Doing good is its own reward, of course. But that doesn’t stop restaurant brands from trumpeting their good works—in the form of charitable giving, community service, mentorship programs and more—in marketing campaigns.
Some operators are going even further than the occasional donation or volunteer outing, though. Two former Naf Naf Grill executives recently opened a fast-casual taqueria outside of Chicago called Invicto that’s part of their nonprofit organization One Feeds Two USA. Every transaction at the restaurant translates into a school meal for a child in a developing nation.
But do these public-facing bursts of goodwill resonate with consumers?
Some 58% of consumers say it’s important that restaurants are socially responsible, a designation that includes employee treatment, ingredient sourcing, environmental care and more, according to data from Restaurant Business’ sister company, Technomic.
So which chains do consumers say are most supportive of their local communities, according to the latest data from Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database?
Topping the list is Chick-fil-A, which 72.5% of consumers agree or strongly agree supports local community activities. “Great food, great community reputation. Caring,” one survey respondent said.
Here are the rest of the brands on the top 10 list, followed by the percentage of consumers who agree or strongly agree the chains are strong community supporters:
Firehouse Subs: 67.7%
Raising Cane’s: 64.8%
Culver’s: 64.4%
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s: 63.4%
Pollo Campero: 63.0%
Ben & Jerry’s: 62.9%
Blaze Pizza: 60.9%
In-N-Out: 56.5%
Krispy Kreme: 56.2%
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