Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
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- Figure 1: QSR companies comprising market size, by segment, 2008
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Menu Insights
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- QSRs holding on despite (and because of) the U.S. economy…
- …but are heading abroad
- Keeping the commodity evils at bay
- The mighty value meal
- Waking up to breakfast
- Location is essential
- Health and quality are undeniable
- Competition lurks
- Five “food” segments, increasingly blurring
- Innovation is apparent
- Advertising a core component of the battle
- Hispanics and kids key demographics
Insights and Opportunities
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- Key points
- Fast food or fat food?
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- Figure 2: Attitudes regarding healthy eating, 2002-07
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- Figure 3: Health attitudes toward restaurants, by race/ethnicity, January 2008
- Restaurants are responding to call for fresh ingredients—but lag elsewhere
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- Figure 4: Change in menu items versus consumer interest in menu items, by type of item, 2006 vs 2007
- Keep the value coming
- Be flexible and creative in sourcing ingredients
- Location, location, location
- Keeping it “real”
- Family-style meals can have broad appeal
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
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- Figure 5: Total U.S. QSR sales and forecast, at current prices, 2005-10
- Figure 6: Total U.S. QSR sales and forecast, at constant prices, 2005-10
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Fast casual
- Smoothies
- The cloud within the silver lining
- Coffeehouses and donut shops
Segment Performance
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- Key points
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- Figure 7: U.S. sales of leading QSR chains, by “food” segment, 2005 and 2007
Segment Performance—Burger Restaurants
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- Key points
- More chicken, more real, more snacks, more breakfast
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- Figure 8: U.S. sales of leading “burger” QSR chains, 2005 and 2007
- Figure 9: Franchise and company units of leading QSR “burger” chains, 2005 and 2007
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- Figure 10: Sales per unit at leading QSR “burger” chains, 2005 and 2007
Segment Performance—Chicken Restaurants
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- Key points
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- Figure 11: U.S. sales of leading “chicken” QSR chains, 2005 and 2007
Segment Performance—Sandwich Restaurants
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- Key points
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- Figure 12: U.S. sales of leading “sandwich” QSR chains, 2005 and 2007
Segment Performance—Mexican Restaurants
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- Key points
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- Figure 13: U.S. sales of leading “Mexican” QSR chains, 2005 and 2007
Segment Performance—Other Restaurants
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- Figure 14: U.S. sales of leading “other” QSR chains, 2005 and 2007
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Market Drivers
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- Meals eaten out decline, but QSR continues to thrive
- A nation in the grip of economic woes
- The rising costs of food and gas
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- Figure 15: U.S. regular conventional retail gasoline prices, 2002-07
- Upside for QSR
- Value menus (and the warring double cheeseburger)
- Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
- The chicken fight
- The battle over breakfast
- A market with solid core demographics
- The Hispanic patron
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- Figure 16: Hispanic versus non-Hispanic restaurant segment choices, 2007
- Kids and fast food
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- Overview
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- Figure 17: Number of menu claims and items at leading QSR chains, 2008
- McDonald’s
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- Figure 18: McDonald’s menu items, Q4 2006-Q4 2007
- Burger King
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- Figure 19: Burger King Menu Items, Q4 2006-Q4 2007
- Wendy’s
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- Figure 20: Wendy’s menu items, Q4 2006-Q4 2007
- Jack in the Box
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- Figure 21: Jack in the Box menu items, Q4 2006-Q4 2007
- Taco Bell
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- Figure 22: Taco Bell menu items, Q4 2006-Q4 2007
- Chick-fil-A
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- Figure 23: Chick-fil-A menu items, Q4 2006-Q4 2007
- Subway
Brand Qualities
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- Key points
- A rose (or chicken) by any other name
- Names loved overseas
Innovation and Innovators
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- Key points
- Dual and co-branding
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- Figure 24: Number of convenience stores, 2001-06
- Fresh fast food
- Talking tech
- Mobile couponing and ordering
- Gaming
- Eco-friendly
Advertising and Promotion
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- Overview
- Free and discounted meals
- Aligning with pop culture
- Fighting the “fake food” image
- Television ads
- A&W
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- Figure 25: A&W television ad, 2007
- Burger King
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- Figure 26: Burger King television ad, 2007
- Chick-fil-A
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- Figure 27: Chick-fil-A television ad, 2007
- Culver’s
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- Figure 28: Culver’s television ad, 2007
- Dairy Queen
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- Figure 29: Dairy Queen television ad, 2007
- Jack in the Box
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- Figure 30: Jack in the Box television ad, 2007
- KFC
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- Figure 31: KFC television ad, 2007
- Long John Silver’s
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- Figure 32: Long John Silver’s television ad, 2007
- McDonald’s
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- Figure 33: McDonald’s television ad, 2007
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- Figure 34: McDonald’s television ad, 2007
- Popeyes
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- Figure 35: Popeyes television ad, 2007
- Sonic
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- Figure 36: Sonic television ad, 2007
- Taco Bell
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- Figure 37: Taco Bell television ad, 2007
- Wendy’s
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- Figure 38: Wendy’s television ad, 2007
- White Castle
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- Figure 39: White Castle television ad, 2007
Fast Forward Trends
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- Sense of the Intense
- What's it about?
