AMERICA'S BEST BURGER? NOT McDONALD'S They're called the Burger Wars for a reason. McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and smaller regional chains have long battled for the title of the nation's best-tasting fast food--and for the profits that accompany the title. McDonald's says customers vote with their feet and that the 12,000 Golden Arches around the U.S. are a testament to its food. Burger King says its flame-broiled burgers put McDonald's grill-fried patties to shame. And Wendy's says recent additions to its menu--like stuffed pitas and a spicy chicken sandwich--make it the industry's top innovator. But all that boasting raises the question: Whose food do Americans really like best? Business Week and Louis Harris & Associates Inc. have answered that question in an exclusive survey of 1,010 consumers done in November. The results indicate that McDonald's--the world's largest restaurant company--better start working harder in the kitchen. And they show that all those Burger King ads singing the praises of flame-broiling may have a point. Question: Which fast-food burger chain do you think serves the best-tasting food? Wendy's: 36% Burger King: 32% McDonald's: 21% Other: 8% Don't know: 2% Question: Which fast-food burger chain do you think serves the best-tasting burgers? Burger King: 42% Wendy's: 32% McDonald's: 17% Other: 7% Don't know: 2% (Note: Results cover only those who say they eat fast food at least once a month.) The BW/Harris Poll also asked consumers what factors are most important to them when deciding whether to eat at a fast-food restaurant, another kind of restaurant, or at home. The results are intriguing. They indicate that simple convenience is by itself no longer enough to attract diners. The huge restaurant buildup of the last decade--led by the decline of stay-at-home parents and funded by an IPO boom on Wall Street--has left consumers with dozens of choices, often just a few minutes from their home or office. To a much lesser degree than before, people choose a restaurant simply because they happen to pass it. Taste and quality are paramount. Chains such as Starbucks and startups like the new "wrap" restaurants have benefitted from the trend. Question: Thinking about the factors that are most important to you in choosing to eat at a fast-food hamburger restaurant rather than eating meals at home or at some other restaurant, how important to you is each of the following? Very Somewhat Not very n/a The taste of the food: 91% 8 1 The quality of the food: 93% 6 1 The location 42% 39 18 The speed and convenience 52% 39 9 Low price 45% 4 13 That your kids like the food 58% 12 5 24 That your kids like the atmosphere and giveaways 29% 27 21 23 By David Leonhardt in Chicago Return to main story

Updated Feb. 26, 1998 by bwwebmaster
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