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Fast Food Favorites: A Look At What Americans Prefer Most By U.S. Regions

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In a recent survey conducted by retail design firm King Retail Solutions, consumers revealed their favorite local and chain quick service restaurants among six U.S. regions - Midwest, Northeast, Pacific, Rocky, Southeast, and Southwest. As part of this survey, the 1,200 most recent Yelp! reviews (200 per region) were analyzed, with any pros and cons mentioned on Yelp! identified and cataloged. Considering we live in a day and age where online reviews influence future consumer behavior, these findings offer key insight to companies leading the way in fast food today.

Among the key findings was that the majority of Yelp! reviewers had positive things to say about quick service, fast food restaurants that included the following:

  • 80% love the food
  • 40% love the customer service
  • 19% love that it’s fast
  • 14% love that it’s affordable
  • 12% love the fresh ingredients
  • 10% love the interior atmosphere
  • 10% love the big portions
  • 8% love that it’s clean
  • 7% love the convenient location
  • 3% love that it’s open early, late, or 24 hours

On the contrary, the top negative complaints revealed included the following:

  • 12% said food quality is poor
  • 9% said it’s not fast enough
  • 8% said customer service is lacking
  • 5% said it’s over-priced
  • 3% said the food is unhealthy
  • 3% said servings are too small
  • 2% said the space was dirty or unkempt
  • 2% said there wasn’t enough seating

Men vs. Women 

Surprisingly, men and women favored quick service restaurants for similar reasons. For men, 80% revealed they like fast food restaurants because the food is good while 79% of women agree with men on this. Meanwhile, 43% of women believe the service is good at quick service restaurants while only 38% of men believe this is the case. When it comes to price, a collective 5% believe quick service restaurants are over-priced.

Chain Favorites by Region 

Tastebuds vary... that's no secret. So when it comes to fast food favorites, it's no surprise that chains vary by each region. For the Midwest, Chick-fil-A tops the list as a favorite fast food restaurant, with Chipotle, Culver’s, Firehouse Subs, Five Guys, Raising Cane’s, Taco Bell and Tastee Freez following on the top fast food favorites list.

In the Northeast, Chick-fil-A once again tops the list, with Chipotle also falling into second place. Next up is Five Guys, Pollo Campero, Popeyes, Potbelly Sub Shop, Shake Shack, Taco Bell and finally, Wendy’s.

The Pacific beats a bit more to their own drum, with Chiptole leading the list of fast food favorites. Following Chiptole is Hot Dog on a Stick - owned by Global Franchise Group, a strategic brand management company with a focus on franchising - then  In-N-Out Burger , McDonald’s, MOD Pizza, Original Tommy’s, Popeyes, Potbelly Sub Shop, Taco Bell and Waba Grill.

Those in the Rocky Mountains prefer Chick-fil-A - just like the Midwest and Northeast - and Chipotle, Culver’s, Firehouse Subs, Five Guys, In-N-Out Burger and Raising Cane’s.

Chick-fil-A and Chiptole also top the list in Southwest, followed by Culver’s, Firehouse Subs, Five Guys, Raising Cane’s,  Subway and then

Tijuana Flats - a Tex-Mex quick service restaurant known for it's fresh ingredients delivered fast.

Finally, the Southeast also prefers Chick-fil-A as their favorite fast food joint, followed by Firehouse Subs, Five Guys, In-N-Out Burger, Jersey Mike’s and MOD Pizza.

The Takeway 

America's most-loved fast food restaurants are those that balance food and service quality, general atmosphere and price - helping patrons to feel satisfied, taken care of and plenty full. Expanding on this, Mark Sargent - a Creative Director at King Retail Solutions - shares the following:

Although there were some differences in the ways male and female consumers critiqued these top rated quick service restaurants and there were a few interesting regional trends regarding what people noted most frequently, the single biggest takeaway from our study was the fact that there truly isn't a secret ingredient to running a successful fast food restaurant brand that people will love. It's about striking a balance between all of the things that will resonate with your guest, and then really emphasizing one or two of the most critical and/or unique factors, in order to differentiate your brand. For instance, we saw a lot of raves for restaurants that managed to make a decent meal quickly, largely in part because they also made sure to treat their customers nicely, provided a great space/environment, and/or pushed further with really fresh ingredients. Restaurants also got extra love for providing a strong price to portion ratio," Sargent explained.

Sounds like the winning recipe for fast food and quick service restaurant success can be mixed a few ways. The key ingredients, however? Ambiance, price, ingredients, service and overall quality and quantity of food to help make the right recipe for success.

 

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