- What we've seen
- Specifics
- Implications
- Carnivore, Herbivore ... Locavore
- What's it about?
- What we've seen
- Specifics
- Implications
The QSR Consumer—Who Eats, How Often and Where
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- QSR trended usage
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- Figure 40: Whether fast food/drive-in restaurants are visited, by age, 2003-07
- Frequency of purchase from a QSR in past week
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- Figure 41: Incidence and frequency of QSR dining in the past week, 2007 and 2008
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- Figure 42: Incidence and frequency of QSR dining in the past week, by age, March 2008
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- Figure 43: Incidence and frequency of QSR dining in the past week, by race/Hispanic origin, March 2008
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- Figure 44: Incidence and frequency of QSR dining in the past week, by presence of children in household, March 2008
Favorite Fast Food Restaurant
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- Figure 45: Favorite fast food restaurant, by age, March 2008
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- Figure 46: Favorite fast food restaurant, by race/Hispanic origin, March 2008
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- Figure 47: Favorite fast food restaurant, by presence of children in household, March 2008
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Reasons for Selection
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- Reasons for selecting a specific QSR chain
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- Figure 48: Reasons for selecting a specific QSR chain, by presence of children, March 2008
- Factors of importance when selecting a QSR
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- Figure 49: Selection criteria for which QSR to visit, 2007 and 2008
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- Figure 50: Reasons for selecting a QSR, by gender, March 2008
- Figure 51: Reasons for selecting a QSR, by presence of children, March 2008
Lifestyle Self-Assessments and QSR Visits
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- General attitudes and opinions
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- Figure 52: General health and food-related attitudes and opinions, QSR visitors vs. non-visitors, January-September 2007
Interest in Trying New Options
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- Figure 53: Interest in trying new options, 2007 and 2008
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- Figure 54: Interest in trying new QSR options, by gender, March 2008
- Figure 55: Interest in trying new QSR options, by age, March 2008
- All-day breakfast options should engage interest
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- Figure 56: Tried and would use all-day breakfast options, by gender, age, race/ethnicity, household income, region and presence of children, March 2008
- Fruit smoothies a sought after option
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- Figure 57: Tried and would drink fruit smoothie, by gender, age, race/ethnicity, household income and presence of children, March 2008
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Ingredients or Food Options of Interest
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- Figure 58: Ingredients or food options of interest at fast food restaurants, by gender, March 2008
- Figure 59: Ingredients or food options of interest at fast food restaurants, by race/Hispanic origin, March 2008
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- Figure 60: Ingredients or food options of interest at fast food restaurants, by household income, March 2008
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Kids and Fast Food
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- Who eats, how often, where and why
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- Figure 61: Whether fast food/drive-in restaurants are visited, by age—children and teens, 2003-07
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- Figure 63: Named QSR visited—teens aged 12-17 and kids aged 6-11, May 2006-June 2007
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- Figure 64: Meals most eaten at QSRs—teens aged 12-17 and kids aged 6-11, May 2006-June 2007
- Figure 65: Why a QSR is a favorite for kids aged 6-11, May 2006-June 2007
- Parental assessment of their kids and fast food
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- Figure 66: Parental assessment of their kids and fast food, by age, March 2008
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- Figure 67: Parental assessment of their kids and fast food, by race/Hispanic origin, March 2008
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- Figure 68: Parental assessment of their kids and fast food, by household income, March 2008
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Favorite fast food restaurant
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- Figure 69: Favorite fast food restaurant, by custom consumer groups, March 2008
- Reasons for selecting a specific QSR chain
