People in Dallas Spend the Most on Booze and Food

The data is out and Dallas is the big winner: We drink more alcohol and let someone else take care of the cooking more often than any other metropolitan area in the country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its data earlier this month, and now the entire nation is looking right at Dallas Fort Worth residents as leaders in hedonism.

Collectively, we spend more than 6 percent of our annual income on nights out at Chili's, Herrera's and other local restaurants. That's way ahead of San Francisco, where residents spend 5.7 percent. Considering the strength of San Francisco's dining scene, it's safe to assume dining budgets are trimmed by sky-high housing costs. The same high cost of living is likely keeping other cities like New York from topping the list.

We drink more than everyone else, too, spending more than a full percent of our annual income on booze and besting Cleveland, Phoenix and San Diego. The only vice expenditure we didn't spend the most on was tobacco. Boston kicks our asses at smoking, it seems, and we're probably all the better for it.

Aside from bragging rights, This is awesome news for Dallas diners, especially if restaurateurs and other small business owners are thinking about taking the plunge with a new idea in our area. Restaurateurs with solid ideas know that Dallas is a place where the dinning public isn't afraid of giving them a shot, and that means more new restaurants for all of us. Bars, too.