The American Fast Food FrenzyJuly 2016

Lovin’ It: The American Fast Food Frenzy

Fast-food restaurants are a staple of American life, and the Quick Service Restaurant (“QSR”)

industry generated over $200 billion in revenue from over 200,000 establishments around the

country in 2015.* Given the importance of the QSR industry to the economy and its continual

presence in the lives of most Americans, we wanted to explore consumer opinion and behavior

when it comes to dining on the go.

The findings in this report are derived from a survey of 1,104 American adults aged 18+ who

have eaten fast food in the past year, representing approximately 75% of the US population.

Some of the key findings include:

• More than half (54%) of those who eat fast food do so at least once per week.

• Nearly as many fast food eaters prefer fast casual (e.g. Panera Bread & Chipotle, 46%)

restaurants to traditional fast-food restaurants (e.g. McDonalds & KFC, 54%).

• Taste (40%) & location (20%) are the most common reasons to choose a fast-food

restaurant.

• Lunch (51%) is the most popular fast food meal.

• Burgers (30%) and pizza (20%) are the most popular fast food options.

• Having healthy options on the menu plays a major role in choosing fast-food restaurants

for a large segment (39%) of fast food consumers.

• Consumers show limited loyalty to fast-food restaurants (29%), but loyal customers visit

their favorite fast-food restaurants with greater frequency (67% visit at least once per

week) than non-loyal consumers (47%)

• Email and social media are effective marketing channels for increasing consumer loyalty

and driving visits. 34% of those surveyed indicated that receiving emails from a QSR made

them much more likely to visit and 44% of those who engage with QSR brands on social

media said that it had a similar effect.

We hope that you will enjoy the report and welcome your feedback!

–The Fluent Research Team

research@fluentco.com

* IBISWorld, Fast food Restaurants in the US: Market Research Report, May 2016

Over half of Americans who eat fast food do so at least once per week. A majority (56%) of those who eat fast food

at least once per week do so more than once per week. The median meal price is just over $7.50 per meal.

About how often do you eat at fast-food restaurants?

34%At least once a month

12%At least once a year

About how many days a week do you eat at fast-food restaurants?Among respondents who eat fast food at least once a week

0-1 2 3 4+

How much do you typically pay for a fast-food meal?

Under $5

$5 to $7.49

$7.50 to $9.99

$10 to $14.99

$15 or more

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0

Fast Food Is a Part of the Fabric of America

54%At least once

a week

11%

44%

24%

16% 16%

34%

26%

16%13%

Americans Typically Choose Fast-Food Restaurants Based On Taste & LocationAmericans most often consider taste the most important reason for visiting a fast-food restaurant, followed by

location. Fast food consumers now prefer fast casual restaurants (46%) nearly as much as traditional fast-food

restaurants (54%).

What is most important to you when eating at a fast-food restaurant?

Do you prefer to eat at traditional fast-food restaurants (e.g. McDonalds & KFC) or newer fast casual restaurants (e.g. Panera Bread & Chipotle)?

On-the-Go Americans Prefer Pick Up From The Drive-ThruNearly 2 in 3 (63%) American fast food eaters prefer to take out from fast-food restaurants and a majority (56%)

prefer to use the drive-thru window.

Do you prefer to eat-in or take out from fast food restaurant?

Do you prefer to order inside or use the drive thru window at fast-food restaurants?

Taste

Location

Cleanliness

Healthy options

Service

Value

0 10% 20% 30% 40%

46%Fast casual

37%Eat-in

44%Order in

40%

20%

12%

10%

9%

9%

54%Traditional fast food

63%Take out

56%Use the drive thru window

49%No

Lunch Is the Top Fast-Food Meal; All-Day Breakfast Is Popular TooJust over half of fast food eaters (51%) say lunch is the meal they eat most often. Similarly, all-day breakfast is

popular with consumers as just over half (51%) prefer fast-food restaurants who serve all-day breakfast (51%).

What meal do you eat at a fast-food restaurant most often?

Do you prefer fast-food restaurants that serve all-day breakfast?

Burgers & Pizza Dominate; Alcohol, Not So MuchBurgers (30%) and pizza (20%) are the top two fast food meals of choice in the United States. In contrast, alcoholic

drinks are not so popular at fast-food restaurants. Only about 1 in 4 (27%) fast food eaters report ever drinking

alcohol at a fast-food restaurant and only 1 in 10 report ordering it regularly.

What do you eat most often at fast-food restaurants? Have you purchased alcoholic drinks at a fast-food restaurant?

