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Chik-fil-A scores tops with fast food consumers

Think you know what fast food joint is most popular with American consumers? If you guessed Chick-fil-A you get the prize.

July 1, 2015

 Think you know what fast food joint is most popular with American consumers? If you guessed Chick-fil-A you get the prize

The fast food restaurant scored an 86 out of 100 on the Annual Restaurant Survey released this week by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which polled 5,000 customers nationwide, according to a MarketWatch report.

Overall, customer satisfaction with fast food restaurants dropped 3.8 percent from last year, scoring 77 out of 100, the lowest score in five years and well below the 82 scored by sit-down restaurants.

The study authors said the low score is due to consumers likely focusing more on quality than price, which tends to happen in a growing and healthier economy.

 “As unemployment dips and wages rise, albeit slowly, customers of limited-service restaurants are proving harder to satisfy,” the authors write.

Chick-fil-A’s score in the fast-food restaurant segment is the highest score yet in the 20-year history of the survey. It even beat out Chipotle, which scored an 83. “The quality is bar none,” ACSI Director David VanAmburg said of Chick-fil-A’s achievement.

Here is the ranking of the six most-loved fast food restaurants in America and their respective scores:

• Chick-fil-A — 86
• Chipotle — 83
• Panera Bread — 80
• Papa John’s — 78
• Pizza Hut — 78
• Dunkin’ Donuts — 78
   

In case Big Mac fans were wondering how McDonald’s did, the answer is not very well. McDonald’s scored a 67, a 6 percent drop from last year. Burger King, Taco Bell and Jack in the Box all scored a 72. Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wendy’s both scored 73.

The lower scores, said VanAmburg, could reflect that consumers are getting a bit tired of the older, more traditional fast food chains and might also illustrate the growing competition from new players such as Panera and Chipotle.

“It is increasingly difficult for the McDonald’s of the world to compete,” he said. “We are living in an interesting time when it comes to fast food: Five to 10 years from now, what will McDonald’s be?”

To see the full chart of score and rankings click here..