Gen Z is clearly a generation with diverse tastes and interests when it comes to dining out. CivicScience trend tracking has shown that Gen Z dines out more than the typical U.S. adult, and they’re more likely to be brand-conscious consumers who highly value food prices.
But what do fast-food habits look like for this trend-setting generation? For one, Gen Z is the most likely age group to eat at fast-food restaurants frequently – 26% dine at fast-food chains weekly, and another 40% do so monthly (compared to 22% and 32% of the Gen Pop). Second, they place greater importance on speed, price, and employee friendliness than the general population, who’s more likely to favor menu variety and healthiness of food when eating at fast-food restaurants.
Gen Z is also more likely to be favorable to fast-food chains in general. Looking at 11 top fast-food restaurants, Gen Z adults rank higher in favorability across nearly all chains. However, there’s a clear winner among Gen Z: Chick-fil-A, with 70% of Gen Z respondents favorable to the chicken sandwich chain. McDonald’s has the next biggest leg up on younger consumers (leading 18 percentage points over the Gen Pop in favorability).
CivicScience is already tracking the latest Gen Z trends across all industries. Want to see how these trends are impacting your consumers? Let’s chat.
