{"id":74757,"date":"2026-10-11T03:37:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T03:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/11\/what-is-a-foodie-call-the-dating-trend-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T03:37:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T03:37:36","slug":"what-is-a-foodie-call-the-dating-trend-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/11\/what-is-a-foodie-call-the-dating-trend-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Foodie Call? The Dating Trend Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Forget late-night texts asking you to come over. Apparently, some people are swiping right for the dinner reservation.<\/p>\n

It’s called a “foodie call,”<\/strong> and it’s exactly what it sounds like: accepting a date primarily because someone’s picking up the tab.<\/p>\n

Romance is alive and well. Your free entr\u00e9e? Even better.<\/p>\n

According to a recent DatingAdvice<\/a> survey of 1,016 U.S. adults, 30% said they’ve accepted a date primarily for free food or drinks.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Woman Questions Boyfriend\u2019s Motives After He Admits Marriage Would Help His Finances<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Cupid might be working overtime, but apparently, so is the dinner menu.<\/p>\n

What Is a Foodie Call?<\/h3>\n

Think of it as the culinary cousin of a booty call \u2014 except instead of a late-night text, the main event is a dinner reservation.<\/p>\n

A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science<\/a> defined a foodie call as accepting a date without romantic attraction simply to get a free meal.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Jack Finnigan<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption>fogged window showing two person sitting<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

And yes, there’s a difference between being open to a little dinner-date chemistry and treating someone like a walking gift card.<\/p>\n

Alexandra Foglia, a doctor of marriage and family therapy, describes foodie calls as existing “on a continuum of intent,” ranging from genuine curiosity about another person to outright opportunism.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/b>What To Do When Someone Ghosts You in a Relationship<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, being unsure about someone but willing to see where dinner goes isn’t quite the same as having absolutely zero interest and showing up for the steak.<\/p>\n

Who’s Accepting Dates for the Free Food?<\/h3>\n

According to the DatingAdvice<\/a> survey, women reported accepting foodie calls slightly more often than men, at 32% compared with 26%.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Ren\u00e9 Ranisch<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption>woman wearing black sweater holding hand with man wearing gray suit jacket<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Gen Z and younger millennials reported the highest rate overall, with 32% saying they’d accepted a date primarily for free food or drinks.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/b>Love Off the Rocks! Navigating Sober Dating (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

But don’t go blaming the kids just yet: Among respondents ages 65 and older, 26% said they’d done it, too.<\/p>\n

In fact, at least one in four respondents in every generation reported accepting a date primarily for the meal or drinks.<\/p>\n

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So, while younger daters led the survey, the behavior isn’t exactly a Gen Z invention. Turns out, a free dinner has cross-generational appeal.<\/p>\n

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Gross Habits That Can Ruin Relationships <\/h2>\n
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Check out the 12 grossest partner habits as revealed by LifeHacker.com<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gallery Credit: Lauryn Snapp<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n