Operations

Early QSR reopening data shows quick 'bounce-back' potential

Foot traffic data from Georgia, where restaurants have fully reopened, indicates QSRs may be in store for resilient return to business. (Photo: iStock)

May 5, 2020

Early data about foot traffic in the handful of states nationally that have fully or partially reopened restaurants over the past week, shows encouraging news for QSRs, according to foot traffic data analysis platform, placer.ai. 

The company said in an email to QSRweb that it analyzed data from the period of Jan. 1, 2019 through April 27, 2020 to gain some insights into how brands are recovering in Georgia, where restaurants were permitted to reopen for dine-in starting last week. 

It found that at Chick-fil-A visits on April 25 were 22.7% below the daily baseline for the period, the brand's best day in Georgia since March 14 when many of the business restrictions related to COVID-19 began taking affect there, the company said. Placer.ai added that this same pattern appeared to be in effect for competing QSR, McDonald's, which saw its strongest visit day since mid-March on April 25.  

The foot traffic data company said it sees the numbers as partial proof that the trend in reopening essential retail businesses, like QSRs, is already showing a bounce back to normalcy, according to Vice President of Marketing Ethan Chernofsky. 

"Fast food has always been one of the best-positioned industries to have a relatively strong performance during the pandemic, and a rapid bounceback post," Chernofsky told QSRweb. "This centers around their multitude of channels including takeaway, delivery and drive-thru, and their value orientation — a huge asset during a period of economic uncertainty. 

"Data from Georgia is showing that the bounce-back is certainly in effect, and so long as the trend continues, this is one of the sectors that could return to their prior strength fastest. Even more interesting, there are signs that Georgia is just the beginning with visits increasing nationwide."