Burgers

Pizza

Chicken

Sandwiches

Salads

Breakfast items

Donuts

Something else

17%Breakfast

Yes, purchased before

Yes, purchase regularly

29%Dinner

4% - Snack

0 10% 20% 30%

30%

20%

13%

11%

9%

6%

1%

10%

51%Lunch

51%Yes

73%No

10%

17%

Healthy Options Are Important to Many ConsumersHaving healthy options on the menu plays a major role in choosing a fast-food restaurant for nearly 2 in 5 (39%)

consumers and at least a minor role for another 2 in 5 (43%). 42% say they prefer to eat at fast-food restaurants

that use non-GMO ingredients.

How much of a role does having healthy options on the menu play in choosing a fast-food restaurant?

Do you prefer to eat at fast-food restaurants which do not use ingredients from genetically modified crops?

Social Responsibility Concerns Many Consumers2 in 5 American fast food consumers say a restaurant’s publicly stated views influence whether they will eat at

a fast-food restaurant. Similarly, nearly half do not think it is appropriate for restaurants to offer toys as part of

children’s meals to incentivize visitation as some cities have experimented with banning such toys in children’s

meals.

Would a restaurant’s publicly stated views on social issues influence whether you will eat there?

Do you think it is appropriate for fast-food restaurants to offer toys as part of meals for children?

42%Prefer Non-GMO

45%No

60%No

74%No

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0

Major role Minor role No role

39%43%

17%

58%Don’t care

40%Yes

55%Yes

44%No

74%No

76%No

85%No

Mobile Apps Have Begun to Permeate the Fast Food LandscapeConsumers are starting to adopt mobile apps in notable numbers and the ones that are downloading them

typically have used the apps to order food. About 1 in 4 (26%) fast food eaters have downloaded a mobile app for a

fast-food restaurant and a majority of app downloaders (56%) have used them to order food.

Have you downloaded a mobile app from a fast-food restaurant?

IF YES: Have you used the app to order food?

Email and Social Media Drive Sales Despite Limited Reach Fast-food restaurants are only reaching a limited number of consumers with email (24%) and social media (15%).

However, these channels prove to be effective in promoting return visits amongst those consumers that they do

reach as nearly 3 in 4 (73%) who receive emails and 9 in 10 who follow restaurants on social media say it makes

them more likely to visit the restaurants.

Do you regularly receive emails from any fast-food restaurants?

IF YES: Do these emails make you more likely to visit these restaurants?

Do you follow any fast-food restaurants on social media?

IF YES: Does following these restaurants on social media make you more likely to visit these restaurants?

26%Yes

24%Yes

15%Yes

56%Yes

34% 39% 27% 44% 45% 12%

Yes, much more likely Yes, somewhat more likely No

Survey MethodologyThe survey conducted for this Fluent report was conducted online within the United States by on June 16, 2016 among 1,104

adults (aged 18 and up) who eat at fast food restaurant at least once per year. Respondents were randomly selected, and the

findings are at a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of +/- 3.0%. Due to rounding, percentages may not always add

up to 100%. Fluent’s proprietary ad serving technology includes a real-time survey module that was used to facilitate the data

collection for this study.

Consumers Show Limited Loyalty to Fast-Food Restaurants

Fewer than 1 in 3 American fast food eaters consider themselves loyal to any fast-food restaurant. Those who do

consider themselves loyal visit their favorite restaurant far more frequently than non-loyal customers: While 2

in 3 (67%) self-proclaimed loyal customers visit their favorite fast-food restaurant at least once per week, fewer

than half (47%) of non-loyal customers do so.

Do you consider yourself loyal to any fast-food chains?

About how often do you visit your favorite fast-food restaurant?

About FluentFluent, LLC, an IDI company (NYSE MKT: IDI), is an industry leader in people-based digital marketing and customer acquisition,

serving over 500 leading consumer brands and direct marketers. Leveraging a massive reservoir of proprietary audience

data, as well as millions of real-time survey interactions with consumers every day, Fluent enables advertisers to more

effectively target and acquire their most valuable customers, with precision, at a massive scale. The company’s headquarters

is in New York City, with satellite offices in Washington, DC and Detroit.

For more information about Fluent, contact us at info@fluentco.com or 646.647.2966.

29%Yes

17%

35%

16% 18

%

13%

30%

37%

12%

17%

4%

12%

35%

18%

18%

17%

71%No

40%

30%

20%

10%

0

More than once per week

Once per week More than once per month

Once per month

Less than once per month

All

Loyal

Not Loyal