reports Archives

Q1 2023: Restaurant Apps, Loyalty Programs and Dining Choices

In an increasingly price-sensitive environment, restaurant apps and loyalty programs offer an opportunity to build traffic and drive sales through customized promotions. However, what’s important to your customers is changing due to inflation. RMS shares...

Q1 Restaurant Consumer Insights: Higher-Income Households Are Spending Less on Eating Out

In early March 2023, Revenue Management Solutions (RMS) surveyed more than 800 restaurantgoers across the US to find out more about their usage, including frequency and formats. While insightful, it wasn’t all great news. At a high level, the findings indicated that...

April 2023

US Quick-Service Sales & Traffic Performance QSR US traffic (-0.7% YOY) is approaching Q1 2022 levels when traffic was relatively high due to Omicron recovery traffic. Average price increases are slightly lower, at 13.8% YOY, compared to last...

2023 Q1: Restaurant Guests Cut Back on Spending

Revenue Management Solutions surveyed over 800 US consumers to uncover the evolution of restaurant spending behaviors and patterns since 2022.

2023 Q1: Self-Ordering Kiosks in Quick-Service Restaurants

Self-serving kiosks are popping up in quick-service restaurants across the nation. How are customers responding to this innovative technology? RMS surveyed over 780 US diners to discover which of your customers prefer kiosks and why.

2023 Q1: Usage Across Generations & Households

To better understand how different customer segments are currently using restaurants, RMS surveyed over 780 US diners. This report take a deep dive into different households and generations, and shares insights on how behaviors differ across restaurant revenue...

5 Ways Generations Use Coupons at Quick-Service Restaurants

Boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z; families with children and those without. How does each of these generations find deals for dining out — or do they look for discounts at all? RMS surveyed more than 790 people across the US to find out. Here are the top 5...

2022 Holiday Edition: What’s Ahead for 2023

To wrap up 2022, RMS surveyed over 780 US consumers to uncover what consumer trends have stuck throughout the year and what guests would like to see from restaurants in 2023.

QSRs Should Expect a Mixed Bag of Consumer Behavior for the Holidays

Consumer perceptions of dining out and grocery prices reflect reality: They are not that different.Daily meals get made at home, but special occasions call for dining out.Intent to dine out more or much more is on the rise Consumers continue to feel the impact of...

November 2022

US Quick-Service Trends QSR US traffic is down 2.6% when compared to October 2021. Regarding month-over-month traffic performance, trends saw a slight decline compared to September (-1.7%). Pricing activity increased again. Year-over-year, average price increased by...

2022 Q3: What Restaurants Can Expect Heading Into the Holidays and 2023

To better understand evolving purchasing behaviors and help restaurants prepare for the holidays and 2023, RMS surveyed over 750 US diners. We asked respondents about their dining habits, spending behaviors, value perceptions and more.

What’s on the Menu for Millennials? Your QSR Brand — If You Know Their Behaviors and Intent

Millennials may be over the once-ubiquitous “millennial pink” hue, but they haven’t lost their appetite for eating out — quite the contrary. Even with inflation rates the highest this generation has ever seen (including the years before they were born), they continue...

2022 Q3 France Edition: Guest Behaviors in an Inflationary Environment

To better understand how consumer behavior is shifting, RMS surveyed French respondents once again and compared results to our Q1 2022 survey. How have price perceptions and dining habits changed in the past months? Are guests starting to cut back on their...

2022 Q3 Germany Edition: Guest Behaviors in an Inflationary Environment

To better understand how consumer behavior is shifting, RMS surveyed German respondents once again and compared results to our Q1 2022 survey. How have price perceptions and dining habits changed in the past months? Are guests starting to cut back on their restaurant...

2022 Q3 UK Edition: Guest Behaviors in an Inflationary Environment

To better understand how consumer behavior is shifting, RMS surveyed UK respondents once again and compared results to our Q1 2022 survey. How have price perceptions and dining habits changed in the past months? Are guests starting to cut back on their restaurant...

Inflation Sends Restaurant Customers on a Hunt for Value

Is the Breakfast Forecast Partly Sunny or Partly Cloudy?

A Vision of a Post-COVID Era Emerges for Restaurants

2022 Q2: How Are Millennials, Boomers, Singles and Families Dining Out These Days?

With restaurant consumers changing their dining habits, how are generations making choices now? What differences are there between single households and families? RMS breaks down responses from over 750 US consumers to identify generational and household trends in...

Viva la QSR in France. Why Dining Out Is Still In.

Among six countries RMS surveyed, French diners are an exception: They are spending the same amount or more of their disposable income on FAH.Macroeconomics plays a large part in France’s unique dining perspective, but there are lessons for operators not in France. As...

2022 Q2: The Restaurant Experience and What Guests Think About Tipping, QR Codes & Reduced Menus

The second part of our Q2 2022 insights takes a look at how guests feel about the restaurant experience. What are the main motivators behind sit-down and limited-service restaurant visits? How do guests feel about tipping today? And should brands rethink menu...

