Brand Awareness, Consumer Behaviors Redrawing Playbook For QSRs

Speed is still a key part of the quick-serve restaurant value proposition, but in recent years, the industry has evolved considerably to meet changing consumer dining preferences – and new demands on brand experience.

Recently, MX8 Labs took a bite out of the QSR space with Inside the Fast Lane to quantify how the industry is adjusting to market dynamics, what's driving in-store visits, the impact of consumer loyalty and more. The results show how QSR diners and consumers want a combination of speed, convenience, familiarity and personalization, while still leaning into human connections around placing orders.

Some big takeaways to chew on from the report:

• 67% of the market has been to McDonald's over the past 30 days (with 73% of Baby Boomers visiting in that timeframe).
• Five Guys has the second-highest awareness among top QSR brands at 81%, but also ranks relatively low in terms of recent visitation.
• Arby's awareness among consumer 65 and older (81%) well outperforms its overall awareness of 63% – indicating that Arby's already succeeds with seniors, but has an opportunity to grow with younger audiences.
• Though 61% of consumers say they’d try AI ordering with QSR brands, 66% of consumers still prefer human interaction when ordering food; and that jumps to 85% among the 65 and over crowd.

Gobble up more insights around the rapidly changing QSR market and how these brands are keeping ahead of consumer preferences. Download MX8 Labs' Inside The Fast Lane report today.