Latest news with #McCrispyStrips
New York Post
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Chick-fil-A's stronghold on customer satisfaction outshines other restaurants
Americans have a lot of choices when they want to eat out, whether it be at a fast-food chain or a full-service restaurant, with customer satisfaction being a significant factor in where they go. A new report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) offers insight into how brands stack up in terms of customer satisfaction. Advertisement In general, customer satisfaction with quick-service restaurants stayed the same as last year, coming in at 79 out of 100, according to the ASCI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2025. Of fast-food brands, Chick-fil-A notched the highest customer satisfaction score, at 83, the study said. It also ranked highest out of chicken-focused fast-food joints specifically. The chain, which has over 3,000 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, has now held the top spot for customer satisfaction among quick-service restaurants for 11 consecutive years. Advertisement In the overall fast-food scoring, there was a two-way tie for second-place. 6 Of fast-food brands, Chick-fil-A notched the highest customer satisfaction score, at 83, the study said. Refrina – Panda Express and Starbucks received scores of 80, according to the ASCI. Starbucks posted a 4% jump in customer satisfaction year-over-year, the study found. Advertisement Arby's, Panera Bread, Papa Johns and Pizza Hut, with scores of 79, were not far behind, according to the data. The fast-food brand with the lowest customer satisfaction score in the study was McDonald's, at 70. That was 1% lower than last year. 6 Starbucks received scores of 80, according to the ASCI Christopher Sadowski However, the ASCI said the company's 'new efforts to speed up R&D to drive faster technology and menu changes may reverse this trend.' Advertisement McDonald's recently debuted McCrispy Strips on its U.S. menus and will reintroduce its fan-favorite snack wraps next month. The company has also said beverages are an area where it can see major growth. The full-service restaurant sector, meanwhile, had a customer satisfaction score of 82, according to the ASCI. That marked a decrease of 2% from last year. 6 The fast-food brand with the lowest customer satisfaction score in the study was McDonald's, at 70. Christopher Sadowski The ASCI said full-service restaurant customers 'perceive less value and are frustrated with their carry-out and delivery experiences' but noted food and service benchmarks were still 'quite high.' Texas Roadhouse, which tied for first with LongHorn Steakhouse last year, held onto the top customer satisfaction score for sit-down restaurants this year despite a 1% drop. It scored 84. With a decrease in customer satisfaction of 2%, LongHorn Steakhouse dropped to No. 2, receiving an 83, per the study. Advertisement Darden Restaurants-owned Olive Garden, at 81, was below LongHorn. 6 Texas Roadhouse, which tied for first with LongHorn Steakhouse last year, held onto the top customer satisfaction score Christopher Sadowski Two brands – Applebee's and Cracker Barrel – scored 80 for customer satisfaction, the ASCI study found. ASCI Director of Research Emeritus Forrest Morgeson said in a statement that restaurants 'can't simply rely on their traditional playbooks anymore.' Advertisement 'The brands that succeed will be the ones that adapt quickly to shifting tastes without compromising consistency or experience,' he said. 6 Two brands – Applebee's and Cracker Barrel – scored 80 for customer satisfaction, the ASCI study found. Oksana – The ASCI's study also looked at how food delivery services were faring on customer service. It found 'smaller' services saw higher customer satisfaction compared to major companies such as Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub. Advertisement The small services had a score of 77, two points higher than Uber Eats and five points higher than DoorDash and GrubHub. In general, customer satisfaction for food delivery services hit 74, a 1% year-over-year increase. 6 'Smaller' services saw higher customer satisfaction compared to major companies such as Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub. Christopher Sadowski 'While prices remain the lowest-scoring part of the food delivery experience, scores have improved somewhat with fairness of food prices and fairness of taxes and service fees both up 3% to 71,' the ASCI report said, noting customer satisfaction with food delivery mobile apps and websites also made some gains. Advertisement The average total that U.S. households spend on eating out each month averages $269 per month, according to WalletHub. Some restaurant brands have been contending with consumers eating out less and spending less when they do in recent months as economic uncertainty has factored into their decisions.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Taco Bell announces three new menu items after crispy chicken nuggets trial run
Taco Bell is leaning into a crispy chicken summer with three new menu items. Following its limited release of crispy chicken nuggets, the fast-food chain will be introducing a crispy chicken taco for $2.79, a crispy chicken burrito for $5.49, and crispy chicken strips, which will include two pieces for $3.99. The new items will officially hit locations nationwide June 17. 'Crispy chicken is having a moment, but our fans made it a movement,' Taylor Montgomery, Chief Marketing Officer at Taco Bell, said in a press release. 'So, we decided to bring our sell-out Nuggets recipe to the formats that defined our brand because true innovation means elevating the icons, not replacing them. We're not like every other chicken spot out there, we're doing crispy chicken the only way we know how: full of flavor and unmistakably Taco Bell.' Each new menu item features one of Taco Bell's new crispy chicken strips, which are made from 'all-white meat chicken, marinated in fan-favorite, zesty jalapeño buttermilk flavor, and breaded with crispy tortilla chips and breadcrumbs.' The menu will also feature two sauces: a new spicy ranchero sauce, a creamy sauce made with Anaheim and jalapeño chiles, tomatoes, garlic, and onion, and an avocado ranch sauce. The announcement comes after Taco Bell re-launched its Crispy Chicken Nuggets for eight weeks in April. The move followed a December 2024 trial run where the chain sold out of the nuggets in less than one week. The return of the chicken nuggets was part of Taco Bell's 'journey to become a go-to destination for crispy chicken,' according to a press release at the time. 'We're a taco place doing chicken our own way and like all our best moments, it's a little unexpected – because we've never been about following the rules,' Montgomery said in a statement. 'The demand for our nuggets was off the charts, which is why we're looking at making crispy chicken permanent to give our fans what they are telling us they want.' When Taco Bell's Crispy Chicken Nuggets launched and subsequently sold out in December, 'roughly 5 million Americans' nationwide had bought the dish, with the nuggets included in 'almost one in six orders,' according to the press release. Taco Bell is the latest fast food restaurant to add chicken strips to its menu. Last month, McDonald's added to its line-up of McNuggets to include McCrispy Strips, which were paired with a Creamy Chili Dip.
