Conclusions

Even at a favorite brand, demand in quick-serve at any particular restaurant is situational based. It is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. This is one reason why site selection is so critical. How often do you end up at one quick-serve over another simply because making a right turn into its parking lot is easier than making a left across heavy traffic? When asked to rank the most important reasons why they choose one fast-food restaurant over another, 70 percent said “what I’m in the mood for” was either the most or second most important criteria, and another 59 percent said “convenience and speed” was first or second most important. On the other end of that spectrum, 15 percent of respondents said they stopped going to a specific restaurant after just one bad experience. It is therefore apparent that, now more than ever, successful operators need to be among the best at running an effective, efficient business.

Consumer Survey Methodology This survey was conducted in March 2007 by the independent research firm of Lewis & Clark Research, on behalf of QSR magazine. The purpose of the survey was to gather information from consumers regarding their fast-food dining preferences and experiences. Email invitations, containing a link to an online survey, were sent the week of March 5, 2007 to a general sample of U.S. consumers age 18 and over. This report is based on the first 1000 responses received. A similar survey was conducted in 2006, and where applicable, comparable data is included in this current report.