A question for the ladies: How do you feel about a first date at a fast-food restaurant?

Astonishingly, a survey from the website Dating News says that 54% of men would be OK with a fast-food first date, and 66% of women said they would say yes to a fast-food date.

My first thought is, who would doom a potential relationship by taking a date out for fast food?  When my late wife and I went on our first date, we went to a sports bar known for their pizza. More recently, I met my girlfriend for the first time for a drink and some food at Zybisco's Bar and Grill in Higginsville. Both places were fairly casual, weren't very expensive, and we had fun.

Then I thought about my second date with Stacey and had to chuckle. Our date ended with a very late dinner of pizza slices in the car outside Casey's at Higginsville Junction after karaoke at Zybisco's the next night. Reflecting on our dating life over the past year, I see that fast food has figured into more of our dates than one would think.

Sure, I took her to one of her favorite places, Red Lobster, and we also popped into Cracker Barrell before seeing a show at Cable Dahmer Arena. Yet we also enjoyed dinner at Long John Silvers and Freddy's before attending various events here in Sedalia. We also popped into Culver's once after a movie. We also scratched our fast food cravings at Panda Express and Chick-fil-A while heading to events in Kansas City.

Granted, many of these dates came later in the relationship. Yet, they were still very fun parts of our date night, so maybe a first date at a fast food joint isn't as crazy as it sounds.

So, Women Are OK With A Fast-Food First Date?

According to Dating News, yes. 41% of the people in their survey said they were fine with a fast-food or another budget-friendly date, provided the place they were asked to go had good vibes and their date was committed to making it fun. 40% said they'd be more open to the idea if the person were honest about their budget.

Most Popular Fast Food Place For A First Date?

Chick-fil-A took the top spot as their go-to for a first-date meal. Men in Missouri also named it their top choice for a fast food date. Dairy Queen came in second, while Pizza Hut and Sonic tied for third place.

Other Budget-Friendly Date Ideas

As part of their survey, they asked respondents to provide some other budget-friendly date ideas. Respondents suggested a coffee shop date, a movie marathon at home, a food truck stop and walk around town, and a picnic with items from the dollar menu.

The overall message, I think, is that you don't have to break the bank on a first date. It can be a very fast-food dollar menu affordable experience if you want it to be. My advice is that if a meal is part of the plan, take it a step above fast food because 34% of women will turn you down if you ask them to a fast food joint.