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- Figure 70: Reasons for selecting a specific QSR chain, by custom consumer groups, March 2008
- Interest in trying new options
- Burger made with Angus beef
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- Figure 71: Interest in trying burger made with Angus beef, by custom consumer groups, March 2008
- All-day breakfast options
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- Figure 72: Interest in trying all-day breakfast options, by custom consumer groups, March 2008
- Gourmet coffee
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- Figure 73: Interest in trying gourmet coffee, by custom consumer groups, March 2008
- Fruit smoothie
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- Figure 74: Interest in trying fruit smoothie, by custom consumer groups, March 2008
- Ingredients/food options people would like to see more of at QSRs
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- Figure 75: Ingredients or food options of interest at fast food restaurants, by custom consumer groups, March 2008
Cluster Analysis—Avid Goers, Mexican Food Lovers, Average Goers
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- Avid Goers
- Opportunity
- Who they are
- Mexican Food Lovers
- Opportunity
- Who they are
- Average Goers
- Opportunity
- Who they are
- Cluster characteristics
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- Figure 76: QSR clusters, March 2008
- Figure 77: Please tell us if any of the following statements apply to you, by clusters, March 2008
- Figure 78: Favorite fast food restaurants, by clusters, March 2008
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- Figure 79: Factors of importance in selecting a fast food restaurant, by clusters, March 2008
- Figure 80: QSR clusters, by gender, March 2008
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- Figure 81: QSR clusters, by age, March 2008
- Figure 82: QSR clusters, by income, March 2008
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- Figure 83: QSR clusters, by race, March 2008
- Figure 84: QSR clusters, by Hispanic origin, March 2008
- Methodology
- This cluster analysis used four questions from Mintel’s custom research survey to create three clusters.
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Frequency of purchase from a QSR in past week
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- Figure 85: Incidence and frequency of QSR dining in the past week, by household income, March 2008
- Reasons for selection
- Reasons for selecting a specific QSR chain
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- Figure 86: Reasons for selecting a specific QSR chain, by age, March 2008
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- Figure 87: Reasons for selecting a specific QSR chain, by race/Hispanic origin, March 2008
- Factors of importance when selecting a QSR
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- Figure 88: Reasons for selecting a QSR, by age, March 2008
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- Figure 89: Reasons for selecting a QSR, by race/Hispanic origin, March 2008
- Interest in trying new options
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- Figure 90: Interest in trying new options, by race/Hispanic origin, March 2008
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- Figure 91: Interest in trying new options, by presence of children, March 2008
- On-site Internet access
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- Figure 92: Tried and would use on-site Internet access again, by gender, age, race/ethnicity, household income and presence of children, March 2008
- Music and entertainment products like DVDs and CDs
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- Figure 93: Tried and would use music and entertainment products like DVDs and CDs, by gender, age, race/ethnicity, household income and presence of children, March 2008
- Burger made with Angus beef
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- Figure 94: Tried and would eat burger made with Angus beef, by gender, age, race/ethnicity, household income and presence of children, March 2008
- Gourmet coffee
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- Figure 95: Tried and would drink gourmet coffee, by gender, age, race/ethnicity, household income and presence of children, March 2008
- Ingredients or food options of interest
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- Figure 96: Ingredients or food options of interest at fast food restaurants, by age, March 2008
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- Figure 97: Ingredients or food options of interest at fast food restaurants, by region, March 2008
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- Figure 98: Ingredients or food options of interest at fast food restaurants, by presence of children, March 2008
- Kids and fast food
- Parental assessment of their kids and fast food
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- Figure 99: Parental assessment of their kids and fast food, by region, March 2008
Appendix: Trade Associations
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