The fast food sector has performed particularly well during the recession. Ongoing demand for convenience continues to drive this market, whilst the wide menu ranges of these outlets also meant that they were well placed to cope with and capitalise on consumers’ changing purchasing behaviour during the recession. The gourmet burger bar sector, however, has suffered more from the reduction of family out-of-home dining during the recession and both sectors have felt the effects of consumers cutting back, eg downgrading from premium to core menu ranges and cutting back on extras, eg desserts.

Whilst additional factors such as continued government focus on nutritional concerns and rising competition from other fast food/fast casual cuisine types (eg sushi, Mexican, salads) continue to add pressure to current market conditions, growth opportunities are still clearly evident, eg focus on breakfast and snacks food and in-house design options and new product launches.

The report looks at current patterns of usage for both eating in and takeaway, identifies current trends, assesses how the chicken and burger market has changed and outlines prospective future developments within the sector. It explores consumer behaviour and attitudes towards chicken and burger bars and identifies key consumer groups within the market.