Providing market research reports, industry analysis, company profiles and country reports for strategic planning, competitive intelligence, marketing and business research.
Search for Market Research Reports:    

Dining Out Review: Quick Service Restaurants - US

Published by: Mintel International Group Ltd.

Published: Jan. 1, 2006 - 117 Pages


Table of Contents


Introduction and Abbreviations

Introduction

Other relevant reports

Definition

Abbreviations & Terms

Abbreviations

Terms



Executive Summary

Led by McDonald’s, market grows year-in, year-out

Burger segment grows but loses share to sandwich segment

Sandwich chains retain room for growth despite aggressive expansion

New product introductions focus on bread, breakfast and chicken

Marketing is dichotomous: health obsession and its backlash

Age and ethnicity determine frequency of QSR attendance

Asian expansion serves as model for ethnic food branding

Forecast favors continued growth from sandwiches and Mexican concepts



Market Drivers

Time and money constraints make fast food desirable

Figure 1: Relationship of QSR visitation frequency to lifestyle, May 2004-May 2005

The unhealthy option

Figure 2: Relationship of QSR visitation frequency to concern about nutrition, May 2004-May 2005

Budgetary constraints drive sales

Convenience trend

Burger chains recover from price wars and introduce new products

Figure 3: Graph: Growth of unit price of McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich and growth in sales per McDonald’s unit, 2000-05 (est)

Low franchise fees and health trend drive explosive sandwich segment growth at the expense of burgers

Figure 4: Graph: Number of U.S. units and average sales per unit for subway, 1999-2004

Figure 5: Graph: Number of U.S. units and average sales per unit for Quiznos, 2001-04

Shift from “low-carb” to “right carbs”

Demographics

Impact of age on QSR

Figure 6: U.S. population by age, 2000-10

Figure 7: Attitudes towards fast food, by age, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 8: Graph: Attitudes towards nutrition and fast food by age, May 2004-May 2005

The impact of children on QSR

The differing impact of race/ethnicity on fast food

Figure 9: U.S. population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2000-10

Figure 11: Attitudes towards fast foods and fast food restaurant visits, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005

The impact of gender on QSR

Figure 12: Attitudes towards eating, nutrition and fast food, by gender, May 2004-May 2005



Market Size & Trends

Market size

Figure 13: Retail sales of QSRs at current and constant prices, 2000-05

Figure 14: Graph: Retail sales of QSRs at current and constant prices, 2000-05

Trends in food

Healthy foods (and backlash)

Chicken

Premium and fresh offerings

Figure 15: Menu Insight’s list of marketing claims of fresh and crispy menu items (on lunch/dinner menus), Q1-Q4 2005

Figure 16: Menu Insights list of premium marketing claims as a fpercentage of all offerings (on lunch/dinner menus), Q4 2005

Premium breads

Breakfast

99-cent meals



Market Segmentation

Introduction

Figure 17: Domestic QSR sales, by restaurant type, 2003 & 2005

Figure 18: Graph: Domestic QSR sales, by restaurant type, 2005

Figure 19: Graph: Indexed growth by market segment, 2000-05

Burgers & Beef

Figure 20: Domestic sales of quick service burger restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2000-05

Chicken

Figure 21: Domestic sales of quick-service chicken restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2000-05

Sandwiches

Figure 22: Domestic sales of quick-service sandwich restaurants at current and constant prices, 2000-05

Mexican

Figure 23: Domestic sales of quick-service Mexican restaurants at current and constant prices, 2000-05

Other

Figure 24: Domestic sales of all other QSRs, at current and constant prices, 2000-05



Supply Structure

Introduction

Figure 25: U.S. sales of leading QSR chains, 2002 and 2004

Figure 26: Graph: U.S. sales of Top 6 QSR chains, 2005 (est)

