Here is another reason to support voting NO on the meals tax. With surrounding jurisdictions already having a meals tax and Fairfax County currently does not, this encourages those living or working near the border of Fairfax OR commuting or driving through Fairfax say from DC, Arlington, etc. to further out suburbs or in the opposite direction to realize the tax savings of eating in Fairfax County (this has to be offset with the current even cost of car gas especially for the 1st situation). If the meals tax pass, then for those customers, then less of an incentive to eat in Fairfax as lose much or all of the tax savings compared with surrounding jurisdictions. Fairfax county restaurants then lose out on these sales and Fairfax County ALSO loses the existing 6%/2.5% tax on these sales (
http://www.tax.virginia.gov/content/food-tax explains the different taxing for eat in restaurant food vs. carryout food for home consumption).
Probably not a huge, huge impact, but something to think about. Of course, even with above, there are other factors why one may eat a restaurant or fast food in one place or another in one jurisdiction or another, such as quality of service and food, price if both restaurants not of same chain, convenient meeting spot for a group, immediate hunger, etc.