MEDFORD, Ore., June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- When people go on their summer vacations, more than likely the destination's food helped them select the location. According to a survey commissioned by Harry & David, nearly two-thirds of consumers surveyed (62 percent) said that they would recommend a vacation destination based solely on its food or cuisine. And food is even more critical to millennials, with seven out of ten of those surveyed (71 percent) saying they would recommend a travel spot for its food alone.

People look forward to food no matter where they travel; 82 percent of the survey respondents agreed that they get most excited about trying the local food and restaurants when traveling to a new destination. And they don't want to eat just anywhere in these cities either; 59 percent of those surveyed said that while on vacation they are most likely to seek out restaurants where locals eat to ensure they get the true flavor of the culture.

While men may not ask for directions to their vacation stop, they will swallow their pride to ensure they get the best eats. Men are more likely than women to seek out restaurants where locals eat (63 percent vs. 56 percent, respectively), according to the survey results.

So where are the top cities for food? Harry & David turned to consumers to share their viewpoint, and New York City was named the most "foodie" city – meaning a city that's known for its unique food – in the United States. San Francisco, Chicago and Austin, TX rounded out the top four foodie cities.

For people who love the regional flavors of the top four food cities, Harry & David has curated a selection of regionally-inspired baskets that feature food items inspired by the cuisine these cities have to offer.

Harry & David is donating 20 percent of the net proceeds from the sales of the regionally-inspired baskets to be divided equally between the following local food banks in each of the cities: Food Bank For New York City, SF-Marin Food Bank, Central Texas Food Bank (formerly the Capital Area Food Bank) and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

"While we know people travel for the experience, we are very excited to share these custom-curated baskets, making it easier for anyone to sample food inspired by the cuisines of these top cities," said Steven Lightman, president of Harry & David. "As the authority for gifting and entertaining and delivering expertly crafted delight, we believe these gourmet baskets are yet another way we are providing consumers with a unique and enjoyable cuisine experience."

Each of the regionally-inspired baskets includes items whose flavors are reminiscent of each of the cities and that are sure to make any food aficionado's mouth water, such as:

New York City-Inspired Basket: Harry & David NY-style cheesecake, Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, Harry & David Tiramisu Flavored Coffee, Wolferman's Chocolate Babka
San Francisco-Inspired Basket: Harry & David Cheddar Corn Chowder Soup Mix, Harry & David Seafood Rub, Sourdough Loaf, Habanero Pineapple Seafood Glaze
Austin-Inspired Basket: Harry & David Texas-style BBQ sauce, BBQ Rub, Taylor's Sausage Trailbuster Jerky, Monterey Jack Queso
Chicago-Inspired Basket: Stock Yards® Chicago Beef Franks, Chicago-Style Relish, Sliced Jalapeños, Hefeweizen Lemon Garlic Mustard

To find out more about the Harry & David regionally-inspired baskets, where you can purchase them and more information on the local food banks, visit www.HarryandDavid.com/h/City-Inspired.

Methodology
The Regionally-Inspired Food Survey was commissioned by Harry & David and conducted by independent research firm Wakefield Research between August 19-25, 2015 and April 4-8, 2016. The survey was conducted online with 1,017 and 1,021 respondents, respectively.

About 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc.
1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. is a leading provider of gourmet food and floral gifts for all occasions. For the past 40 years, 1-800-FLOWERS® (1-800-356-9377 or  www.1800flowers.com) has been helping deliver smiles for our customers with gifts for every occasion, including fresh flowers and the finest selection of plants, gift baskets, gourmet foods, confections, candles, balloons and plush stuffed animals. As always, our 100% Smile Guarantee® backs every gift. The company's Celebrations® suite of services, including Celebrations Passport® Free Shipping/No Service Charge program, Celebrations Rewards® and Celebrations RemindersSM, are all designed to engage with customers and deepen relationships as a one-stop destination for all celebratory and gifting occasions. In 2016, 1-800-Flowers.com was awarded a Silver Stevie "e-Commerce Customer Service" Award, recognizing the company's innovative use of online technologies and social media to service the needs of customers. In addition, in 2015 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. was recognized as one of Internet Retailer's Top 300 B2B e-commerce companies and was also recently named in Internet Retailer's 2016 Top Mobile 500 as one of the world's leading mobile commerce sites. The company was included in Internet Retailer's 2015 Top 500 for fast-growing e-commerce companies. In 2015, 1-800-Flowers.com was named a winner of the "Best Companies to Work for in New York State" Award by The New York Society for Human Resource Management (NYS-SHRM). The Company's BloomNet® international floral wire service (www.mybloomnet.net) provides a broad range of quality products and value-added services designed to help professional florists grow their businesses profitably. The 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. "Gift Shop" also includes gourmet gifts such as premium, gift-quality fruits and other gourmet items from Harry & David® (1-877-322-1200 or www.harryanddavid.com); popcorn and specialty treats from The Popcorn Factory® (1-800-541-2676 or www.thepopcornfactory.com); cookies and baked gifts from Cheryl's® (1-800-443-8124 or www.cheryls.com); premium chocolates and confections from Fannie May® (www.fanniemay.com and www.harrylondon.com); gift baskets and towers from 1-800- Baskets.com®  (www.1800baskets.com); premium English muffins and other breakfast treats from Wolferman's® (1-800-999-1910 or www.wolfermans.com); carved fresh fruit arrangements from FruitBouquets.com (www.fruitbouquets.com); and top-quality steaks and chops from Stock Yards® (www.stockyards.com).  Shares in 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, ticker symbol: FLWS.

Rhonda Klug
Harry & David
541-864-2238
RKlug@HarryandDavid.com

Joe Perri
MWWPR
201-964-2372
JPerri@MWW.com

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SOURCE 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc.