trends Archives

2022 Insights: France Edition

In this global edition of consumer insights, 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 do...

Is a Recession Coming for Restaurants?

How Restaurants are Dealing with Continued Inflation

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

Wendy’s Holds Steady in Face of Historic Inflation

Inflation Is Starting To Take A Toll On Restaurant Traffic

Consumers Are Trading Down. Here’s How to Prevent Trade-Out

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

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?

RMS Restaurant Perspective: Korea

COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines are starting to ease up across the US, but what does it look like in other areas of the world? How are restaurants dealing with changes in consumer behavior and tackling inflation? Revenue Management Solutions Consultant, Cathy Ko,...

Restaurant Industry Year in Review: QSR Average Check Soars, Traffic Lags

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...

5 foolproof ways for restaurants to avoid serving up sticker shock when taking price

At RMS, we help thousands of restaurants mine mountains of sales data to uncover actionable insights. Throughout the process, we get hundreds of questions. In 2021, the question we heard most often was “How much price can I take?” The answer isn’t simple. “Taking...

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.

New survey: Restaurant consumers spend more to eat out but cut back on delivery

Restaurant consumer survey reveals price tolerance and increased reliance on technology Another quarter has come and gone, and as we’ve done for the past 16 months, RMS is addressing the issues confronting restaurant brands, operators, franchisees and franchisors....

Customers not so keen on tech?

Breakfast Up, Confidence Down, Vaccine Mandates Acceptable

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.

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...

What Consumers Expect From Restaurants Now

More than 800 US consumers recently shared their views with RMS about restaurants in the current COVID-19 times. The respondents represented all generations, from boomers to Gen Z. When asked about their restaurant usage, more than half (56%) responded they order from...

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...

Did The Pandemic End The Plant-Based Momentum For Restaurants?

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.

Post-Pandemic Menu Optimization (Podcast)

Should you be taking price? How restaurants can deal with inflation

As minimum wage hikes and soaring food costs take a toll on restaurants, brands are raising prices to offset costs, and some are letting their customers know. But while some operators are taking a big price hike across its whole menu and in every location, according...

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...

Burger King Stirs Up More Chicken Sandwich Drama

Episode 7: One Year Later

Restaurant and fitness brands use data and creativity to shape a new customer experience

The year 2020 was many things. For the restaurant industry, it was hands-down the year of the pivot. Out of necessity, customers engaged with brands in new ways, almost entirely via digital. Brands met their customers where they could, often developing unexpected and...

Restaurant menus will stay lean, efficient and smart in 2022

Episode 6: Art + Data Science = Superior Customer Experience

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...

2021 Q2: Consumer Well-being

In continuation with our 2021 Q2 consumer update, we asked over 1,100 US respondents a series of questions on their overall well-being to better understand how it affects different generations, dining habits and concerns.

The Restaurant Recovery Kicks Into Gear

Restaurants Return: A Slow Road to Recovery

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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...

Post-Covid-Trends aus Amerika

Über den Post-Corona-Gast

One Year Later: Restaurants, Consumers and COVID-19

In our first survey of 2021, we asked over 1,100 US respondents a series of questions to understand how consumers behave a year after the start of the pandemic.

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

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What America’s spending its stimulus checks on

Recommended for youNewsRestaurants Get Sales Lift From Latest Stimulus ChecksJanuary 2021Client Successes, NewsFamous Dave’s Outsources Pricing to Sauce Up Its MarginsApril 2013NewsRevenue Management Solutions promotes its President of EMEA to Chief Marketing...

What’s ahead for plant-based meats and proteins?

Recommended for youInsightsMargins, meats and the final mile: 2020 restaurant industry predictionsJanuary 2020NewsPlant-based menu items impact restaurant choiceOctober 2020NewsDiners get increasingly on board with plant-based menu itemsOctober 2020NewsPlant-based...

The impact of plant-based foods on restaurant recovery

While the chicken wars flocked to new heights this year, another burger alternative is quietly growing its share: plant-based proteins. Not confined to a drive-thru sandwich, the category encompasses a wide range of grocery and restaurant options, including nut and...

