Olive Garden is a No. 1 restaurant in COVID crisis, survey says. But not in Florida

Since the spring, when COVID-19 shut restaurants faster than a ticked-off food inspector, fast-food joints have outperformed sit-down restaurants in customer visits once restaurants started reopening with restrictions.

A new survey on casual dining by Top Data found that on average, casual dining places saw 58% less traffic since the start of the pandemic in March, but fast-food restaurants experienced a smaller 30% decrease.

The survey found that casual dining places like Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Olive Garden and chain steakhouses like Texas Roadhouse dominated America’s return to well-known sit down restaurants.

The top two — Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse — are “known for their everlasting supply of free bread,” Top Data reports.

But Florida, being different, chose another No. 1.

According to the study, “in Florida diners are choosing Outback Steakhouse as their go-to casual dining establishment in our COVID-dominated world,” Top Data reported.

Could it be Outback, too, offers a loaf of their yummy pumpernickel and creamy butter at each table or via curbside takeout? You can always ask for seconds, too.

Here’s Florida’s Top 5 casual dining restaurants

1. Outback Steakhouse

2. Olive Garden

3. Chili’s

4. Miller’s Ale House

5. IHOP