Fast casual Five Guys Burger & Fries and quick-serve Chick-fil-A have been selected as consumers' No. 1 and No. 2 favorite limited-service restaurants, based on number of units, according to a recent Market Force Information Inc. survey. The survey also revealed that many consumers plan to cut back on their visits to quick-serve and fast casual restaurants.
Market Force Information queried its network of 300,000 independent mystery shoppers and merchandisers, and 3,000 responded to a series of questions designed to answer what is in store for the LSR industry in 2010.
The survey asked the consumer group to select their single favorite from a list of the country's 52 top franchise QSRs and fast casuals. Chick-fil-A and McDonald's both received the highest number of votes from consumers across the country, 11 percent of the total for each.
To accomodate for the discrepancy in the chains' sizes — McDonald's has almost 14,000 locations in North America, Chick-fil-A has 1/10th that number, and Five Guys has just 3 percent of McDonald's reach — Market Force factored in the number of locations to the survey results. Thus, Five Guys emerged on top of the list with 14.4 percent, followed by Chick-fil-A in second with 12.5 percent. Fast casuals Chipotle and Panera Bread were third and fourth, respectively, with 7.7 percent and 7.3 percent.
The survey also asked the respondents to score the same restaurant chains for characteristics they appreciate most. Chick-fil-A scored highest in three out of nine categories: friendliness, cleanliness and accommodating children. Five Guys tied for highest in quality of food with Chipotle, and ranked second in friendliness and cleanliness.
2010 spending predictions
The Market Force Information survey also asked the respondents to predict their spending habits with LSRs in the first three months of 2010. The results include:
- Slightly more than half of those surveyed said they expected to eat out about the same amount
- Five percent said they expected to eat out more at LSRs during the first quarter
- But 44 percent said they planned to cut back their patronage at LSRs
The survey was conducted in early December 2009. The pool of 3,000 respondents ranged in age from 19 – 72 and reflected a broad spectrum of income levels; approximately half had incomes of more than $50,000 a year. Approximately 75 percent were women, which are the primary household consumer purchasers. Half have children at home.
