Are consumers becoming less concerned about speed and more concerned about the ingredients in the food they eat?
Over the first half of 2015, quick-service restaurants have trended downward as a category. It seems that customers are now looking for more than just quick service.
According to a report by YouGov BrandIndex, the most improved quick-service restaurant (QSR) from January and June 2015 was Chipotle, scoring an entire point higher on the Buzz Scale than in the previous period. The top ranked restaurant on the mid-year report is still Subway with a score of 21.8. Wendy’s took second place with a score of 13.9. Buzz scores can range from 100 to -100 and are compiled by subtracting negative feedback from positive. A zero score means equal positive and negative feedback.
Subway has managed to keep its top spot for the quarter, but they did not do so without change. In the past quarter, Subway has decided against using artificial ingredients in its food, and has added guacamole to its menu as a permanent add-on. Similarly, Chipotle has moved up on the scale and the reason is speculated to be its refusal to use any ingredients that are not GMO free.
The rankings are based off of consumer responses when asked whether they had heard anything about the brands in the study, and whether what they heard was news, word of mouth, positive or negative. The restaurants were then scored accordingly.