Valpak® surveyed over 1,700 U.S. adults to determine what influences their dining choices and motivates them to try or switch restaurants based on incentives. Our dining / restaurant survey responses build on that data, demonstrating the impact of rising food costs at the counter, in the drive-thru, at the table, at checkout and at the door. We asked consumers where they want to see Valpak coupons baked into their food shopping and dining experiences. This customer feedback delivered valuable insight that may surprise you or—NOT, including:
- Top reasons to select a particular restaurant or takeout establishment
- 76% said receiving a coupon or deal motivates them to explore new restaurants
- The coupons most likely to be redeemed (78% chose buy one, get one free)
- The top brands with the most desired coupons, including burger, chicken, sandwich, Mexican, pizza, coffee & snack restaurants, and more
- From Little Greek to McDonald’s to KFC (and more), the direct mail ads consumers are most likely to respond to
Use these online survey results / insights to develop and improve your next marketing strategy and make smarter, more effective dining advertising decisions that will attract customers!
“As someone on fixed income, I’m a firm believer in saving money with coupons, especially food and eating out. Prices have gotten ridiculously high, and every dollar counts when you need fast food or just want to treat yourself to something special.”
A coupon in the mail is as trusted as paper currency
70% of respondents said they prefer to receive coupons / ads from restaurants in the mail, followed closest by those who chose email (59%).
How do you most prefer to receive ads from restaurants?
Motivating consumers to try something different for a change
What does it take to encourage consumers to try something new? 76% said to receive a coupon or offer in the mail, while 73% said it depends on the variety and the type of cuisine available.
Which of the following would most likely motivate you to try a restaurant?
Popular cuisine types and the choices and variety out there
Favorite restaurant types consumers would most like to receive coupons from are no surprise: Pizza took the top spot with 76% of respondents, with Italian next (72%) and Mexican close behind at 68%.
Which types of restaurants would you most like to receive coupons from?
Other popular types of food / beverage businesses that people enjoy
88% of respondents like receiving coupons for grocery stores, while 62% chose ice cream / yogurt shops—consumers like an adventure and get excited about product discoveries outside local restaurants and fast food.
Which other types of food / beverage businesses would you most like to receive coupons from?
What motivates consumers and brings them to your business over another?
Something for something is a straightforward face-value deal to understand, and why “buy one, get one free” took the top spot with 78% in restaurant coupons most likely to be redeemed—followed by “dollars off purchase” (74%) and “free menu item” (67%).
Which types of restaurant coupons are you most likely to redeem?
How much do star ratings matter to consumers?
Depends on who you ask. Restaurant experience and the star-rating system seem to have some wiggle room. While 34% of respondents said it has to be a 4-star or above, 32% said that star ratings don’t matter at all.
From the screen or page to your phone, QR codes have changed the game
62% of respondents prefer to receive a link to coupon offers or deals from a QR code; 61% want to view the menu; 21% appreciate a map to the restaurant location; 18% like to see the food delivery and takeout options.
If you received an ad from a restaurant with a QR code, which of the following would you prefer that it link to?
Top 10 requested restaurant chain coupons
- Olive Garden (61.8%)
- Chick-fil-A (60.2%)
- Wendy’s (59.7%)
- Texas Roadhouse (58.4%)
- McDonald’s (56.8%)
- Subway (56%)
- Taco Bell (55%)
- Dunkin (54.5%)
- Applebee’s (54.3%)
- KFC (53.7%)
Highlights by Category
- Hamburger: Wendy’s, with 59.7%, takes a bigger bite than McDonald’s at 56.8%
- Chicken: Chick-fil-A (60.2%) says “no way” to KFC (53.7%) on the chicken scene
- Sit-Down: Olive Garden’s 61.8% bests closest contender, Texas Roadhouse (58.4%)
- Pizza: No one outpizzas the Hut at 51.3%, except for Domino’s (51.5%)
- Grocery: Walmart (69.9%) checks out over Aldi’s 51.5% to take top-shelf place
Plus, consumers react to ads
We showed our panel of consumers images of ads and asked them how likely they were to respond to a direct mail ad from each brand we presented. The results for Wendy’s, KFC, Arby’s, and more are included in the category sections.
Burger restaurants: I burger your pardon?
“I go to McDonald’s a few times a week. I have their gift card and live walking distance from a McDonald’s.”
Personal preferences are important (just ask Goldilocks), but when it comes to burger menu items and how it’s made, U.S. consumers don’t mess around. Everything on it? Cheese or no cheese, well-done or medium, pickles or onions, mustard or ketchup, bun or protein style, the list goes on and on to get an individual the burger that is served hot and just right for them. So, grill masters and burger lovers, get ready because here are the top 5 hamburger restaurants people want to receive Valpak coupons from.
Top 5 requested burger chain coupons
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71% of respondents said they are somewhat to very likely to respond to this Wendy’s ad.
