanta Restaurants
Supplemental Questions
- What irritates you most about dining out?
Service
/ 61%Noise / 10%
Food / 8%
Prices / 8%
Parking/traffic / 5%
Children / 3%
Crowds / 2%
Other / 3%
- Compared to 2 years ago, do you eat out…?
More / 18%
Same amount / 52%
Less / 30%
- Compared to 2 years ago, do you spend…?
More per meal / 27%
Same amount / 49%
Less per meal / 24%
- Of 14 possible lunches & dinners in a week,
how many do you:
Skip?
/ 1.0Cook at home? / 6.6
Eat out/take out? / 6.4
Total meals eat per week: / 13.0
% of total meals eat out/take out: / 49%
- What percent of your total meals out are for…?
Leisure / 85%
Business / 15%
6. Name your favorite cuisine:
Italian
/ 23%American / 20%
Mexican
/ 14%French / 10%
Thai / 10%
Japanese / 8%
Indian
/ 5%Chinese
/ 4%Other
/ 6%- How do you typically make restaurant reservations?
Via internet / 51%
Phone restaurant / 36%
Don’t reserve / 13%
- Before eating at a restaurant, do you typically
researchthe restaurant’s menu?
Yes / 89%No / 11%
- Does having a famous chef influence your
decision to dine at a restaurant? Would you be…?
More likely to dine there / 38%No effect / 59%
Less likely to dine there / 3%
- How do you feel about communal dining?
I actively choose communal tables / 2%
I’ll shareif no other option / 44%
Only as a last resort / 42%
I would rather walk away / 12%
- How do you feel about dining at the bar of a restaurant?
I actively choose to dine at the bar / 18%
If there is no other option / 47%
Only as a last resort / 32%
I would rather walk away / 3%
- Has the environmental impact of bottled water affected
the kind of water you drink at restaurants?
Yes, I’ve changed to tap/filtered water / 9%No, I always drink tap/filtered water / 80%
No, I still order bottled water if available / 7%
I’ve changed to tap/filtered water to cut
back on my spending / 3%
I do not drink water in restaurants / 1%
- Have the recent reports regarding the mercury levels
in fish affected how you order when dining out?
Yes, I’m avoiding certain types of fish now / 22%Yes, I’m cutting down on all types of fish / 2%
No, it hasn’t affected how much fish I eat / 76%
- Should restaurants be required to conspicuously
post a letter grade reflecting the results of their
health department inspection?
Yes / 90%No / 10%
- Should trans fats be banned from food preparation
in restaurants?
Yes / 55%No / 45%
- How important to you is having low-carb, low-fat, or heart-healthy menu items available when dining out?
Extremely important / 12%
Very important / 24%
Somewhat important / 41%
Not very important / 17%
Not at all important / 6%
- How important is it to you that the food you eat
is “green” (i.e. locally sourced, organic, or sustainably raised)?
Extremely important / 6%Very important / 21%
Somewhat important / 44%
Not very important / 23%
Not at all important / 6%
ZAGAT SURVEY SUMMARY
2010/11 Atlanta Restaurants
Supplemental Questions
- Do you typically seek out restaurants with menus that focus on “green” (i.e. locally sourced, organic, or sustainably raised) ingredients?
Yes / 41%
No / 59%
- Are you willing to pay more for food that is “green” (i.e. locally sourced, organic, or sustainably raised)?
Yes / 62%
No / 38%
- Since the economic downturn, is eating “green” (i.e. locally sourced, organic, or sustainably raised) as important to you as before?
It’s even more important to me now / 9%
It’s just as important to me now / 54%
It’s less important to me now / 4%
It’s never been important to me / 33%
- Has the economic downturn had any positive effects on your dining habits? (Check all that apply.)
Finding better deals at restaurants / 66%
Feel patronage is more appreciated and rewarded / 46%
Cooking more and enjoying it / 42%
Able to get a table at hard-to-get-in places / 41%
Eating healthier (cutting back on alcohol/rich foods) / 25%
Other / 3%
- What effect, if any, has the weak economy had on your dining out habits? (Check all that apply.)
