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Introducing the Quick Craves Category: Reimagining the Future of Quick-Service Restaurants
November 18, 2024 | 4 min read
Shelina Taki, Executive Strategy Director
Shelina has spent the last 17+ years helping brands find their way into the hearts and minds of the people they want to reach. Her proven approach to brand strategy comes to life at the intersection of data and culture. Shelina has worked with some of the world’s most beloved brands, including Google, Toyota, Apple, Starbucks, BMW, Postmates, Expedia, and MARS Wrigley, driving business impact and cultural connection. At PMG, Shelina leads the brand planning and creative strategy disciplines across our portfolio.
The quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by evolving consumer behavior and the growing importance of "craveability." This article explores PMG's proprietary research on the psychology of cravings, revealing five key dimensions—Taste, Convenience, Experience, Nostalgia, and Cultural Relevance—that define modern dining choices. Learn how QSR brands can align marketing and operations to trigger, satisfy, and sustain consumer cravings, creating memorable dining experiences that drive loyalty and growth.
Craveability Reigns Supreme: Cravings now surpass price and brand loyalty as top drivers of consumer decisions.
Five Dimensions of Cravings: Taste, Convenience, Experience, Nostalgia, and Cultural Relevance shape modern consumer behavior.
Blurred Category Lines: The distinction between fast food and fast casual is fading, with consumer expectations shifting accordingly.
Cue, Crave, Consume Model: PMG's framework shows how brands can strategically trigger and satisfy cravings to create lasting connections.
The quick-service restaurant (QSR) landscape has undergone a seismic shift over the past five years, calling for a fresh perspective on the culture that defines it. As the lines between fast casual and fast food blur, what was once a clearly delineated category has now become a unified monolith in the hearts and minds of consumers. These changes have paralleled shifts in consumer behavior, evolving from the mere convenience of a quick meal to satisfying a more profound, almost primal, desire—a craving.
Our research has uncovered that "craveability" is now a critical component of the dining experience. It holds such power that it can surpass traditional drivers like price and brand loyalty and can even foster new allegiances when strategically harnessed.
This series is built on that insight. Over the next few weeks, we will dive deep into the changing dynamics of the QSR category, exploring the psychology of cravings and how it drives consumer decisions.
PMG’s research has identified five key dimensions that shape cravings: Convenience, Taste, Cultural Relevance, Nostalgia, and Experience. This reveals that today’s consumers—whom we call “cravers”—are looking for more than just a quick meal. They seek moments that resonate, satisfy their deeper desires, and enrich their experiences. As such, “Quick Craves” is the most fitting term to describe this evolved consumer mindset and the new nature of the category.
Our goal is to inspire brands to craft campaigns and products that speak directly to these cravings, transforming ordinary meals into memorable, meaningful experiences. We believe the findings of this research signify the beginning of a new chapter for the industry, one where the real power lies in understanding and satisfying the diverse cravings that drive consumer choices.
Methodology
PMG’s State of Quick Craves series is grounded in proprietary research conducted between June and July 2024. The study consisted of two custom surveys, polling 3,000 fast food and fast casual diners across the U.S., to offer a comprehensive look at the evolving QSR landscape.
The Category Today
In 2023, the Quick Craves Category (formerly known as Quick-Service Restaurants) was valued at an impressive $387.5 billion. Despite facing recent dips in traffic due to rising menu prices and inflation, the industry has shown resilience in the post-pandemic era. As consumers prioritize value amid economic uncertainty, restaurants have an opportunity to serve as a solution, especially if they evolve to embrace innovation.
Our research showed that value, taste, and specific menu item cravings remain top factors influencing where consumers choose to dine, positioning the Quick Craves Category as a go-to option during challenging times. For brands, leaning into the psychology of cravings is crucial for long-term success, as rising prices threaten the industry’s long-standing image of budget-friendliness.
“Value, taste, and specific menu item cravings remain top factors influencing where consumers choose to dine, positioning the Quick Craves Category as a go-to option during challenging times.”
PMG’s research reveals that, in the current inflationary climate, 75% of cravers say deals and happy hours influence their choice of restaurant. Nevertheless, taste remains the predominant driver, with 72% citing it as the top factor in their decision-making process.
Interestingly, our findings also show that consumers perceive fast food and fast casual restaurants similarly when making dining decisions, though their expectations diverge once the choice has been made. Consumers don’t think about whether they are going to select a “fast food” or “fast casual” option at any given moment or occasion; however, once the choice has been made, their expectations of the value and quality they will experience is shaped by the type of restaurant they visit.
“Traditional distinctions between fast food and fast casual dining are fading. While consumers no longer see a clear divide between these categories, they still hold different expectations for their dining experiences.”
This indicates a growing convergence within the QSR category, where distinctions between offerings blur in the consumer’s mind, yet preferences for the type of dining experience remain nuanced. Additionally, the prolonged effects of inflation have prompted a notably smaller gap between the price of “fast food” and “fast casual” dining experiences. This is also changing consumer decisioning and further softening the distinctions between the two categories.
The Five Dimensions of Craveability
Cravings have proven to be a powerful force in driving consumer behavior, with 59% of respondents citing a specific craving as the primary reason they visit fast food restaurants. Despite heightened price sensitivity, when the urge for a particular flavor strikes, the pull of a beloved menu item can become irresistible. In fact, more than 90% of people experience food cravings, making it a universal and compelling driver.
Through extensive research into consumer preferences and behaviors within the Quick Craves category, we identified five key dimensions that contribute to driving—and fulfilling—a craving: Taste, Convenience, Experience, Nostalgia, and Cultural Currency. These elements together shape the decisions of today’s “cravers,” and we explore each dimension in detail throughout this series.
Taste: The most compelling dimension, taste is often the primary driver behind Quick Craves orders. PMG’s research revealed that 72% of cravers say it's the top influence in their choice of restaurant. The desire for a specific, beloved menu item or food style is so strong that it can prompt cravers to go out of their way to visit a restaurant just to satisfy that craving. Menu items that cultivate a unique and powerful affinity set brands apart from competitors and ensure they remain top of mind when hunger strikes.
Convenience: Convenience, a cornerstone of the Quick Craves category, plays a significant role in determining where cravers turn when they’re pressed for time or lacking motivation. Over 40% of cravers state that convenience drives them to seek out Quick Craves restaurants, and around half say that convenience is what drives them to order via an app or delivery service. But convenience extends beyond mere proximity—it includes the ease and speed of placing and receiving an order. Whether through user-friendly apps, quick repeat ordering options, or faster delivery and drive-thru times, convenience shapes consumer choices. To capitalize on this, brands must streamline every step of the process, from ordering to receiving, ensuring an effortless experience.
Experience: Experience encompasses a broad range of factors, from the situations in which cravers are ordering to the overall quality of the ordering process and in-store dining. While a seamless experience may not always be a driver of initial brand selection, a poor experience—especially if repeated—can quickly turn customers away. Consistency is key: A frictionless ordering process can be the decisive factor for a craver choosing between two favorites, while obstacles like a faulty app or incomplete order can damage brand perception.
Cultural Currency: Some Quick Craves brands have transcended their category, earning a place in pop culture. Whether through secret menus, exclusive merchandise drops, or viral marketing moments, many QSRs inspire fandoms akin to those of TV shows or celebrities. A prime example is Popeyes, whose 2019 Chicken Sandwich Wars showcased the power of brand fandom in full force. This sense of belonging and community can make fans fiercely loyal, even going so far as to defend their favorite brands in public forums. Leaning into cultural relevance strengthens this bond and ensures that cravers think about their favorite spots, even when they’re not hungry.
Nostalgia: For many consumers, early memories of Quick Craves restaurants form a lasting emotional connection. They don’t just crave the food; they crave the moment it represents. Whether it’s memories of family road trips punctuated by fast food stops, collecting Happy Meal toys in the ‘90s and 2000s, or the childhood thrill of racing down a playground slide, these experiences often cement brand loyalty for the long term. Established brands can tap into this sense of nostalgia to reignite brand love and deepen consideration. By reminding consumers of those cherished moments, brands can reinforce their emotional connection with the cravers of today.
