Hamburgers may be one of the most iconic foods of the United States, but recent results from the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend study may indicate that Americans are getting tired of them. Consumer opinions of non-burger fast food chains while opinions on burger joints remain the same. Subway won the 2011 Quick Serve Restaurant Brand of the Year Award and has seen tremendous growth in 2010 and 2011, currently operating more locations around the world than even McDonald’s.
The top rankings among most popular fast food restaurants were again dominated by old favorites like Wendy’s, Dairy Queen and McDonald’s. But other restaurants that offer burger alternatives saw some of the biggest growth in popularity over the last year. Domino’s Pizza, Taco Bell and KFC are all seeing large gains in brand equity. The study was conducted prior to Taco Bell’s new marketing campaign, so that chain’s equity may be even higher by now.
Domino’s is achieving their popularity rise by improving their food quality and service, and launching a commercial campaign to highlight their efforts. Panera Bread was the top Fast Casual Brand of the Year for 2011, followed by the Italian restaurant triad of Olive Garden, Maggiano’s Little Italy and Carraba’s.
