Restaurant Loyalty Varies By Generation, finds Technomic

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Jul 08, 2014, 11:10 ET

CHICAGO, July 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Repeat patronage is critical to most foodservice operators' success. However, guests' intent to return and their reasons for doing so vary considerably by generation, as revealed in a recent white paper using data from Technomic's Consumer Brand Metrics (CBM) program.

The white paper, titled Keep 'Em Coming Back: Customer Loyalty and What Drives a Generation to Return reveals that more consumers report they will return in the near future to Papa Murphy's Pizza and In-N-Out Burger than any other restaurant tracked. Papa Murphy's scores are driven by Generation X and Baby Boomers, while more Millennials than members of other generations say they'll soon return to In-N-Out Burger.

"Millennials are looking for restaurants that not only satisfy their hunger, but that they can feel good about," says Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic. "Older consumers, on the other hand, place a higher priority on atmosphere and service."

Highlights from the white paper include:

In-N-Out Burger and Papa Murphy's Pizza garner the strongest intent to return. More consumers strongly agree that "I will return to this restaurant in the near future" for Papa Murphy's Pizza (54 percent) and In-N-Out Burger (52 percent) than for any other restaurant tracked in the program. While limited-service chains, which are visited more frequently overall, generally outperform full-service concepts on this attribute, both Cracker Barrel (46 percent) and Texas Roadhouse (44 percent) rank in the top fifteen restaurants overall.
Among Millennials, In-N-Out Burger is the chain most likely to be revisited. Millennials place greater emphasis on the concept's brand image, agreeing more strongly than other generations that In-N-Out Burger supports local community activities, offers new and exciting products and is an innovative brand.
Gen Xers and Boomers are especially likely to say they'll revisit Papa Murphy's soon. Their motivations for returning differ, as Generation X rates the brand most favorably on cleanliness, convenient location and beverage quality, while Boomers score the chain most highly on service attributes, such as staff friendliness and payment handling.

These findings were derived from Technomic's Consumer Brand Metrics (CBM) program, which offers consumer insights based on ongoing tracking of consumers' perceptions of their recent experiences across 128 leading U.S. restaurant brands. Clients can analyze results across 62 experience attributes by time period, demographic group, dynamics of the occasion or designated market area. Data is updated on the Consumer Brand Metrics website quarterly.

Technomic provides numerous online services to the foodservice industry. To learn more, please visit Technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below. For Technomic updates, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog.

Contacts
Press inquiries: Darren Tristano (312) 506-3850 or [email protected]

White paper inquiries: Colleen Rothman (312) 506-3841 or [email protected]

Demonstrations of Consumer Brand Metrics for Restaurants: Patrick Noone (312) 506-3852 or [email protected]

About Technomic

Technomic provides comprehensive global information, analysis and insights to food industry executives through high quality fact-based consulting, market research, online databases, tracking services and industry events. Our programs and services are designed to target the specific needs of leadership, sales, management, marketing and product development professionals. At Technomic, we're always innovating to keep pace with emerging global markets and trends. For over 45 years we've been supporting clients' strategic decisions. Our breadth of research enables us to keep a pulse on the food industry, by providing insights into local markets with a global scope. Visit us at technomic.com.

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SOURCE Technomic