Colin McMahon is the CEO of StartupNation Media Group. He is a respected international journalist, creative news executive and media consultant. Formerly editor-in-chief of the Chicago Tribune and chief content officer of Tribune Publishing, Colin now focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship and digital media development.
Whether you’re in the restaurant game or considering it — or just like us at StartupNation, you’re a foodie — a new study has revealed some surprising facts about how Americans are eating these days.
Intelligence and intelligence platform using surveys and mobile phone location data near He compiled a list of the top three trends in quick service restaurants over the past two years.
The findings provide insight for restaurant entrepreneurs or those seeking to do so franchise opportunities.
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Takeout and delivery are here to stay.
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Loyalty programs are more important than ever.
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Generation differences are increasing.
The good news for the industry is that people are eating out again today just as they did before the Covid-19 pandemic: 9.1 times a month now, compared to 9.7 times before the pandemic, according to survey results.
And what do these diners want?
Well, pick up and delivery, no wonder. People now expect those services to be widely available.
But customers now expect more from that experience if they plan to dine in, he says Close study.
Dining out has become one and/or more. Either fast and convenient, with lots of choices, or more experiential, with full service, more ambiance and “other personal, human touches.
Some restaurants are successfully adapting to the situation, the report said. They’re investing in loyalty programs, digital tech like mobile apps, and footprints that trade indoor space for more outdoor space and organize foot traffic for more efficient pickup and delivery.
The report makes the call Chick-fil-AIn particular, they were successful in beating the competition by combining a “positive dining experience with high-touch drive-thrus and a first-rate mobile application system,” among others.
As for generational divides, they are widening:
- Diners over 44 value the traditional waitstaff experience by a greater margin (83%) than diners 18-44 (59%).
- Younger diners are more receptive to the QR code/kiosk ordering system than older diners, although most people of any age group don’t like the experience.
- Having a restaurant on a delivery app is even more important to young diners.
- And restaurant loyalty programs are especially important to younger customers, who enroll in an average of 4 loyalty programs.
“There is no longer a single dining experience,” the report concluded. “The most successful restaurants of the last few years are simply the ones that know their customers best.”