Chicken restaurants: The chicken or the bun?
When you’re no longer asking, “Where’s the beef?” It means it’s time to hit the henhouse and get your chicken on. Unlike the hamburger, chicken is about being savory, crunchy good, or if it’s grilled with the right toppings. And what are the right questions to ask: bone-in or bone-out, between bread, wrapped in a tortilla, or fried to goodness? From our customer satisfaction survey, here are the top 5 places where the chicken maestros want their Valpak deals and meals from.
Top 5 Requested Chicken chain coupons
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61% of respondents said they are somewhat to very likely to respond to this KFC ad.
Sandwich restaurants: Between the bread
It was 1762, and the Earl of Sandwich wanted to play cards and eat with his hands—and voila, the sandwich was invented, and a whole new genre of food came to life! From well-known spots to local mom-and-pop favorites, online ordering to in-house dining, just about every city in the United States has multiple incredible sandwich shops. Subway has been doing it your way for years now, so, not surprisingly, takes over the top spot, with 56% of respondents wanting Valpak coupons for the food service brand.
Top 5 requested sandwich chain coupons
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61% of respondents said they are somewhat to very likely to respond to this Arby’s ad.
Mexican restaurants: Yo quiero, good!
“I love the idea of receiving coupons. The cost of everything is too high for those of us on a fixed income!”
Mexican cuisine has so many delicious varieties to choose from, and there are always great local favorites in almost every town that offer an amazing guest experience. However, when it came to our questionnaire, it isn’t too much of a shock that some of the most well-known franchises, Taco Bell, with 55%, and Chipotle (45.5%), took the top Mexican restaurant spots where consumers would like Valpak coupons from.
Top 5 requested Mexican chain coupons
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Pizza restaurants: pizza! pizza!
You can eat pizza for breakfast, lunch or dinner. There is also something magical about something that, across the U.S., at its core, is sauce, dough and cheese. However, with today’s popular pizza shops, from deep pan to thin crust and from pineapple to sausage, pizza lovers know what they want from their overall experience, and they’re not afraid to have it again and again because it’s just THAT good (and Valpak coupons would be nice, too!)
Top 5 requested pizza chain coupons
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36% of respondents said they are somewhat to very likely to respond to this Cici’s Pizza ad.
Coffee & snack chains: Where to go on the go
“With the higher prices and cost of living increases, coupons are necessary to justify eating out. Also, senior citizens should be the first to receive these coupons as the standard of living for this tends to decrease.”
A few brands may come to mind when that early morning, midday, or late-night need for coffee & snacks hits (sounds familiar to college students and campus dining). But don’t forget old-fashioned coffee & donuts or the original Frappuccino, a.k.a. the milkshake. Dunkin took the top spot here with 54.5%; however, close behind and right on its heels, coffee and snacks are good too: Starbucks (47.2%). Again, for this list, it’s coffee and donuts FTW!
Top 5 requested coffee & snack chain coupons
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Sit-down restaurants: Pull up a seat
“When we received coupons like these in the mail, we were much more likely to eat out than we are now. I believe companies do not realize that many people still prefer paper coupons to digital coupons.”
Beyond baseball and waterslides, few things are more American than the family-oriented sit-down restaurant atmosphere. A good experience, great food, and excellent service hardly ever fall short. Oh, and these places, more often than not, serve alcohol. It’s a great way to start a night or end a night, take a date, dine alone or catch up with old friends. But according to this top 5 America has spoken where they’re looking for a food quality experience with a coupon incentive.
Top 5 requested sit-down restaurant coupons
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Grocery stores: Clean up on aisle W
In today’s omnichannel world, consumers want a one-stop shop for all their needs. They want to be able to buy lawn furniture, clothing shop, try samples and get their grocery shopping done all in one place—that’s probably why Walmart cleaned up by beating the next closest grocery brand by almost 10 points. But they also want high quality at a lower price Aldi (51.5%). And from the looks of the top 5 stores, consumers want Valpak coupons for groceries too.
Top 5 requested grocery store coupons
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Some food for thought
In the restaurant industry, being aware of the dining preferences of your customers and potential customers can give you an edge over the competition. Keen insights into how consumers like to receive ads / coupons, which offers they are most likely to redeem, and what motivates them to travel or try a new restaurant helps you stay competitive year-round.
Very rarely, if ever, does anybody say, “Let’s go somewhere to eat we don’t love.” But, still, it helps for the restaurateur to show love, too, with some coupons because nothing goes better with your favorite meal than a discount. And restaurant businesses that advertise with Valpak reach an audience that spends 28% more at full-service restaurants and 14% more at fast-food joints. Understanding and incorporating these into your marketing strategy will positively impact your business. Take time to view the data and think about combining direct mail and digital marketing campaigns to cook up more profits.
From the Blue Envelope to neighborhood-targeted postcards to mobile advertising, your local Valpak rep can help you decide which channels work best for your business.