This research highlights a shift in the QSR industry where success hinges on more than just convenience and affordability—it’s about understanding the complex drivers behind modern cravings and positioning brands to fulfill them meaningfully.
The Power of Craveability
In this new era, restaurants can tap into the psychology of cravings, crafting moments that not only satisfy but delight and engage consumers on a deeper level. By understanding what drives cravings, brands can transform their offerings from mere meals into experiences that resonate emotionally and biologically with their audiences. Although inflation has increased menu prices, cravings remain a consistent factor influencing dining decisions. Deals, happy hours, and loyalty programs help maintain appeal despite economic challenges.
What This Means for Brands
Cravings can be triggered by a variety of stimuli, including environmental and emotional cues. Using external cues within creative and messaging (including the sight, sound, or smell of fan favorites) or creating strong emotional associations with menu items, brands can move restaurants to the top of consumers’ dining-out lists.
What This Means for Marketers
By entering a consumer's consciousness at the right moment, marketing and advertising efforts can prompt the Cue that induces the consumer to crave a certain type of food, drink, or treat. The Cue can be influenced by several factors, including appealing imagery, onomatopoeia, and classic food pairings, among others. Timing and placement are also key drivers of the Cue phase. For example, digital ads served right before meal times or placed in content often associated with food consumption, such as sports games.
Once the Cue has begun, the consumer enters the Crave phase, whereby they're driven to satisfy the craving. At this point, brands must be operationally equipped to offer a seamless experience to quickly and easily fulfill the cravings in the Consume phase. Regarding the Quick Craves category, it’s essential that marketing and operations work together to ensure that the brand can both trigger the Cue and see through to the Consume phase, otherwise, there’s a risk consumers will seek fulfillment of their Crave with competitors.
PMG’s Cue, Crave, Consume Model for Marketers
A few examples of how brands can engage with the Cue phase include:
Environmental Triggers like Billboards: The sight of a billboard advertisement (Cue/traditional media) during commutes (timing/rush hour) can stimulate cravings (Crave) and drive orders (Consume).
External Cues Such as Push Notifications: UberEats notifications popping up on phones (Cue) during lunch and dinner detailing offers, favorites, or new places to try (Crave) that drive cravers to click and place an order (Consume).
Environmental Cues like TV Advertisements: Watching a football game and hearing an advertisement from a restaurant (Cue) while wondering what to prepare for dinner (Crave) that drives a craver to place an order for the occasion (Consume).
Takeaways
Final Thoughts
The QSR category is increasingly driven by "craveability," which has become more influential than price or brand loyalty. By addressing this powerful consumer desire, QSRs can create new allegiances and tap into a deeper motivation behind dining choices. The Cue, Crave, Consume Model highlights how brands can trigger cravings through prompts like advertisements or app notifications (Cue), prompt a craving for specific foods (Crave), and ensure a seamless ordering process to satisfy that craving (Consume). This strategic approach encourages operational alignment with marketing to capitalize on consumer desires effectively. By understanding and leveraging the psychology of cravings, marketers can position QSR brands in ways that appeal both emotionally and biologically. Effective marketing cues, placed strategically, can drive cravings that brands are poised to satisfy, fostering deeper connections and brand loyalty.
Craveability as the New Priority
Craveability has emerged as a dominant force, surpassing traditional drivers like price and brand loyalty. By understanding and satisfying cravings, brands can create deeper emotional connections and foster new consumer allegiances.
The Five Dimensions of Cravings
Taste, Convenience, Experience, Nostalgia, and Cultural Relevance shape consumer behavior. Brands that integrate these dimensions into their strategies can transform ordinary meals into memorable experiences.
A Strategic Framework
PMG’s Cue, Crave, Consume model emphasizes the importance of marketing triggers and operational readiness to seamlessly satisfy cravings, driving both immediate sales and long-term loyalty.
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