Revenue Management Solutions Survey Demonstrates UK Consumers Empathise With the Current Crisis Faced by the Restaurant Industry

2022 Q2: Celebrating Special Occasions, the Effects of Inflation and Managing Spend

With inflation on the rise, some consumers are looking for ways to save when dining out. But how exactly are diners doing that? Are they opting out on certain items, choosing less expensive restaurants or cutting back on dining out all together? And what about special...

2022 Insights: Spain Edition

For our global series of consumer insights, RMS surveyed respondents in Spain to learn more about recent restaurant consumer behaviors and the effects of the current inflationary environment on their dining habits. Do guests believe the restaurant industry is better...

2022 Insights: Germany Edition

In continuation with our global series of consumer insights, RMS surveyed respondents in Germany to learn more about recent restaurant consumer behaviors and the effects of the current inflationary environment on their dining habits. What revenue channel did guests...

2022 Insights: Italy Edition

In this global edition of consumer insights, RMS surveyed respondents in Italy to learn more about the affects of the current inflationary environment on restaurant consumer behavior. Are guests spending more or less of their disposable income on restaurants? How do...

Innovation for Quick-Service Restaurants in a Post-Pandemic World

Customers continue to count on restaurants for innovation across all channels.RMS findings indicate that it’s not value that compels guests, it’s quality. In a world gone hybrid, it might seem as if all available creativity has been spoken for, used in its entirety...

Plant-based Protein Producers Look for New Ways to Reach a Growing Market

2022 Insights: France Edition

As part of our global consumer insights edition, RMS surveyed respondents in France to learn more about how the inflationary environment has affected restaurant consumer behavior. Do guests believe the restaurant industry is better now in comparison to last year? How...

2022 Insights: UK Edition

In this global edition of consumer insights, RMS surveyed UK respondents to learn more about how the inflationary environment has affected restaurant consumer behavior. Are there any early indications of customers starting to trade down or trade out? How do customers...

Drive-Thru Is Down; Gen Z Is a Big Factor

Americans Are Worse Tippers Now Than Pre-Covid, Survey Says

Wendy’s Holds Steady in Face of Historic Inflation

More Restaurants Face Trouble Paying Rent

Q1 2022: How Dining Habits Have Changed by Generation

How do dining habits differ across Gen Zers, Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers? We asked over 800 US diners to find out. While some generations have stuck to habits developed throughout the pandemic, others are starting to change due to the current inflationary...

As McDonald’s Prices Go Up, Customers Are Taking Action

Are Higher Prices Catching Up to Restaurants?

As Restaurant Chains Continue To Raise Prices, Consumers Are Starting To Notice

2022 Q1: Inflation, Back-to-Work, COVID-19 and the Value Equation

Back-to-work trends and uptakes in COVID vaccines have stabilized in the beginning of 2022. But how has the inflationary environment affected restaurant consumer behavior? Are there any early indications of customers starting to trade down or even trade out? RMS...

Dine-in restaurant guests share recent pain points

Restaurant brands are eager to keep diners coming back but may be surprised to find that it’s not always price that sends customers away. Diners have little patience for longer wait times, but upfront communication can help alleviate their...

Where Does the Restaurant Industry Go from Here?

QSR guests share what’s not working for them when eating out of home

Restaurant consumers are noticing price increases, but it’s the experience that’s bothering them the most. Longer wait times and order inaccuracies also noted. RMS suggests considering the value equation — improving the overall experience can offset price...

Consumer Appetite for Plant-Based Foods

Remember in 2019 when the big news was that big burger chains (even chicken QSRs) were adding plant-based items from Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat to their menus? Demand soared, and stocks climbed. Fast-forward two years and the landscape, according to analysts at...

Consumer Perspectives on Sustainability & Plant-Based Foods. What’s Changed Since 2020?

While restaurant challenges, such as labor costs and supply chains, seem to have slowed down the plant-based phenomenon, many brands are still looking for unique ways to incorporate the concept into their menu. But how do customers feel about it one year later? RMS...

5 Restaurant Trends You Need to Know for 2022

A new year brings a new RMS report and trend predictions for 2022. Nearly two years into pandemic life, one might wonder, “Have we reached the end of the ‘new normal?” because as the latest findings indicate, the more things stay weird, the less they seem to change...

2022 Q1: Overcoming Customer Pain Points

The pandemic created levels of volatility never before seen in the restaurant industry. To help operators better understand the current climate, RMS asked more than 800 US respondents to share the satisfaction level of their recent restaurant experiences, and if there...

Holiday Edition 2021: Restaurant Consumer Trends & Predictions for 2022

In our last survey of 2021, RMS asked over 800 US consumers a series of questions to better understand what consumer trends have stuck and what their expectations are leading up to 2022.

Fast Food Chains’ Price-Fueled Recovery

Pre-Holidays 2021: Off-Premise Gains Popularity & Price Increases Are Being Noticed

RMS surveyed over 800 US consumers to understand how behaviors and habits have shifted in the past month. In this report consumers also share their preferred premise channel and how often they plan on dining out going forward as we approach the holiday season.

