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This Month’s Exclusive Story

Poll Reveals: Most Popular Fast-Food Restaurants for Valentine’s Day on a Budget (2026)

By MarketBeat Staff. Publication Date: 1/22/2026. 

We surveyed 3,004 couples to get a clearer view of how they plan to spend Valentine’s Day — an annual snapshot of consumer confidence, discretionary habits, and small-scale economic decision-making.

Our findings revealed a notable trend: a surprisingly large share of couples plan to celebrate the day at fast-food restaurants rather than traditional sit-down venues.

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From a financial perspective, the brand choices people make — from Chick-fil-A to Taco Bell — reveal how consumers are adapting when prices remain high and disposable income feels tighter than usual.

Key Findings

Chick-fil-A’s highest ranking suggests “premium restraint” spending.

As the clear favorite, Chick-fil-A sits in a sweet spot: affordable but not perceived as cheap. This suggests consumers are willing to trade down from full-service restaurants as long as alternatives deliver quality, consistency, and a sense of occasion.

McDonald’s and Burger King reflect familiar spending habits.

These brands appeal when value and predictability matter most. Their high ranking suggests many consumers are actively minimizing discretionary spending.

Dairy Queen’s popularity highlights comfort-driven consumption.

Sweet brands tend to perform well when consumers are financially cautious but still seeking small indulgences.

Pizza brands are a popular Valentine’s Day option.

Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Little Caesars — pizza consistently does well during economic slowdowns because it can feed two people without doubling the cost.

The popularity of these pizza brands, led by Pizza Hut, reinforces that couples are optimizing for maximum experience per dollar.

Taco Bell, Sonic, and Jack in the Box indicate flexible, mix-and-match budgeting.

These chains let customers control spending precisely by adding or subtracting items as needed. That kind of granular budgeting appears when consumers are cost-aware but not fully pulling back.

Wendy’s and Subway sit in the middle as “balanced spend” options.

These brands appeal to consumers trying to maintain moderation — not splurging, but not fully cutting back either. Subway’s customization also mirrors a desire for control over both calories and cost.

Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s stands out as a higher-calorie, higher-satisfaction choice.

These brands often win when consumers prefer fewer purchases that feel more substantial — another sign of spending consolidation rather than expansion.

How the Survey Data Reinforces the Financial Story

68% said limited-edition Valentine’s menus would influence their choice.

This suggests people still respond to scarcity and seasonal framing — even when budgets are tight. Special marketing can justify discretionary spending without materially increasing overall spend.

Lower cost (28%) and comfort (38%) dominate decision-making.

Together, these responses indicate consumers aren’t eliminating discretionary spending — they are resizing it. This is consistent with a “trade-down, not opt-out” phase.

82% say fast food is becoming socially acceptable for special occasions.

Normalization reduces friction: when consumers feel socially comfortable spending less, they do so more confidently and more often.

54% say inflation has changed how they plan Valentine’s Day.

This is a meaningful shift. In previous years, Valentine’s Day often escaped budget cutbacks, even during broader financial pressure.

The fact that more than half of respondents are adjusting their plans now suggests belt-tightening has moved beyond everyday spending into traditionally “protected” occasions — a sign that cost sensitivity is becoming more deeply embedded in consumer behavior rather than a temporary reaction.

74% would be comfortable splitting the bill at a fast-food restaurant.

That level of acceptance suggests declining sensitivity around cost-sharing — often seen when consumers are more price-conscious but less embarrassed about it.

Final Thoughts

These results show how consumers behave when discretionary spending is under pressure but not collapsing.

Rather than opting out of Valentine’s Day, people are redefining it in financially rational ways: lower cost, lower risk, and lower pressure.

For analysts watching consumer confidence, this kind of behavior typically signals caution, not crisis. People still want to celebrate; they are just doing the math more carefully and choosing options that let them participate without overextending.

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