BIG SPENDERS: Sure, they love to eat...

BIG SPENDERS: Sure, they love to eat out in the Bay Area (above), but when it comes to dining in Southern California, no one spends like people do in Orange County. . . . The average local household spent nearly $3,000 a year in restaurants and bars in 1988. That’s about $730 more than in San Diego County, about $830 more than in Los Angeles County and a whopping $1,325 more than in Riverside County.

EATING OUT IN CALIFORNIA Most spent per household in bars and restaurants, by county. San Francisco: $4,426 Orange: $2,966 Marin: $2,726 Santa Barbara: $2,640 Placer: $2,484 Source: Sales and Marketing Magazine