It's Not About the Price

A restaurant and supermarket consultant says that atmosphere at fast-food restaurants is a more important criterion than price for most consumers.

Phil Lempert, who conducts the SupermarketGuru.com web site, released a poll showing that 40 percent of the more than 600 respondents said good food and great atmosphere are the factors that keep them returning to certain restaurants. Only 16 percent rated reasonable prices as the highest determinant.

“McDonald's and Burger King recently slashed prices and this poll suggests it's not the way to go,” says Lempert. “All this might do is make current customers happier, but it won't bring in new customers and that's exactly what these restaurants need.”

Lempert created the survey about casual dining as part of his monthly SupermarketGuru.com online poll.

“This is a message to restaurateurs that it's not about price, but value,” says Lempert. “People understand they get what they pay for, and as long as the food is good and it's a comfortable atmosphere, they're willing to repeatedly pay for it. Slashing prices and adding bells and whistles to impress the children aren't always the answers.”