Burger and beef chains

Figure 27: New premium offerings by beef and burger chains, 2004 and 2005

McDonald’s

Burger King

Wendy’s

Arby’s

Sonic Drive-In

Sandwiches

Subway

Quiznos

Chicken

KFC

Chick-fil-A

Popeye’s

Church’s Chicken

Mexican

Taco Bell

Del Taco

Other

Long John Silver’s

Captain D’s

Panda Express



Advertising & Promotion

Introduction

Figure 28: Graph: Ad expenditures of leading QSR chain in dollars and as percentage of sales, 2004

Campaigns

McDonald’s

Burger King

Wendy’s

KFC

Taco Bell

Subway



The Consumer

Introduction

Who visits fast food restaurants and how often

Figure 29: Incidence and frequency of fast food restaurant visits, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 30: Incidence and frequency of fast food restaurant visits, by age, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 31: Incidence and frequency of fast food restaurant visits, by household income, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 33: Incidence and frequency of fast food restaurant visits, by geographic region, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 34: Incidence and frequency of fast food restaurant visits, by number of people in the household, May 2004-May 2005

Popularity of different types of fast food

Figure 35: Types of fast food restaurants visited, by age, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 36: Types of fast food restaurants visited, by household income, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 37: Types of fast food restaurants visited, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 38: Types of fast food restaurants visited by frequency of QSR visits, May 2004-May 2005

Which meal is eaten at fast food restaurants

Figure 39: Meals eaten at fast food restaurants, by age, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 40: Meals eaten at fast food restaurants, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005

With whom fast food restaurants are visited

Figure 41: With whom fast food restaurants are visited, by gender, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 42: With whom fast food restaurants are visited, by age, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 43: With whom fast food restaurants are visited, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 44: With whom fast food restaurants are visited, by presence of children in the household, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 45: With whom fast food restaurants are visited, by meal, May 2004-May 2005

Brand appeal to specific demographics

Figure 46: Most visited fast food chains, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 47: Indexed visits to selected fast food chains, by age, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 48: Indexed visits to selected fast food chains, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 49: Indexed visits to selected fast food chains, by household income, May 2004-May 2005

Lifestyle, health, diet, and visits to QSRs

Figure 50: Frequency of QSR visits by opinions regarding eating, nutrition and lifestyle, May 2004-May 2005

Where fast food is eaten

Figure 51: Method of food ordering and place of consumption, by age, November 2005

Figure 52: Method of food ordering and place of consumption, by geographic region, November 2005

Cohort analysis

Figure 53: Cohort descriptors for relevant qsr usage extrapolations

Figure 54: Attitudes towards fast food and average number of visits by cohort, May 2004-May 2005

Figure 55: Attitudes towards fast food and average number of visits by cohort, May 2004-May 2005

Teens and fast food

Figure 56: Incidence and frequency of fast food restaurant visits, by teens, May 2004-May 2005

Popularity of different types of fast food among teens

Figure 57: Types of fast food restaurants visited by teens, by age and gender, May 2004-May 2005

How often teens eat fast food

Figure 58: Frequency of fast food visits by teens, by age and gender, May 2004-May 2005

Whom teens eat with

Figure 59: With whom fast food restaurants are visited by teens, by age and gender, May 2004-May 2005

Kids and fast food

Figure 60: Fast food restaurant visits by kids, May 2004-May 2005

Kids’ favorite fast food chain

Figure 61: Kids’ favorite fast food restaurants, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005

Parents’ attitudes towards kids and fast food

Figure 62: Attitudes towards kids and fast food, by gender of parent, November 2005

Figure 63: Attitudes towards kids and fast food, by age of parent, November 2005

Figure 64: Attitudes towards kids and fast food by geographic region, November 2005

Attitudes of QSR users vs. non-QSR users

Figure 65: Attitudes towards health and dining, by frequency of QSR usage, November 2005

Menu preferences

Figure 66: Attitudes towards menu preferences, by frequency of QSR usage, November 2005

Reasons for fast food chain loyalty

Figure 67: Reasons a favorite fast food restaurant is preferred, by age, November 2005

Figure 68: Reasons a favorite fast food restaurant is preferred, by household income, November 2005

