CivicScience data show heavy fast-food eaters are more likely than infrequent or non-fast-food eaters to say they would resume all, or almost all, their daily activities should the federal government issue a notice to return to life and prevent an economic collapse. When and how to return to normal life is a complex and hotly-debated issue proven to incite political tribalism to rear its ugly head. To get a sense of how this might be impacting brand favorability and consumer behavior, CivicScience took a look at two QSR chains: Popeyes and Chick-fil-A.

When it comes to fried chicken, Popeyes and Chick-fil-A are two of the biggest names in the country. With 40% of U.S. adults favorable towards Popeye’s and 58% of U.S. adults favorable towards Chick-fil-A, it’s clear that both chains are an established part of American fast food culture.

Each chain tends to appeal to a slightly different crowd, which, as new data suggest, could impact recovery after coronavirus stay-at-home orders are lifted. 

CivicScience asked more than 17,000 U.S. adults how comfortable they will be resuming normal activities after quarantine measures are lifted. As the data show, of those who are favorable towards Popeyes Chicken, 58% would resume some level of normal activities, while 42% would remain in quarantine. 

However, of those who are favorable towards Chick-fil-A, 63% would resume some level of normal activity, while 37% would remain in quarantine.

The above data indicates Chick-fil-A has a particularly eager consumer base whose desire to go back to normal life could give the chain a slight edge in rebounding from the financial challenges posed by this pandemic.