I’m being more attentive to prices when ordering / 38%
I’m eating out less / 35%
I’m eating in less expensive places / 34%
I’m skipping appetizers and/or dessert / 22%
I’m cutting back on alcohol / 19%
I’m less likely to try new places / 11%
I’m going to the more expensive places
for lunch instead of dinner / 9%
Other / 7%
The weak economy hasn’t affected my dining out habits / 28%
- Using a scale of 0 to 3, how would you rate Atlanta’s current dining scene based on ...?
Culinary creativity / 20
Hospitality / 19
Choice/diversity / 20
Table availability / 20
1996 / 1999 / 2000/01 / 2002/03
28- / Bacchanalia / 28- / Bacchanalia / 28- / Bacchanalia / 28- / Bacchanalia
Ritz/Buckhead Dining Rm. / Ritz/Buckhead Dining Rm. / Ritz/Buckhead Dining Rm. / Ritz/Buckhead Dining Rm.
Elizabeth on 37th / Elizabeth on 37th / 27- / Soto / Pano’s & Paul’s
27- / Ciboulette / 27- / Soto / Brasserie Le Coze / 27- / Aria
Restaurant, Ritz/Atlanta / Pano’s & Paul’s / Seeger’s / Seeger’s
Pano’s & Paul’s / Chops / ChopsLobster Bar / Bone’s
26- / Ritz Buckhead Café / Ciboulette / Pano’s & Paul’s / Alon’s
Chops / 26- / Bone’s / La Grotta / La Grotta
Bone’s / Brasserie Le Coze / 26- / Sushi Huku / Chops Lobster Bar
La Grotta / Seeger’s / Bone’s / 26- / Soto
Hedgerose Heights Inn / Sushi Huku / Nikolai’s Roof / Tamarind
Brasserie Le Coze / La Grotta / Park 75 / Sia’s
25- / Flying Biscuit / Riviera, The / Ritz Buckhead Café / Sushi Huku
103 West / Four Seasons Café / Sia’s / Park 75
Chefs’ Café / Ritz Buckhead Café / Tamarind / 25- / Brasserie Le Coze
Nikolai’s Roof / Bread Garden / 25- / Hashiguchi / Ritz Buckhead Café
Cafe, Ritz/Atlanta / Nikolai’s Roof / Nava / Asher
Nava / 25- / Hedgerose / dick and harry’s / Floataway Cafe
Buckhead Diner / Morton’s of Chicago / Food Studio / Food Studio
Toulouse / Nava / Floataway Cafe / di Paolo
2004/05 / 2006/07 / 2008/09 / 2010/11
29- / Bacchanalia / 29- / Bacchanalia / 29- / Bacchanalia / 29- / Bacchanalia
28- / Ritz/Buckhead Dining Rm. / 28- / Quinones Room / 28- / Quinones Room / 28- / Quinones Room
27- / Tamarind / Rathbun’s / Rathbun’s / Aria
Aria / Ritz/Buckhead Dining Rm. / Restaurant Eugene / McKendrick's Steak House
Sia’s / 27- / Aria / 27- / Aria / Bone's Restaurant
Paolo’s Gelato / Alon’s / Ritz/Buckhead Dining Rm. / 27- / Kevin Rathbun Steak
Alon’s / Bone’s / Bone’s / di Paolo
Bone’s / Tamarind / Park 75 / La Grotta
MF Sushibar / Park 75 / MF Sushibar / Chops Lobster Bar
Floataway Cafe / di Paolo / Tamarind Seed / Hal's on Old Ivy
Chops Lobster Bar / Seeger’s / di Paolo / Rathbun's
26- / Park 75 / 26- / Floataway Cafe / Nan Thai / MF Buckhead
Pano’s & Paul’s / MF Sushibar / Taka / Nan Thai Fine Dining
Nan / McKendrick’s Steak House / Sotto Sotto / Kyma
Seeger’s / Taka / Chops Lobster Bar / 26- / Dogwood
Nikolai’s Roof / Nan Thai / 26- / Alon’s / MF Sushibar
Souper Jenny / Chops Lobster Bar / MF Buckhead / Pura Vida
McKendrick’s Steak House / JOËL / Pano’s & Paul’s / Busy Bee Cafe
JOËL / La Grotta / Sam & Dave’s / New York Prime
di Paolo / Madras Saravana / JOËL / Atmosphere