Australians’ love for hot chips is more than just a cultural phenomenon: turns out they are a major driver of “brand love” for quick service restaurants (QSRs) across the nation.
New research from strategic insights consultancy Nature has found KFC has Australia’s best hot chip, with 76 per cent of people saying it has great tasting chips, followed by Red Rooster at 67 per cent and Grill’d at 65 per cent.
Great tasting chips were found to be one of the main drivers of brand love for QSRs among Australians, who value food offering, value for money and in-store ambience in the brands they love.
On average, Australians spend twice as much at restaurants they love, equating to $90 per customer every six months.
Nature partner and managing director, Sydney, James Jayesuria, said: “This study was one close to our hearts and our taste buds. Cultural significance of hot chips aside, it shows that a quality overall food offering is what makes a good casual dining restaurant great and, of course, chips are a key element of that.
“The fact that people are willing to spend double on places they love to eat at means there’s distinct value for brands that can listen to the Australian people and make good on what keeps them coming back to – or ordering from – fast-food restaurants.”
Good value for money was the second highest driver of brand love among QSRs (after a good overall food offering), with Hungry Jack’s having the best value for money according to 61 per cent of people surveyed, closely followed by KFC and McDonald’s, both at 60 per cent. Guzman y Gomez and Red Rooster sat in the middle, with customers rating them at 52 per cent in terms of good value for money.
In-store ambience was also high on the value chain, with 58 per cent of Australians declaring Grill’d as having the best dine-in experience, ahead of Betty’s Burgers (55 per cent) and McDonald’s (54 per cent).
In terms of share of spend, McDonald’s dominate the Australian QSR market at 54 per cent, followed by KFC at 22 per cent and Hungry Jack’s at 12 per cent. Far more Australians spend with McDonald’s due to its convenience and range of food options, which rated higher than any other QSR.
Nature, associate director, Mikayla Samuels, said: “In light of current cost of living pressures, there is a clear opportunity for some brands to capitalise on ‘the lipstick effect’. People may not be able to afford to dine at high-end restaurants right now, but they still want little luxuries like a delicious dinner out or a tasty food delivery, a need that many brands can fill.
“To increase their share of QSR spending, brands should focus on growing the proportion of customers who love the brand and are therefore willing to spend more with them.”
The research was conducted in May 2023. Survey responses and historic QSR transactions from 750 people across Australia were analysed, via Fonto. The sample was representative of QSR customers nationally.
