FAVOURITE FAST FOOD

Aussies love fast food but are the traditional brands still flavour of the month? When it comes to customer satisfaction it seems there's a shift in this franchise-dominated market.

Casual dining burger chain Grill’d has topped Roy Morgan’s customer satisfaction survey for the quick-service restaurant category with a 90.7 per cent score, pipping at the post Mexican favourite Guzman Y Gomez.

GYG rated second at 89.3 per cent satisfaction, followed by Crust Pizza (86.6 per cent) and Subway (85.8 per cent).

Fighting for fifth spot were Noodle Box (82.3) and Nando's (82.2 per cent).

In the middle ground were Red Rooster (80.3 per cent) and Oporto (79.6 per cent), which beat Pizza Hut’s 78 per cent, Hog's Breath Cafe had a 74.3 per cent and Domino’s had a 73.6 per cent ratings - although Pizza Hut saw the biggest improvement (up 9.6 per cent).

McDonald’s 66.2 per cent score ranked the fast food giant at the bottom of the list, just below KFC and Hungry Jacks, which achieved 71.5 per cent and 72.8 per cent scoring respectively.

Roy Morgan’s industry communications director, Norman Morris, said “Over the last four years, there has continued to be strong growth in the patronage of quick-service restaurants, with an increase of over 1.3 million or 13 per cent. This has increased customer numbers in an average four-week period for those over 14 to nearly 12 million and as a result has brought with it very tough competition.

"The use of quick-service restaurants is widespread across all age groups and socio-economic segments. However, Roy Morgan has a great deal more information about the customers of each of the major brands, enabling an in-depth understanding and profiling, necessary tools for anyone involved in strategy development in this fast growing and highly competitive industry,” he continued.