3 Restaurant Trends Reshaping the QSR Industry in 2022

This year, quick-service restaurant trends gaining traction are all about digital access and convenience. Since the pandemic, more consumers are placing orders on their smartphones and prefer to pay that way too.

According to a Visa Back to Business survey, contactless payments have skyrocketed since the onset of COVID-19, and consumers increasingly prefer not to touch cash or payment readers.

So, how do potential investors in QSR stay ahead of the curve and protect their hard-earned cash? Here are three restaurant trends that will keep customers returning for more and leaving five-star reviews.

Convenience

In a recent survey, over 50% of consumers say mobile app ordering is the most improved aspect of ongoing fast-food trends since the pandemic.

Developing apps with direct lines of communication for exclusive offers and privileges like fast-track lanes for pick-up orders are an excellent incentive for busy buyers. Aside from easy application orders, adding multi-channel ordering options, including third-party delivery apps like Grubhub or Uber Eats, gives restaurants a better chance of boosting visibility to their buyers.

Teriyaki Madness has always been ahead of the game when it comes to convenience. We launched our mobile app in 2018, and we’ve maintained relationships with all the major third-party delivery vendors so consumers only need one point of contact: ours. While we’re more fast casual than QSR, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make it as easy as possible for people to order from our Teriyaki Shops in their underwear.

Contactless Payments with Speedy Service

Mobile technology makes everything better, doesn’t it? We can pay by tapping our credit cards on POS systems or using mobile wallets like Apply Pay by waving our phones above scanners.

These contactless payment options have become more popular since 2020, and not just for health reasons – they’re quicker, too. It’s faster than swiping and waiting for a credit card to go through. That 5- to 10-second wait can aggravate hungry customers, and a recent study shows every second counts.

Oracle Food and Beverage conducted a study that shows 64% of consumers are more likely to get annoyed if their food isn’t ready in under 5 minutes at the counter or drive-thru. The survey also notes that 54% of customers didn’t want to wait more than 10 minutes for table service.

These numbers prove that consumers’ patience is wearing thin, and expectations for faster service have skyrocketed since the pandemic. So how does the QSR industry keep up with demand? Quick and convenient service with a message to share.

Social Media Campaigns with Purpose

One of the major restaurant industry trends that’s picking up speed is social media messaging and partnering with social media influencers. Creating unique campaigns has proven popular among Generation Z. This includes high school, college-age students, and young adults in the workforce, a key demo for quick service restaurants. Put simply, Gen Z lives on social media and is quick to hop on a social media challenge or campaign with a mission.

It’s one way TMAD has created a bond with our customers: using social media to share our unique culture. We love our work but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We’ve been known to put marketing executives in carrot suits while we’re out there growing our $1 million+ sales.

Social media is the new word-of-mouth marketing referral. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok are the top platforms you should consider when marketing to Gen Z.

QSRs should still consider millennials in their marketing strategy, as they’re on social media for both work and leisure (and the occasional cinnamon challenge). So, restaurant owners should stay on top of popular trends on those platforms and create promotions or campaigns around those trends (but probably not the cinnamon challenge).

You’d be crazy NOT to consider TMAD

Teriyaki Madness is the restaurant franchise that ticks all the boxes. Asian restaurants have been growing in popularity in the U.S. since 1999, and TMAD brings a fun, fresh take on the category. We were named the No. 1 fastest-growing big restaurant chain in 2021, and we’ve got the M’s in our bank accounts to prove it: We hit $1,161,201* Average Unit Volume in 2021. When you consider the startup costs for opening a TMAD franchise range from $346,400-$768,760*, you can feel even better about that number.

To round out your brand portfolio and learn more about opening your own TMAD franchises, download our franchise report.

* Refer to our Franchise Disclosure Document