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In-N-Out tops restaurant brands in ChangeUp’s 2026 Experience Report

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September 29, 2026

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In-N-Out has been named the top restaurant brand for customer experience for the second consecutive year in ChangeUp's 2026 Experience Report, with Texas Roadhouse ranking No. 2, according to a press release. On the retail side, Costco moved into the top spot, replacing last year's leader, H-E-B, which fell to No. 2.

The brand strategy and retail design agency surveyed more than 6,500 consumers across more than 300 brands, collecting over 400,000 data points through survey research and AI-powered analysis of consumer reviews and online conversations. Brands were evaluated on eight dimensions, including memorability, return intent, advocacy, novelty and relevance.

ChangeUp said restaurant brands including In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, Playa Bowls and Texas Roadhouse stood out by creating distinctive experiences that customers remember and discuss. The report also points to Playa Bowls, Dutch Bros and Buc-ee's as brands creating enough consumer interest to motivate a visit.

"Consumers are still willing to spend on experience, but as people become more selective, every trip now carries more expectation," ChangeUp CEO Lee Carpenter said in the release. "They're taking fewer trips and asking more of the ones they make."

The report also examines how pickup, delivery and curbside service are changing the role of physical locations and increasing pressure on brands to make an in-person visit worthwhile.

"What we're seeing in the data is that a brand can do everything it did last year and still lose ground because the experiences around it are getting better," Carpenter said. "Staying relevant requires more than protecting what already works."