The most recent third-quarter figures from the US Commerce Department indicate a 2.6% increase in the GDP. Compare that growth to the first half of the year, when the economy was headed the other way (downward), and if you squint hard enough, it may look like we’re...
As restaurant prices continue to increase, consumers are looking at coupons and promotions as a way to save when dining out. But what factors are most important to them? How do different generations use them? What about different households? RMS surveyed over 750 US...
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...
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. Download the report to get a...
Takeaways: The French value speed at QSRs and appear less frugal than guests in the UK and Germany.Guests in Germany and the UK might be memorizing menu prices.‘Everyday’ meals are being made at home, but guests plan to socialize and celebrate at restaurants. Revenue...
US Quick-Service Trends QSR US traffic is down 3.7% when compared to Q3 2021. However, traffic performance has slightly improved compared to Q1 and Q2 2022, mainly a result of comping against stronger performance last year. Pricing activity continues to...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Consumers continue to change their dining behaviors, and some of those changes might be for good. In two recent US consumer surveys, RMS examined how millennials, boomers, singles and families are dining out and also looked at the overall restaurant experience,...
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...
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...
US Quick-Service Trends July QSR US traffic trends YOY align with previous months. Pricing activity rose to its highest since August 2020. Monthly average price jumped from 10.7% to 11.8%, but YOY trends are starting to level off. Breakdown of Monthly QSR Trends The...
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...
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...
For our next report in our global series of consumer insights, RMS surveyed respondents in Japan to learn more about recent restaurant consumer behaviors and how the current inflationary environment is affecting dining habits. Are guests spending more or less of their...
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...
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...
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 (not vegan) seafood has arrived. So have robots.Ghost kitchens are smart, but some guests are leery.Tech and big data, but make it useful. RMS has been tracking the latest trends in the restaurant industry and was on hand at the 2022 National Restaurant...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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....
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.
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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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...
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.
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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...
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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...
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...
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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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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,...
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...
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 —...
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...
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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...
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...
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,...
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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...
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...
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...
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,...
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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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
