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Individuals have plenty of selections once they wish to eat out, whether or not or not it’s at a fast-food chain or a full-service restaurant, with buyer satisfaction being a big consider the place they go.
A new report from the American Buyer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) presents perception into how manufacturers stack up by way of buyer satisfaction.
Normally, buyer satisfaction with quick-service eating places stayed the identical as final 12 months, coming in at 79 out of 100, in keeping with the ASCI Restaurant and Meals Supply Examine 2025. Of fast-food manufacturers, Chick-fil-A notched the best buyer satisfaction rating, at 83, the research mentioned. It additionally ranked highest out of chicken-focused fast-food joints particularly.
SUMMERTIME FAVORITE RETURNS TO CHICK-FIL-A FOR A 16TH YEAR
The chain, which has over 3,000 areas all through the U.S. and Canada, has now held the highest spot for buyer satisfaction amongst quick-service eating places for 11 consecutive years.
Individuals having fun with the out of doors patio in Shoreview, Minnesota. Chick-fil-A is an American quick meals restaurant chain specializing in rooster sandwiches. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Common Photos Group through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Within the general fast-food scoring, there was a two-way tie for second-place. Panda Categorical and Starbucks obtained scores of 80, in keeping with the ASCI. Starbucks posted a 4% leap in buyer satisfaction year-over-year, the research discovered.
Arby’s, Panera Bread, Papa Johns and Pizza Hut, with scores of 79, weren’t far behind, in keeping with the information.
The fast-food model with the bottom buyer satisfaction rating within the research was McDonald’s, at 70. That was 1% decrease than final 12 months.

An exterior view of a McDonald’s quick meals restaurant in Pittsburgh on Could 24, 2024. (Paul Weaver/SOPA Photos/LightRocket through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Nonetheless, the ASCI mentioned the corporate’s “new efforts to hurry up R&D to drive quicker expertise and menu modifications might reverse this pattern.”
McDonald’s lately debuted McCrispy Strips on its U.S. menus and can reintroduce its fan-favorite snack wraps subsequent month. The corporate has additionally mentioned drinks are an space the place it may well see main development.
MCDONALD’S CONFIRMS PERMANENT RETURN OF SNACK WRAPS AS MENU FAVORITE RETURNS
The full-service restaurant sector, in the meantime, had a buyer satisfaction rating of 82, in keeping with the ASCI.
That marked a lower of two% from final 12 months.
The ASCI mentioned full-service restaurant clients “understand much less worth and are annoyed with their carry-out and supply experiences” however famous meals and repair benchmarks have been nonetheless “fairly excessive.”
Texas Roadhouse, which tied for first with LongHorn Steakhouse final 12 months, held onto the highest buyer satisfaction rating for sit-down eating places this 12 months regardless of a 1% drop. It scored 84.

The Texas Roadhouse brand is seen on an indication outdoors considered one of its eating places in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 10, 2024. (Paul Weaver/SOPA Photos/LightRocket through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
With a lower in buyer satisfaction of two%, LongHorn Steakhouse dropped to No. 2, receiving an 83, per the research. Darden Eating places-owned Olive Backyard, at 81, was beneath LongHorn.
Two manufacturers – Applebee’s and Cracker Barrel – scored 80 for buyer satisfaction, the ASCI research discovered.
ASCI Director of Analysis Emeritus Forrest Morgeson mentioned in a press release that eating places “can’t merely depend on their conventional playbooks anymore.”
“The manufacturers that succeed would be the ones that adapt rapidly to shifting tastes with out compromising consistency or expertise,” he mentioned.
The ASCI’s research additionally checked out how meals supply companies have been faring on customer support. It discovered “smaller” companies noticed greater buyer satisfaction in comparison with main corporations equivalent to Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub.
The small companies had a rating of 77, two factors greater than Uber Eats and 5 factors greater than DoorDash and GrubHub.

A meals supply employee rides his bike on July 7, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress / Getty Photos)
Normally, buyer satisfaction for meals supply companies hit 74, a 1% year-over-year enhance.
WITH ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, AMERICANS ARE SPENDING LESS ON FAST FOOD
“Whereas costs stay the lowest-scoring a part of the meals supply expertise, scores have improved considerably with equity of meals costs and equity of taxes and repair charges each up 3% to 71,” the ASCI report mentioned, noting buyer satisfaction with meals supply cell apps and web sites additionally made some positive factors.
The typical complete that U.S. households spend on consuming out every month averages $269 per thirty days, in keeping with WalletHub.
Some restaurant manufacturers have been contending with shoppers consuming out much less and spending much less once they do in current months as financial uncertainty has factored into their selections.