• by Teresa Buyikian , 6 hours ago

Given the current economy, it’s no surprise that affordability has become an increasingly important factor in consumer dining priorities. 

Per foodservice data provider Technomic’s most recent trends report, the “high” priority on “low prices" when dining out has increased by 2% to 86% in the last two years. The report also revealed a 2% increase in “competitive menu pricing” as a big criterion when selecting where to eat.

But despite an increasing importance placed on affordability, quality still remains the single highest priority for consumers when eating out. Eighty-nine percent of consumers ranked “high quality items” as the most important factor when dining out.

It also appears the QSR loyalty wars have begun to pay off. The report also found the importance of “technology-driven value” has jumped up 6%, with loyalty programs also increasing in importance by 7% over the same time two-year period.

Technomic’s most recent report also found that 70 food service chains boast 1,000 or more locations, comprising almost 230,000 total U.S. locations. Limited service chains drive the list with more than 50% claiming over 1,000 locations, with QSRs such as Dutch Bros Coffee, Whataburger, Culver’s and Zaxbys all surpassing the number within the last three years.

And lastly, while chicken is still dominating restaurant menus, consumers have shown increasing interest in non-traditional flavor profiles. Technomic found that lemon, cheese and lime flavors have become increasingly popular over more traditional onion and spicy flavors, used in chicken sandwiches, chicken burgers and fried chicken entrees.

Examples of recent limited-time offers includes a South African chicken sandwich with a lemon pepper mayo, a fried chicken entrée from Japan with a honey-lemon mayonnaise sauce, and a U.S. chicken finger with a lemon pepper dry rub.