Customers not so keen on tech?

Vaccine requirements for dining out get mixed responses across the US

If you hoped the restaurant industry had reached peak “good news, bad news” (sales are up, supply is down; dining rooms are open, with no one available to staff them), you’d be premature. Take, for example, vaccinations. For our most recent quarterly consumer survey,...

Fall 2021: Consumer Price Perceptions, Technology & Delivery

In this second part of our Fall series, RMS asked over 900 US consumers about their current price perceptions of restaurants and grocery stores, their behaviors when ordering delivery, and how technology influences their overall restaurant experience.

Breakfast Up, Confidence Down, Vaccine Mandates Acceptable

Combo meal insights you can’t afford to miss

Fall 2021: Vaccinations, Return to Office & More

We surveyed over 900 US consumers to understand their sentiments towards proof of vaccination and requirements for testing when dining out, and how their dining behaviors changed over the summer as more respondents returned to the office.

Was die Gäste an Restaurants schätzen

Wann Gäste Preiserhöhungen akzeptieren

Restaurant guests can eat inside, but they still want to dine off-premise

Operators, franchisors and franchisees may want to sit down. There is good news to go around. Eating out is coming back, but as operators may have predicted, off-premise dining is not going anywhere. RMS surveyed more than 800 respondents nationwide to weigh in on...

Summer 2021: Germany Edition

In this special edition report, we surveyed over 400 German respondents to understand current consumer behaviors in the market, price perceptions and what makes guests choose combo meals when visiting their favorite quick service restaurant.

MRM Research Roundup: Mid-August 2021 Edition

RMS Speaks About Europe’s Restaurant Industry

RMS UK Managing Director Philipp Laqué recently shared insights on the UK’s restaurant recovery at the European Digital Foodservice Summit in a presentation titled: “Beyond Lockdown – How Europe’s Restaurant Industry is Dealing with the Restart...

2021 Q2: UK Edition

In this special edition report, we surveyed over 400 UK respondents to understand current consumer behaviors in the market, price perceptions and what makes guests choose combo meals when visiting their favorite quick service restaurant.

MRM Research Roundup: End-of-June 2021 Edition

What’s the deal with restaurant discounts?

Early in 2020, restaurants had to hit the brakes hard. The industry is revving back up now, but the landscape has changed. Drive-thru is on fire, dark kitchens came out of the shadows, mobile ordering is at an all time high and 90% of consumers say they prefer...

Restaurant consumer update: Are we happy yet?

In May 2020, RMS fielded a survey to assess consumer dining behaviors and perspectives during COVID-19. At the time, no one could have predicted we’d be at this for more than a year. But RMS adjusted, as we all did, and transformed a one-time COVID check-in to a...

9 Ways Restaurant Operators Can Adjust to What Will Be

There’s no denying COVID-19 has brought many firsts and rapid change. For most, it’s the first crisis that has shifted the lives of everyone on the planet, all at the same time. The disruptions in our collective social environments and lifestyles have been...

The Restaurant Recovery Kicks Into Gear

Consumers are optimistic, but pandemic eating habits die hard

Restaurants Return: A Slow Road to Recovery

Recommended for youNewsOpinion: How restaurants can prepare for rising wagesOctober 2015Insights, News6 Tips to Help Restaurants Combat Higher Labor CostsJune 2017COVID-19, InsightsIndustry Notes: How restaurants can surviveMarch 2020Insights, NewsRevenue Management...

The Impact of COVID-19 on Restaurant Consumers

2020 has been called the “year of irrevocable inflection” for the restaurant industry. We agree and have expanded our data collection to support our clients and the industry as they manage rapid change. Most pointedly, we’ve checked the pulse of consumers with...

Study: QSR price trends do a bit of a flip-flop

Recommended for youNewsGroundbreaking Research To Study Menu Design In The New Era Of Online OrderingOctober 2019Client Successes, NewsNoodles’ easier-to-read menus come with price increasesApril 2019NewsHow to handle menu price hikes as labor costs soarNovember...

Drive-Thru Traffic Isn’t Stopping: Tips for Getting Your Share

In the most recent episode of Revenue Stream, Revenue Management Solutions VP of Consulting Services Chris Norton and Director of Behavioral Research Dr. Christina Norton talk about drive-thrus and restaurant loyalty trends. What can restaurants do to stay relevant...

Be Nimble, Be Quick: What Consumers Want in 2021

Recommended for youCOVID-19, Insights, Revenue StreamEpisode 3: Power Panel - 2021 consumer trends & investor questions restaurant brands don't want to missDecember 2020NewsWhat Does The Restaurant Industry Look Like In 2021 And Beyond?January 2021Impact...

Restaurant Consumer Trends in Dining 2021

2021 Forecast: Cloudy with a strong chance of in-home dining Product developers and differential calculus buffs have a term: forcing function. The term refers to a function in an equation or system that forces conscious attention upon something. In calculus, it...

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