How the stimulus package will impact your sales: a nuanced approach

As the U.S. House of Representatives works to advance its $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, it’s safe to say that the bill’s passage would positively impact restaurant sales. After all, if passed, the bill would grant individuals up to $1,400 directly and...

Episode 5: Industry Panel – Plant Based Foods

Who’s Really Winning the Chicken Sandwich Wars?

Recommended for youNewsChick-fil-A scoring big in Chicken Sandwich Wars...for nowFebruary 2021NewsDid Taco Bell really just join the ‘chicken sandwich war’? Here’s some perspectiveFebruary 2021NewsWinner Winner: Chicken for dinner — and lunch and breakfastJuly...

Did Taco Bell really just join the ‘chicken sandwich war’? Here’s some perspective

Recommended for youNewsWho’s Really Winning the Chicken Sandwich Wars?February 2021NewsChick-fil-A scoring big in Chicken Sandwich Wars...for nowFebruary 2021InfographicsSeries 5 - How did each generation’s relationship with food and dining habits change during...

Restaurant Industry Update: UK Edition 2021

We don’t yet know the long-term impacts of the COVID pandemic on the global restaurant landscape. And, in the UK, the bruised and battered industry is being hit by a second, potentially much bigger wave: Brexit. We checked in with our London-based Managing Director...

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...

Episode 4: Restaurant Consumer Drive-thru Behavior & Loyalty Programs

Restaurant sales, traffic not so merry during holiday season

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Restaurants experience a boost in sales as consumers use some stimulus money to dine out

McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and Other Chains Bite Into the Fervor for Chicken Sandwiches

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...

What Does The Restaurant Industry Look Like In 2021 And Beyond?

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4 Tips for Managing Consumer Expectations and Staying on Top of Restaurant Trends

Last time, we reported on a December webinar that laid out what investors are thinking for 2021. This week: what’s top of mind for consumers. Senior Food and Drink Contributor for Forbes.com Alicia Kelso hosted the panel discussion, which invited Nicole Miller Regan,...

What Consumers and Investors Think About 2021: A Power Panel

Back in April, a month into COVID restrictions, collectively we imagined that things would return to normal in a few short weeks. Like an overstretched rubber band, we thought we’d snap back. We weren’t quite right. What has stretched? Our creativity, our tech...

Restaurant Update from Asia

In April, RMS reported on the state of restaurants in Asia. Now, seven months later, it’s time for an update. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on Korea. Unlike the U.S. and Europe, Korea has not had any mandatory shutdowns of restaurants during the pandemic —...

Episode 3: Power Panel – 2021 Consumer Trends & Investor Questions Restaurant Brands Don’t Want to Miss

Family dining and the holidays, pandemic edition

Back in May, we interviewed diners across the globe and asked them about family dining. We asked heads of two-parent families with two children ages 6-12 to answer the question plaguing the industry at the time, which remains relevant now: What will it take for...

Episode 2: How Automation Can Help You Understand Your Data

Plant-based meat options: Why it’s a big deal to customers

Recommended for youNewsDunkin’ Closes Stores as Deal Talks ContinueNovember 2020NewsPlant-based menu items impact restaurant choiceOctober 2020NewsDiners get increasingly on board with plant-based menu itemsOctober 2020News3 Things To Know About Your Customers Before...

Diners get increasingly on board with plant-based menu items

Recommended for youNewsPlant-based menu items impact restaurant choiceOctober 2020NewsPlant-based meat options: Why it's a big deal to customersNovember 2020NewsDoes adding ‘healthy’ menu items make financial sense?March 2016NewsTampa-based Checkers testing delivery,...

Plant-based menu items impact restaurant choice

Recommended for youNewsDiners get increasingly on board with plant-based menu itemsOctober 2020NewsPlant-based meat options: Why it's a big deal to customersNovember 2020NewsDoes adding ‘healthy’ menu items make financial sense?March 2016NewsTampa-based Checkers...

Temporary disruption or here to stay? 5 restaurant trends to include in your recovery plan

To stay alive during the pandemic, brands, owners and operators have had to adapt. Many restaurants found it necessary to kick long-term plans into immediate action, such as adding drive-thru, while many made changes no one ever would have anticipated — fine dining...

