Teens continue to love Chick-fil-A and, as demonstrated by the chain’s recently reported 2023 AUVs — up almost 10% over 2022 — they’re not alone. The semi-annual Piper Sandler survey “Taking Stock with Teens” identified the top five restaurant chains favored by today’s teens, and the results are somewhat surprising.
In addition to Chick-fil-A, which received 16% of the vote, other top choices include McDonald’s (10%), Chipotle (9%), Raising Cane’s (4%), and Texas Roadhouse (4%).
The survey polled 6,020 teens with an average age of 16.1 from 47 states. Of the teens, 38% are employed part-time, and their average household income is $66,280.
Chick-fil-A is a favorite among consumers, and as the chicken segment has been on the rise, the chain has benefited from its success while maintaining its signature service. Last week, Technomic released its report on Chick-fil-A’s 2023 financials, which were up 43% over the chain’s 2018 numbers.
The chain, which hired a VP of DEI last May, was criticized by conservatives for the decision but kept Erick McReynolds in the role. This may be a reason why the chain is seeing an increase in loyalty from younger fans, who reported that one of their top five social causes was racial equality.
While on the surface it may look odd to see regional chains on this list, both Texas Roadhouse and Raising Cane’s have been on the rise over the past several years. According to recent Technomic Ignite data and NRN’s analysis, Texas Roadhouse surpassed Applebee’s in sales last year.
Louisville, Ky.-based Texas Roadhouse was also named one of America’s favorite chains, according to a report by NRN and Technomic released last year. The chain has not only seen record traffic numbers over the past year while the industry has largely been negative, but same-store sales have only gone up. This is all while the chain has maintained a modest growth trajectory.
Raising Cane’s, a quick-service chicken chain with a limited menu, has been growing at a rapid pace over the past several years and has ambitious plans to continue. In 2023, the Baton Rouge, La.-based chain teamed up with popular Gen Z singer Post Malone to open a new restaurant in Dallas. That was in addition to his other Raising Cane’s location in Utah.
The chain first entered the top five in the organization’s fall survey.
The brand is particularly known for its use of influencer marketing, targeting younger consumers who are on apps like TikTok and Instagram. TikTok was named teens’ top choice for social media by 5% more than second place app Instagram.
In a new category measuring coffee, tea, and beverages places, Starbucks is teens’ favorite at 37%. It used to be a part of the traditional restaurants category, where it ranked second last fall behind Chick-fil-A.
Interestingly enough, teens listed their favorite influencer as MrBeast, but did not name the internet star’s virtual brand in the top five restaurants.