McDonald’s is America’s favorite fast-food chain, according to a new YouGov study published by Yahoo, but its victory does not appear to be driven by quality alone, or even by the lowest prices.
The study surveyed 48,000 consumers across the United States and examined their fast-food preferences and eating habits at different points over the course of a year.
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Findings show that American consumers are looking for more than low prices
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The findings show that American consumers are looking for more than low prices. According to Ashley Brown, a senior director at YouGov and the lead researcher behind the report, “the winning formula isn’t just low prices. It’s value for money, reliable quality and convenience.”
Nearly 40% of respondents said McDonald’s was their first choice. Chick-fil-A followed closely behind with 35.5%, while Wendy’s ranked third with 33.2%. Burger King and Taco Bell rounded out the top five, with 31.6% and 31.2%, respectively.
But when YouGov asked a smaller group of 11,600 consumers to rate fast-food chains by quality and value for money, McDonald’s did not win either category. Diners ranked Chick-fil-A as the best chain for quality, while Wendy’s was rated as offering the best value.
Brown said McDonald’s secured the top overall spot because of its reliability and accessibility.
“McDonald’s strength is that it doesn’t need to win on every perception metric,” she said. “Among U.S. adults, it doesn’t lead on any single metric.”
Instead, Brown explained, McDonald’s has built a different kind of advantage, one that may be even more important in fast food.
“McDonald’s has built another advantage, perhaps a more important one: it is easy to find, fast, familiar and often perceived as offering good value,” she said.
Although consumers did not rank McDonald’s first for overall quality, additional YouGov data suggest they still have strong affection for one of the chain’s most iconic menu items: its fries.
According to the study, McDonald’s fries were by far the most popular among U.S. diners. Some 39.2% of respondents named them as their top choice, compared with just 9% who chose Five Guys.