Inching Through the Pandemic, the Path Forward is Paved With Delivery

More take-out & delivery, hold the breakfast. How singles and families are dining today.

COVID-19 has had a lasting impact on families, and particularly on how, what, where and when to eat. Whether it is the decision to have a meal delivered or pick it up through the drive-thru, eat breakfast at 8 a.m. or 11 a.m., try out the neighborhood restaurant’s new...

News from Europe: What does the restaurant industry look like now?

In June, RMS Managing Directors Philipp Laqué, based in London, and Nicolas Bordeaux, of Paris, shared the state of the restaurant industry in Europe and the UK. We checked back in with our European outposts this month, with additional insights from Rosa Blanco-Vegas,...

RMS Survey: How Much Has Our Relationship With Food Changed?

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Reduced restaurant menus offer opportunity for profitability and simplicity

Q&A with RMS menu engineering expert on top 7 reasons to reduce your menu The analogy may be obvious, but as with any successful recipe, a sustainable and profitable restaurant also comes down to using the correct mix of ingredients. Now that most everything we...

Update from the United Kingdom: Restaurants Receive Boost from Government

Normal is still a far way off for United Kingdom restaurant owners and operators, but July did bring about a few bright spots amidst a tough first half of the year. On July 4, restaurants and pubs opened. A few days later, borders reopened for travelers from...

Dispatch From Asia: What Does Restaurant Dining Look Like Now?

In April, RMS Managing Director Winny Daud shared her insights on Singapore’s response to the pandemic, based on her experience as a restaurant analyst, client partner and Singaporean. We spoke to her again this month to see what’s changed in the restaurant industry...

Finding New in the Old: The Rise of QR Codes during the coronavirus pandemic

When it comes to restaurant cravings these days, limited contact is what’s on the menu. In fact, “avoiding contamination” has replaced “food quality” as the most significant consideration when deciding where to dine. According to our survey of 1,200 U.S. customers,...

Bridging the Generation Gaps: How We Are All Dining Today

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Recent COVID Setbacks Have Closed 100,000 Restaurants

Field Report: How is Singapore Responding to COVID-19?

If there’s one thing that’s been consistent across the globe during the pandemic, it’s how differently each country is handling restaurant restrictions. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, there’s no handbook — government, corporate or otherwise — to help...

Restaurants in ‘Survival Mode’ Trim Down Their Menu Offerings

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It’s a disaster. But will disaster insurance cover it?

Circumstances well outside operators’ control are forcing closures, loss of revenue and, in some cases, permanent shut downs. We can all agree that this is a “disaster,” but most business insurance policies only cover catastrophes of the physical kind, and will...

Piper Sandler invites RMS Chief Strategy Officer to share restaurant industry insights in the face of coronavirus

In a recent Key Opinion Leader conversation with investment bank and institutional securities firm Piper Sandler, RMS’ Chief Strategy Officer, Joel Davis, shared his thoughts about the current state of restaurant sales and consumer spending trends in the face of the...

Industry Notes: How restaurants can survive

These days are truly like none other. When Waffle House, notorious for its record of staying open during natural disasters, closes nearly one-fifth of its restaurants, you know it’s not good. But that’s precisely what’s happened amid the coronavirus pandemic. So what...

A time for ingenuity and relationships

Plato was right when he wrote, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” particularly now. Robin Blanchette, CEO of Norton Creative, agrees. “What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow,” she says. “The key is not giving up.” Norton Creative is a boutique creative...

Practice What You Preach: Tech Trends to Integrate in 2020

2020 starts a new decade. Some say a new beginning. And, according to Hudson Riehle from the National Restaurant Association, 2020 could bring forth a “new business model” for restaurants. We are excited about 2020 not because new things will start, but because,...

Margins, meats and the final mile: 2020 restaurant industry predictions

We recently returned from The Future of the Industry: 2020 and Beyond, hosted by Bloomberg Intelligence and The Elliot Group, where we listened to the most powerful minds in the industry debate today’s hot button issues – from plant-based meats, last mile delivery,...

The Psychology of restaurant menus: Part 2- Engineering

In Part 1 of our look at the psychology of restaurant menus, we examined how consumers react to design and what operators can do to ensure maximum impact for their offer. In this second part of the series, we’re looking at menu engineering. Revenue Management...