New York Post
11-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
McDonald's McCrispy Strips receive mixed reviews
McDonald's recently added McCripsy Strips to its U.S. menu and, according to one analyst, they might not be hitting the mark with all customers. The fast-food giant first launched the McCrispy Strips in late April, with all participating restaurants across the country selling them by May 5. Advertisement The company said in an April 24 press release that the strips, which are McDonald's first new permanent U.S. menu item in about four years, are made with 'juicy, 100% white meat, coated with crispy golden-brown breading and bursting with a bold, new black pepper flavor.' Loop Capital suggested in a research note that some consumers have been less than impressed by their appearance in comparison to the Chicken Selects that McDonald's once sold and chicken strips currently offered by other fast-food chains, Barron's reported. In the note, Loop Capital analyst Alton Stump said the investment firm had 'hoped the superior taste profile of the new chicken strips would overcome the product's appearance' but has 'received predominantly negative customer feedback to date,' according to the outlet. On the social media platform Reddit, some users have voiced criticism of the McCrispy Strips. Advertisement 3 The fast-food giant first launched the McCrispy Strips in late April, with all participating restaurants across the country selling them by May 5. McDonald's 'These are horrible and taste like oversized Dino nuggets,' one user said. A different user said they 'don't hold a candle to the chicken selects of the past.' Another called them 'so stringy,' saying McNuggets 'are definitely better.' Others, meanwhile, praised the McCrispy Strips on Reddit. Advertisement One user said they were 'my favorite thing at McDonald's now,' while another said the McCripsy Strips were 'so good.' 3 On the social media platform Reddit, some users have voiced criticism of the McCrispy Strips. Christopher Sadowski 'They were good and loved the sauce!' another said. Stump said Loop Capital had previously thought McDonald's U.S. sales would get more of a lift from the McCrispy Strips debut, as well as the fast-food giant bringing back the Snack Wrap next month, but it now has reservations because of the negative customer feedback, according to Barron's. Advertisement McDonald's is set to bring the snack wrap back to menus starting July 10 with spicy or ranch flavor options, roughly nine years after the fan-favorite was discontinued nationwide. The snack wrap will have a McCrispy Strip inside it as well as shredded lettuce and cheese, McDonald's said this month. Stump suggested how some customers feel about the McCrispy Strips might be a bad sign for the upcoming snack wrap, but the tortilla 'will mostly cover up the underwhelming appearance of the new chicken strip,' according to Barron's. McDonald's will see a 2% increase in its U.S. comparable sales during the second quarter and a 1.2% jump over the entirety of the year, Loop Capital reportedly projected. 3 McDonald's is set to bring the snack wrap back to menus starting July 10 with spicy or ranch flavor options. McDonald's The company declined to comment on the Loop Capital research note. Some other firms have reportedly had more rosy views on the McCrispy Strips. Advertisement For instance, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Harbour said in a research note that they should have a positive impact on sales, along with the snack wrap and McDonald's plan to offer more drinks, Barron's reported. When the snack wrap returns, it will be a permanent offering on McDonald's menus. The passion that McDonald's customers have for snack wraps has prompted the fast-food giant to stage a comeback for the menu item. Other fast-food companies like Popeye's and Wendy's currently sell chicken wraps.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Area McDonald's to hold free McCrispy Strips tasting Thursday
On Thursday, participating Dayton McDonald's locations will be having a free tasing of their McCrispy Strips. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The tasting is Thursday, June 12, from 5-7 p.m. at Dayton area McDonald's. Advertisement TRENDING STORIES: Along with the McCrispy strips, McDonald's is also adding Creamy Chili Dip to their menu. These new releases mark the first addition to McDonald's menu since 2021. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TD Cowen Affirms Hold Rating on McDonald's (MCD) with a $305 Price Target
On June 5, TD Cowen maintained a Hold rating on McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) with a $305 price target. This decision came after insights from experts from the quick service industry, which resulted in forecasts of a 2.8% boost in US same-store sales for Q2 2025. The analysts expect MCD shares to range from $305 to $320, noting the robust dividend record of consistently increasing dividends for 49 years. A cook in a busy kitchen assembling cheeseburgers for orders. Industry professionals are optimistic about the sales environment in the latter half of 2025. The outlook is primarily supported by potentially favorable comparisons and the expected success of the McCrispy Strips, seen as the brand's most notable menu upgrade this year. Despite the promising outlook, TD Cowen analysts were guarded about the mass rollout of CosMc's beverages to McDonald's core brand in 2025. However, they observed the significance of going live with cold brew coffee, which is simple to make and needs minimal customization. According to TD Cowen, McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) shows signs of upcoming growth, but a more reliable sales trajectory is essential to break out of its present trading range. While we acknowledge the potential of MCD as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ MORE: and . Disclosure: None.
