Panda Express, Whataburger, and Chick-Fil-A earn top spots in Ipsos’ 2024 QSR/Fast Casual Restaurant Digital Ordering Performance Study
New York, NY, February 24, 2025 -Ipsos, one of the world’s leading market research and polling companies, today released the 2024 QSR/Fast Casual Digital Ordering Performance Study: a comprehensive analysis of the quick-service restaurant (QSR) mobile app order-ahead landscape, the brands that lead the pack, and the factors that keep people coming back.
Of the 26 QSR brands evaluated in this year’s report, Panda Express achieved the highest overall score (at 80 out of 100). However, no single brand earned top marks across the board. While consumers praised Panda Express’ app benefits, Chick-fil-A had the highest-scoring app capabilities, and Whataburger outranked the competition in terms of the overall order experience.
“We are delighted to publish this study, given the increasing importance of mobile app experiences for limited-service restaurants. These results reflect the intensity of the competition and users’ heightened expectations — making it all the more important for brands to differentiate themselves through exceptional digital experiences,” noted Brad Christian, SVP of Strategic Growth, Ipsos Channel Performance.
The full report, published in partnership with Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) and The Coca-Cola Company, combines rigorous consumer survey data on attitudes and preferences with a nationwide mystery shopping study that evaluated app experiences, food packaging, order accuracy, and in-store pick up across the 26 national and regional QSR brands.
"Digital ordering is more than just a critical battleground for restaurant operators; it is becoming the arena where new guest behaviors are forming," said Josh Gurley, Vice President of Digital, The Coca-Cola Company. "With 1 in 5 restaurant orders now occurring through digital platforms, the findings of this study are invaluable for all QSRs as they look to optimize mobile ordering, better serve their guests, and grow their total business as a result. At The Coca-Cola Company, we are deeply committed to supporting our restaurant partners in their digital transformation journeys, ensuring they have the insights and tools needed to excel in this dynamic landscape and drive enhanced traffic, transactions, and loyalty."
Ipsos’ analysis looked at the key factors that contribute to order-ahead loyalty, from personalized deals and intuitive app menus to the ability to make repeat orders.
“Top-performing branded apps set themselves apart by focusing on three main values: saving time, offering deals, and providing the same availability of customization as would be found in-restaurant,” Christian said.
The report also offers a broader view into the scale of QSR order-ahead app adoption. 65% of QSR visitors say they have used an order-ahead app, including nearly 90% of those aged 18-24. One in three respondents consider the ability to order ahead essential when choosing a QSR to order from. And 81% of those that have used QSR apps to order ahead say they are likely to do so again in the next three months — a finding that illustrates the upside of improvements to these services.
“We hope that this research will empower QSRs and fast casual restaurants to build brand equity and customer loyalty through apps and experiences that exceed users’ expectations,” Christian said.
For further information, please contact:
Brad Christian
SVP, Strategic Growth, Ipsos
[email protected]
Christopher Good
Communications Associate, Ipsos
[email protected]
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