In addition to measuring chains’ objective attributes, Technomic also rated their connection to consumers through a series of questions designed to gauge loyalty and perception of a brand. Many of the top five chains in these categories have what some would describe as a cult following—including Ben & Jerry’s, one of the original socially conscious brands; In-N-Out Burger, which has capitalized on word-of-mouth marketing; and Chick-fil-A, a brand that can be polarizing in its beliefs but that undeniably has a passionate fan base willing to dress up as cows for free chicken sandwiches.
About the research
Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics program is a comprehensive, ongoing brand performance study that tracks the performance of leading limited-service and full-service restaurant chains by measuring the consumer experience. This study included the top 100 chains in the U.S. in terms of sales, plus additional chains that fall outside the top 100 to round out certain categories. An online questionnaire asked consumers about the importance of more than 60 attributes related to the restaurant experience, followed by questions about specific restaurant brands and recent experiences with those brands. Scores represent the percentage of respondents who strongly agree with the statements on a scale of 1 to 5.
Advertising effectiveness
Has memorable advertising, has advertising that consumers can relate to and has ads that consumers say make them hungry.
| Overall | |
| Red Lobster | 36% |
| Olive Garden | 34% |
| Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen | 32% |
| Subway | 32% |
| Sonic Drive-In | 32% |
Emotional connection
Is a place where the customer comes first, is a restaurant consumers trust, has a likeable “personality” and has values that are similar to my own.
| Overall | |
| Chick-fil-A | 43% |
| Cracker Barrel | 41% |
| In-N-Out Burger | 40% |
| Culver’s | 35% |
| Olive Garden | 34% |
Brand image
Is a place where the customer comes first, is a restaurant consumers trust, has a likeable “personality” and has values that are similar to my own.
| Overall | |
| Chick-fil-A | 43% |
| In-N-Out Burger | 38% |
| Ben & Jerry’s | 37% |
| Cracker Barrel | 32% |
| Starbucks | 31% |
Brand loyalty
Is a place where the customer comes first, is a restaurant consumers trust, has a likeable “personality” and has values that are similar to my own.
| Overall | |
| In-N-Out Burger | 50% |
| Papa Murphy’s | 49% |
| Chick-fil-A | 47% |
| Cracker Barrel | 45% |
| Firehouse Subs | 44% |
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