Introduction
As the pandemic continues to affect the restaurant industry, many of the major national fast-food chains are still struggling to attract dine-in customers. With the majority of people opting to stay home and order takeout or delivery, these restaurants are having to get creative in order to stay afloat. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the strategies these fast-food chains are using to try and attract customers back to their restaurants. We’ll also provide some tips on how to make the most of your fast-food experience, so you can enjoy a delicious meal without breaking the bank.
These Major National Fast-Food Chains Are Still Struggling For Dine-In Customers
The pandemic has changed the way we eat, and fast-food restaurants have been hit particularly hard. Many of the major national fast-food chains have had to close their dining rooms and rely on takeout and delivery orders to stay afloat. But even with these changes, some of the biggest names in the industry are still struggling to attract customers.
McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast-food chain, has seen a significant drop in sales since the pandemic began. The company has had to close many of its locations and has had to lay off thousands of workers. Despite these challenges, McDonald’s is still trying to find ways to attract customers. The company has launched a new delivery service and is offering discounts and promotions to encourage people to order from their restaurants.
Taco Bell has also been hit hard by the pandemic. The chain has had to close many of its locations and has had to lay off thousands of workers. Despite these challenges, Taco Bell is still trying to find ways to attract customers. The company has launched a new delivery service and is offering discounts and promotions to encourage people to order from their restaurants.
Burger King has also been struggling to attract customers during the pandemic. The chain has had to close many of its locations and has had to lay off thousands of workers. Despite these challenges, Burger King is still trying to find ways to attract customers. The company has launched a new delivery service and is offering discounts and promotions to encourage people to order from their restaurants.
KFC has also been struggling to attract customers during the pandemic. The chain has had to close many of its locations and has had to lay off thousands of workers. Despite these challenges, KFC is still trying to find ways to attract customers. The company has launched a new delivery service and is offering discounts and promotions to encourage people to order from their restaurants.
These major national fast-food chains are still struggling to attract customers during the pandemic. Despite the challenges, they are still trying to find ways to encourage people to order from their restaurants. With discounts and promotions, delivery services, and other creative strategies, these chains are hoping to bring customers back to their restaurants.
Post-pandemic restaurant recovery has been the major theme of 2021, and while some of your favorite fast-food brands skyrocketed to new heights of popularity during that time, other big players are still very much struggling to get customers back to their locations. According to the latest data from Placer.ai on restaurant visits across the quick-service industry, there are still major discrepancies in the post-pandemic foot traffic.
In October, visits to fast-food chains have climbed back nearly to pre-pandemic levels, but some brands were closer to their 2019 success than others. Regional darlings like In-N-Out, Shake Shack, White Castle, and Portillo’s, for example, have come out on top of the pack, with October foot traffic exceeding their 2019 traffic by 7.5%, 30.3%, 14.0%, and 17.7% respectively. But Popeyes may be the biggest success story here—visits to the chain are up by nearly 26% on a two-year comparison basis.
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National chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s are just coming around to closing that drop in foot traffic caused by the pandemic. The two burger giants were heavily reliant on in-store visits before 2020, and have suffered major losses over the last 18 months as a result. But thanks to successfully pushing celeb meal collaborations, breakfast campaigns, new menu launches, and loyalty programs, the chains are hovering at their 2019 foot traffic levels—McDonald’s was down only by 1.3% in October, while Wendy’s was up by 3.3%. Data also shows that McDonald’s is currently the king when it comes to lunchtime visits to fast-food chains, while Wendy’s is winning big on breakfast.
On the other hand, several chains are still playing catch up when it comes to bringing their on-premise sales back. At Burger King, Chick-fil-A, and KFC, October dining visits were still down by 10.1%, 15.3%, and 20.4%, respectively. However, just because people aren’t eating at these restaurants, doesn’t mean they aren’t placing drive-thru, delivery, and takeout orders. In fact, an increase in short visits (15 to 29 minutes) to fast-food restaurant chains, which has been seen across all brands, likely reflects the increase in drive-thru and takeout orders compared to 2019.
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