The psychology of QSR menus: engineering

Biometric research on menu design challenges three decades of thinking

What to consider when designing your menu as we head into the new year

Holistic revenue management has been a big topic and will remain so into 2020. Growing traffic is a challenge and brands are working hard to ensure their menus and service proposition are as profitable as possible. Alongside sustainable food and provenance, the focus...

Dispatch from the field: focus on a strong economic model, but don’t forget the people

Las Vegas – We write from one of the most important restaurant conferences of the year – The Restaurant Finance & Development Conference hosted by the Restaurant Finance Monitor. The RMS team, including John Oakes, CEO; Jana Zschieschang, CMO; Bob Donofrio, SVP of...

How to handle menu price hikes as labor costs soar

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1, 15, 20, 65, 70, 25, 2 and another 1.

No, this isn’t the algorithm for our newest pricing study. And these aren’t the winning lottery numbers. Instead, these numbers represent an instructive snapshot of the restaurant industry, courtesy of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Marketing and...

Menu design plays a key role in maximising food sales for hospitality operators

What role does our brain play in the way we read menus? In the first in a series on menu design and engineering, we take a look at current industry practices on how operators use menu design to drive sales. The saying goes that we eat with our eyes and there’s...

Meal kits & delivery trends represent key opportunities for operators

Philipp Laqué, RMS’ UK Managing Director, takes a look at the latest trends and innovations in at-home dining that operators should be looking to adopt. He also talks to Jackie Berg, VP Marketing for US-based Olo, the ground-breaking online digital ordering and...

What do restaurant operators need to consider when devising pricing structures for delivery offers?

Operators should look for a delivery partner who shares their values and enhances their offer. The provider should act as an extension to a business to reach more customers at different times of day or consumers who might not have considered the operator if they...

To tech or not to tech

Revenue Management Solutions Managing Director, Philipp Laqué, provides an overview of tech “revolutions” that brands should consider. It is a fact, consumers are more comfortable than ever before with the idea of technology playing a leading role in their...

Engineering Seasonal Menus: Maximizing Margins for Thanksgiving

Seasonal menu changes are always a popular move, and give diners the chance to try something new or rediscover a forgotten favorite. Holidays also offer an opportunity to showcase innovative ideas and seasonal ingredients. For seasonal menu changes, it is important to...

Why fast casuals should ditch plastic straws

Non-biodegradable plastic: It’s everywhere and it’s a big problem. From plastic straws to other dining disposables, the restaurant industry is abuzz these days with what to do with these less-than-environmentally friendly necessities. That holds doubly...

3 Tips to Win the Latest Restaurant Trend

It seems like there’s a new food trend popping up every week. The challenge is this: true concept innovators not only have to take an inspired idea and turn it into an irresistible offering, they must introduce it the right way and at the right time. With new ideas...

6 Key Ways Self-Serve Kiosks Can Boost Your Sales

Enhancing the customer experience through customization and convenience is more important than ever. While kiosk systems have existed since the early 1990s, their presence in the restaurant industry has increased in recent years as large brands such as Panera,...

Combat declining traffic by understanding the ailment before determining the remedy

Customer traffic is one of the key metrics restaurant operators use to measure success. When traffic is down, many chains turn to new promotions or even consider lowing prices, but will these actions reverse the trend? Before you take action, first take time to...

5 Ways to Ensure a Profitable Restaurant Remodel

Sprucing up your space can result in a same-store sales boost So, you’ve decided to remodel a restaurant location. Beyond questions about design, budget and contractors, you are undoubtedly thinking about some customer-related questions: Will your longtime...

How to Address Same-Store Sales Declines

Since March, our inboxes have been flooded with news of same-store declines, restaurant closures, and discussions of a recession. However, this news begs the question, are customers spending less? Or are they just spending elsewhere and our data simply doesn’t capture...

Does adding ‘healthy’ menu items make financial sense?

Before changing your offerings, understand what your customers want We’ve seen a lot of news in recent months from restaurant chains announcing plans to incorporate “healthier” ingredients such as cage-free eggs or hormone-free chicken, or to emphasize healthful menu...

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