proportionately the different types of public eating places in the United 

 States were selected for personal interview on a scientific random 

 sajrrpling basis. 



The survey was designed by the sajnpling staff of the Bui^eau of 

 the Census with sufficiently small sampling variability to give reliable 

 estimates on the subjects studied for the United States and somewhat 

 less reliable estimates for the four geographic regions. Publication of 

 data for smaller areas was not attempted because such figures would have 

 produced estimates of questionable reliability oi- vroa].d have required a 

 sample considerably larger than that which was used and would have added 

 considerably to the cost of the survey, A map of the four geographic 

 regions used in this stut^ is shown as Figure 1 on the following page. 



The data presented in this report represent expanded figvires and 

 percentage distributions of the replies, based on the )|,630 sample estab- 

 lishments. These data present estimates of the response of all establish- 

 ments to which a particular question and its summary applies. Cooperation 

 was received from 90 percent of the li,630 respondents, an exceptionally 

 high proportion. For the 10 percent not reporting, an adjustment of the 

 data was made by distributing the non-respondents in the same proportion 

 as those responding. 



In the summaries of the results of the surv^ which follow, the 

 United States total figures are first broken down to show the total response 

 all public eating establishments for each region. This analysis is then 

 followed by analyses by type of establishment, by city size and by sales 

 size ^ of business respectively. 



Scope of the Study 



The universe from which the sample was chosen consists of any 

 public eating or drinking place in the continental United States which 

 serves, for a profit, foods to be consumed on the premises and offers 

 table and/or counter services. 



2j Sale size for each establishment was determined from reported total 

 receipts from food served d\iring 195'ii. 



