What are differentiating factors that can propel quick service restaurants towards guaranteed success? A recent webinar sponsored by QSR Magazine tackled some enlightening and encouraging facts about this food industry segment. Surprising Secrets Behind Today’s Most Successful QSR Brands was recently presented by Sandra Tamburino of InMoment. She presented how long-standing satisfaction drivers for QSRs are slowly shifting and the customer expectations that result from this.
From Fast Food to Quick Serve
According to the article The New Definition of Fast Food that came out in QSR Magazine in 2010, fast food is no longer just sloppy cheeseburgers and greasy french fries. It is instead being redefined by consumers who are looking for quick, quality menu items of value in modern dining rooms throughout the quick-service industry, according to a report by food consulting firm Technomic.
““The majority of people are now asking more from a quick-service operation,” Chief Concept Officer of Panera Bread Scott Davis says. “Quick-service operators are getting a lot more strategic in how they are looking at their menus and taking pieces of their menu to try to adapt to that consumer. For us, we look at the whole package. It’s not just the food. It’s not just the décor…it’s a mindset.”
So what defines a QSR establishment? According to Tamburing, speed of service, food consistency and inexpensive price are the traditional distinguishing traits. But their report also showed some surprising factors that could be mean the difference between success and failure.
Secrets to QSR Success
1. The Top 3
Food, staff, and atmosphere are the top three drivers of leading QSR brands and provide a blueprint for success. But although food is of paramount importance, Tamburing noted how one brand was able to lead with exceptional staff training and became the differentiator for the brand.
“Atmosphere is an emerging top driver and an area of opportunity for nearly all brands.” It relates to how customers perceive the brand, especially as brands engage with them on a more wholistic level. “It is an opportunity for many brands to thrive in the future.”
2. Room at the Top
Another unexpected discovery from the study InMoment did was that a number of brands were ranked in the middle. There are more opportunities for growth, with a focus on finding the gap in key drivers and driving brands to better performance in the future.
3. Rise from the Bottom
How can new brand entries and lower ranked establishments move out from the bottom half? Tamburing touched on how none of these brands had any single differentiating driver across all key dimensions. “Start with one key differentiator, rally around it, and build on it. It will push the brand out of the bottom.”
- Low Price Points
Although low pricing is the hallmark of the QSR industry, it is interesting to note how this is becoming a less significant factor in customer choices. Two groups defined by price have emerged—one based on high quality at a fair price and another on lowest price and lowest food quality. With two different value propositions, Tamburing highlighted how the first group rated better, in terms of food and overall satisfaction. This opens up more prospects for the QSR industry as customers are rethinking value and what they are willing to pay for.
- No Gender Discrimination
Tamburing also noted that there is no significant different when it comes to gender in the QSR segment: “One clear uniting point is order accuracy. Give them what they want.”
Fast Forward
Tamburing ended with an optimistic look at the industry, by noting how the leading QSR brand was able to differentiate itself and prosper by investing in staff training: “Food quality matters more than speed, alongside friendly staff. New entrants can position on that and create a successful brand in a short time.”
Photos from the webinar Surprising Secrets Behind Today’s Most Successful QSR Brands, presented by Sandra Tamburino of InMoment