Chipotle’s food safety problems haven’t dashed it from the hearts of today’s teenagers, whose love for the brand is second only to their adoration for Starbucks, according to a new study.
The research report, from financial-services company Piper Jaffray, revealed that Starbucks is the favorite restaurant brand of 14 percent of teenagers, while 9 percent are more partial to Chipotle. The third-most popular brand was Chick-fil-A, designated as most beloved by 7 percent of respondents. Panera Bread and McDonald’s were tied for the No. 4 spot as the heartthrobs for 4 percent of the teen population.
The study, an update of a signature annual report for Piper Jaffray, also revealed that teens typically dine in a restaurant twice as often as they fill up their car’s gas tank.
It also revealed restaurants are snagging about 22 percent of all expenditures by teens from upper-income families, with most of the purchases going to limited-service places.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.