Egyptians are opting for cash when dining out with 80 per cent choosing the traditional payment choice over a credit card, according to a new report by LivingSocial and YouGov.

The social trends survey also suggests Egyptians are eating out a whopping 12 times a week and that friends are beating family to the table as the preferred dining companions outside the home.

The report commissioned by local commerce company LivingSocial as part of its ongoing efforts to discover and share information about local social trends and behaviour, quizzed 1,131 members on their dining habits.

The results provide a compelling insight into the tastes of local residents and a rundown of the nation’s favourite ways to satiate their appetites.

The survey revealed that the majority of Egyptians still choose cash over a credit card with 4/5 respondents preferring to pay for their meal with paper currency, while only 16 per cent use their credit card and 1 per cent uses a debit card. 

Although the vast majority of those surveyed selected Arabic as a favourite food choice with 65 per cent frequenting restaurants offering the local cuisine, BBQ and pizza were not far behind with 47 per cent of respondents regularly choosing the cuisines as their preferred dine out options.

Results revealed that Egyptians eat out with their friends more than their family and spouses, with 64 per cent saying they frequently dine out with their friends and 54 per cent naming their family as their regular dining companions.

Spouses follow not far behind family with 37 per cent of respondents citing their other half as their dining partner outside the home. Business colleagues proved the least popular choice with only 32 per cent of respondents choosing their colleagues for a business meal.

When it comes to preferred take-out options, Arabic food wins with 56 per cent of respondents choosing the local cuisine as a take-away meal. Pizza came in a close second place with 51 per cent of respondents selecting the cheesy favorite while American cuisine came in third with 42 per cent of the votes.

The survey also revealed that Egyptians are becoming more adventurous in their dining choices with 40 per cent describing themselves as ‘experimental eaters’ and 40 per cent considering themselves to be a ‘meat lover’’.

They seem to be equally divided in their preference for fine versus fast and sweet foods. A little over a third (36 per cent) described themselves as a ‘foodie’, while a further 36 per cent described themselves as ‘fast-food junkies’. The other third, however, prefer dessert with 32 per cent describing themselves as having a ‘sweet tooth.’

The study showed that women’s overall second choice after local Arabic cuisine is Italian with 57 per cent choosing Italian as a frequent dine-out choice, while men prefer BBQ and pizza with 51 per cent selecting the two as their regular choice for sit-down meals. Also 44 per cent of the female respondents also selected Chinese as a regular cuisine choice. – TradeArabia News Service