QSR's Should Be Betting on High Rollers

When it comes to eating out these days, higher income people have evolved into hard core foodies looking more for a range of culinary experiences without a white tablecloth in sight. Yet even as they’re following and setting food trends, expressing strong opinions on the best and hottest places to eat, more than 80 percent of people with household incomes of $100,000+ are hitting fast food at least once a week. And they’re unabashedly proud of it, per the latest nationwide survey of 1,128 consumers by integrated creative and media agency Partners + Napier.

As part of its 'Hidden In Plain Sight' series, the agency -- which has years of experience in the Quick Service Restaurant sector – took a close look at how fast food has become a new status symbol among high earners in a world where the pandemic has profoundly impacted both attitudes and appetites.

“We wanted to dig deeper into who these nearly eight million real-world people are and what’s driving their drive-thru habits,” said CJ Gaffney, VP, group strategy director at Partners + Napier. “They’re college-educated millennials and gen-x'ers, male, female, work full time, mostly married. Half have kids at home. They frequent food festivals. They’re culture vultures and world travellers. They’re health enthusiasts, trend setters and fashionistas. They collect experiences – and fast food is a sensory one that easily fits into their busy days. And now that a lot of people are back at the office, as our workdays have shifted so have our food attitudes. Fast food has become our new, not-so-guilty pleasure.”

In fact, 79 percent of respondents would never think to hide the fact they’re fast food loyalists from their friends, family and co-workers. Only 21 percent are opting to keep those proclivities under wraps. Further, 74% like to treat themselves on days they’re in the office and 61% eat out when working from home just to get out of the house.

“A key driver with this high-income audience, we learned, is that fast food is a remedy to weekday monotony,” said CJ. “A secondary driver is that formal and fancy options are overrated, overdone and just not as filling.”

Other insights:

• 79% report that while they can afford to spend more, they love the indulgence of fast food.
• 61% would rather grab fast casual than have a formal business lunch.
• 44% are still hungry after leaving a business meal or networking event. Guess where they’re likely to head to curb those hunger pangs?

Partners + Napier offers advice to quick service restaurant brands hoping to open the wallets of more fast food high rollers:

• Recognise fast food’s place as a break from monotony and a quick indulgence during the workweek.
• Showcase/communicate menu items in terms of their flavour appeal and novelty.
• The craving for regularly indulgent experiences drives the frequency of visits. The association with work drives when people head out for their fast food fix.
• With fast food proving to be satisfying on a deeper level, it opens the door to less rational, more emotional, and culturally relevant messaging.