Summary



Future and Forecast

Future trends

The aging population

Figure 69: U.S. population projections, by age, 2005-10

Differentiation through backlash

Sandwich chain growth stabilizes

Fast Asian foods on the rise

Increased focus on packaging and easy to consume menu-items

Frozen food offerings from QSR concepts

Market forecast

Quick-service restaurants

Figure 70: Forecast of total U.S. sales of quick-service restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10

Figure 71: Forecast of total U.S. sales of quick-service restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10*

Quick-service burger restaurants

Figure 72: Forecast of U.S. sales of quick-service burger restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10

Figure 73: Forecast of U.S. sales of quick-service burger restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10*

Quick-service chicken restaurants

Figure 74: Forecast of U.S. sales of quick-service chicken restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10

Figure 75: Forecast of U.S. sales of quick-service chicken restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10*

Quick-service sandwich restaurants

Figure 76: Forecast of U.S. sales of quick-service sandwich restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10

Figure 77: Forecast of U.S. sales of quick-service sandwich restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10*

Quick-service Mexican restaurants

Figure 78: Forecast of U.S. sales of quick-service Mexican restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10

Figure 79: Forecast of U.S. sales of quick-service Mexican restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10*

Other quick-service restaurants

Figure 80: Forecast of U.S. sales of other quick-service restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10

Figure 81: Forecast of U.S. sales of other quick-service restaurants, at current and constant prices, 2005-10*

Forecast Factors



Appendix: Trade Associations



Appendix: Simmons cohorts

Figure 82: Married couples cohorts

Figure 83: Single women cohorts

Figure 84: Single men cohorts



Appendix: Research Methodology

Consumer Research

Datascension, Inc. and Harris Interactive Service Bureau

Greenfield Online

ICR Surveys EXCEL

Simmons National Consumer Surveys

Technometrica TechnoExpresssm

Trade Research

Informal trade research

Formal trade research

Desk & Internet Research

Sources

Definitions

Forecasts



Appendix: What is Mintel?

Mintel Group

Mintel Reports

Mintel Premier

Mintel GNPD

Mintel Menu Insights

Mintel Comperemedia

Mintel Custom Solutions

Abstract

In this report, Mintel clearly identifies the principal external factors driving or curtailing growth quick service restaurants. Exclusive consumer research reveals the attitudes, needs and behavior of breakfast and lunch meat consumers, with analysis broken down both by demographic characteristics, and by meat type (breakfast and lunch meats are analyzed together and separately).

Six years of specific sales data provide a factual and impartial presentation of the market as a whole. Mintel also evaluates the performance of individual sectors in the market (burgers, sandwiches, chicken, etc.), and provides information about the major companies and brands. Using the SPSS forecasting package, Mintel creates a five-year forecast of U.S. retail sales in quick service restaurants, revealing potential opportunities for growth and product development.

This report examines quick service commercial chain dining in the US. Quick service restaurants, also referred to as limited service restaurants or fast food restaurants, provide inexpensive food and quick service, defined by the absence of table service. Food is typically ordered and paid for at the counter or drive-through window, prior to the meal and is either eaten on-premises or taken out. Typical check sizes for this segment are $6 or less per person.

The market is divided into the following market segments:
  • burgers
  • sandwiches
  • chicken
  • other (Asian, seafood, hot dogs, Italian beef, varied menu, etc.)
This report does not discuss pizza, coffee, donut and ice cream/yogurt shops, and other specialty restaurants, and also excludes foodservice.

Get Full Details About This Report >>
US: 800.298.5699
Int'l: +1.240.747.3093
Buy this Report
Price and Delivery Options

Search Inside Report


 

About MarketResearch.com
MarketResearch.com is an online aggregator selling over 250,000 market research reports, company profiles and country profiles from over 650 research firms. Our reports will provide you with the critical business and competitive intelligence you need for strategic planning and marketing research. Coverage includes the US, UK, Europe, Asia and global markets.

 

© MarketResearch.com 2009