Restaurants Refuse to Scrimp on Taste Even as Inflation Forces Cutbacks

As restaurants seek to cut costs, PYMNTS data shows most prioritize maintaining food quality.

A Word from Insiders

Even the brands touting low menu prices the most are prioritizing food quality.

In an interview with PYMNTS, Tim Hackbardt, chief marketing officer of quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand Del Taco, noted that maintaining the taste of the food is especially important now, as brands seek ways to offer lower prices to consumers.

Reflecting on the key factor differentiating successful value menus from the rest, Hackbardt contended, “Quality, because competitor value menus often have really cheap and small items on them.”

He added, “The most common pitfalls are lack of quality, portion size, flavor, variety and price. Today, the guest has higher expectations.”

By the Numbers

Findings from the latest edition of PYMNTS’ Restaurant Digital Divide study, “The 2022 Restaurant Digital Divide: Restaurant Customers React To Rising Costs, Declining Service,” which draws from a December survey of a census-balanced panel of more than 2,300 consumers who regularly purchase food from restaurants, identifies the areas where inflation-related cutbacks are most notable.

While nearly half of the consumers surveyed have noticed reduced hours or shuttered dining rooms at restaurants, and while more than a third have observed orders taking a longer time to be processed, few have seen a reduction in taste. Only 16% reported noticing lower quality food.

It seems that restaurants have their priorities in the right place, considering the importance of taste to consumers’ choice of restaurant, according to data from the September edition of the Restaurant Digital Divide study, “Food Aggregators Find Their Footing In Q2.”

The study, which drew from a survey of more than 2,200 consumers, found that one in three consumers cited taste of the food as the single most important factor influencing their choice of restaurant, a far greater share than said the same of any other consideration.