Quick service restaurants: love in a hurry

We recently launched our annual report, BrandVue’s Most Loved Eating Out Brands, in both the UK and USA, which delve into the key emerging trends that are shaping the industry in each market. This year’s data underscores Britons’ continued fondness for Quick Service Restaurant brands.

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They say you shouldn’t rush to find love, but with more quick service restaurant (QSR) brands featuring more prominently in this year’s top 10 than any other restaurant category, it seems Quick Service is a fast track to our hearts.

Beloved favourites KFC (#4), Domino’s (#6 ) and Subway (#8 ) have all climbed 1-2 places since last year, reinforcing their Top 10 positions. Looking into the Top 20, Burger King (#17) has also moved up in the table since 2022. German Doner Kebab has dropped YoY (-3) but has retained its status as a Top 20 brand.

The Quick Service grandmaster McDonald’s remains the Most Loved Eating Out Brand for an outstanding 5^th year in a row. But how does the seasoned veteran stay at No. 1 in the face of fresh competition each year?

Keeping the menu fresh

Switching up every six weeks or so, McDonald’s menu regularly sees new additions, while also temporarily removing the part-time products, building up demand for them all over again.

Frequent, big ad campaigns also help the golden arches brand stay top of mind. Recently we saw popular presenter Maya Jama front a TV spot to launch the McCrispy Chicken Burger. Not long after, the Love Island host proved her authenticity as a brand ambassador, sharing on Instagram a £40 receipt from her 4am McDonald’s takeaway!

Some of the highest climbers in this year’s overall Most Loved Eating Out Top 100 are QSR brands. At #38, Chicken Cottage has risen 8 places YoY, while Wok&Go has climbed an astounding 22 places, pushing the noodle bar up to 52^nd place.

What’s behind our growing affection for Quick Service?

Perhaps now that the slower pace-of-living during the pandemic is becoming a distant memory, we want a service that can keep up with our fast lifestyles.

But also, as consumers face a higher cost of living, QSR brands provide the perfect mix of fast, convenient, comforting food at affordable prices. McDonald’s and Burger King have now launched loyalty schemes, gifting free burgers for reward points – perhaps taking inspiration from grab-and-go specialists like Greggs and Costa.

In turn, other brands are trying to take their own slice of QSR market share. An example we’re catching wind of is opening drive-through outlets.

Upmarket bakery brand Gail’s, debuting high in our league table at #24, is reportedly considering roadside dining. Meanwhile, Five Guys and Leon have also made this move in recent years.

As other brands embrace the convenience offered by Quick Service, it’ll be intriguing to see if QSR chains continue to sit at the head of our league table in 2024.

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BrandVue’s Most Loved Eating Out Brands UK is informed by the opinions of more than 96,000 consumers about 170+ eating out brands.

We have used their responses to compile a comprehensive league table of the Top 100 eating out brands the UK love the most. You can access the full league table, alongside expert analysis from our team by downloading the free report below.