WASHINGTON — Is America falling out of love with fast food?
That’s what the numbers from the American Consumer Satisfaction Index say. The report finds that while people’s satisfaction with full-service restaurants held steady, fast-food places dropped 3.8 percent.
“Consumers with greater discretionary income seem to put quality ahead of price in their decision-making,” says Claes Fornell, ACSI chairman and founder.
“On the supply side, restaurants are finding it harder to hire and retain qualified and motivated workers, which can have an adverse impact on service quality.”
The fast-food places with the highest satisfaction were all newcomers to the list — Chick-fil-A was on top, scoring an 86 on ACSI’s 100-point scale; next up was Chipotle, at 83, followed by Panera at 80.
Such “fast casual outlets,” ACSI director David VanAmburg says, “offer higher-quality ingredients, freshness and fast service — all at a reasonable price.”
Places that took it on the chin in the new rankings included pizza chains such as Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Little Caesar. The ACSI says that a pizza price war has led the chains to skimp on ingredients.
And the established chains, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and Taco Bell are at the bottom of the list. The only fast-food chain to improve in the rankings? Dunkin’ Donuts.
The ACSI report was based on 5,023 surveys done in the first quarter of this year.
