Consumers' Favorite Sandwich Spots
Panera, Jason's Deli and Einstein Bros. Bagels win customers' praises in R&I's 2009 Consumers' Choice in Chains study.
-- Restaurants & Institutions, September 1, 2009
|
Sandwiches are well liked across the board: 76% of consumers visited at least one sandwich concept included in R&I's Consumers' Choice in Chains survey in the past year. There was little variation in who patronizes such chains, with steadily high numbers for young and old, high or low earners.
Return to Consumers' Choice in Chains of 2009: Introduction
CONSUMERS' FAVORITE SANDWICH CHAINS:
|
Platinum |
Gold |
Silver |
|
|
Panera Bread |
Jason's Deli |
Einstein Bros. Bagels |
|
| OVERALL SCORE |
69.0 |
68.8 |
59.5 |
| ABOUT THE CHAIN |
Headquarters: Richmond Heights, Mo. CEO: Ron Shaich Units: 1,345 R&I Top 400 Chains rank: 22 Respondents who... Are aware of the chain: 55% Visited in past 12 months: 19% Plan to return: 90% |
Headquarters: Beaumont, Texas CEO: Joe Tortorice Jr. Units: 215 R&I Top 400 Chains rank: 79 Respondents who... Are aware of the chain: 15% Visited in past 12 months: 5% Plan to return: 94% |
Headquarters: Lakewood, Colo. CEO: Jeffrey J. O'Neill Units: 496 R&I Top 400 Chains rank: 92 Respondents who... Are aware of the chain: 26% Visited in past 12 months: 4% Plan to return: 91% |
| WHY IT WON |
Looking to show its commitment to the little details of consumers' dining experience, Panera in June debuted a Chopped Cobb Salad, with lettuce cut into small enough pieces that need no further slicing by guests. Last year, same-store sales were up 3.4%; for the second quarter of 2009, profits were up 28%. | Jason's Deli revised its kids menu this summer, reducing items' sodium levels by 21%, saturated-fat content by 20% and calories by 10%. High-fructose corn syrup was eliminated from all menu items last fall, and as of August, all items on the kids menu and at the salad bar are free of artificial colors and dyes. | Einstein Bros. opened 12 licensed stores through the first two quarters of 2009 and plans to open 20 more within the coming months. The chain's selection of signature bagels as well as sandwiches, soups and salads make Einstein Bros. an ideal fit at colleges, medical centers and transportation hubs, executives believe. |
| Overall Score | Atmos-phere | Cleanli-ness | Conven-ience | Food Quality | Reputa-tion | Menu Variety | Service | Value | |
| Note: Overall Score is an index; percentages for each attribute represent respondents who rated the chain a 4 or 5 on a scale of a low of 1 to 5. | |||||||||
| 1. Panera Bread | 69.0 | 77% | 76% | 60% | 84% | 81% | 73% | 67% | 48% |
| 2. Jason's Deli | 68.8 | 65 | 71 | 60 | 82 | 76 | 76 | 69 | 55 |
| 3. Einstein Bros. Bagels | 59.5 | 56 | 66 | 57 | 78 | 65 | 53 | 59 | 42 |
| 4. Subway | 59.4 | 36 | 50 | 66 | 64 | 66 | 60 | 55 | 64 |
| 5. Quiznos | 55.7 | 42 | 56 | 52 | 69 | 64 | 57 | 51 | 47 |
| 6. Schlotzsky's | 55.6 | 52 | 59 | 44 | 73 | 67 | 54 | 53 | 44 |
| 7. Blimpie | 54.6 | 34 | 49 | 51 | 63 | 54 | 56 | 56 | 56 |
| 8. Jimmy John's | 54.5 | 42 | 52 | 52 | 64 | 60 | 50 | 63 | 47 |
| 9. Arby's | 49.6 | 33 | 44 | 51 | 58 | 54 | 51 | 46 | 48 |
| 10. Wienerschnitzel | 40.1 | 28 | 31 | 41 | 42 | 44 | 38 | 37 | 50 |
What Consumers Want from Sandwich Chains
Consumers were asked how they rate—on a scale of 1 (not very important) to 5 (very important)—the importance of eight attributes in choosing a sandwich chain. The chart below shows how patrons' opinions have changed in the past year.
| Attribute | 2009 | 2008 |
| 1. Food Quality | 4.44 | 4.43 |
| 2. Cleanliness | 4.27 | 4.27 |
| 3. Value | 4.27 | 4.26 |
| 4. Service | 4.08 | 4.09 |
| 5. Menu Variety | 4.03 | 3.99 |
| 6. Convenience | 4.02 | 3.98 |
| 7. Reputation | 3.85 | 3.85 |
| 8. Atmosphere | 3.64 | 3.58 |
RELATED ARTICLES:
Top Sandwich Shop and Bakery-Cafe Chains, by Sales
Menu Trends: Beef Sandwiches that Sell
Four Stars: Chicken Sandwiches Get Creative
-
Isn't it interesting that according to the survey, Value is now tied with Cleanliness this year compared with 2008? What is even more interesting is that the move is so small despite the challenging economy.
Mark Milburn - 9/3/2009 2:22:00 PM PDT -
Consumers are being misled into thinking that there are nutritional differences between high fructose corn syrup and sugar, when in fact they are nutritionally the same. Whether from cane, beets, or corn, a sugar is a sugar. They all contain four calories per gram. Switching out a kind of corn sugar for table sugar is not for health and it is not for science. It is unfortunate that consumers are being duped by these marketing gimmicks, which may result in higher food prices at checkout.
High fructose corn syrup offers numerous benefits. For example, it retains moisture in bran cereals, helps keep breakfast and energy bars moist, maintains consistent flavors in beverages and keeps ingredients evenly dispersed in condiments. High fructose corn syrup enhances spice and fruit flavors in yogurts and marinades. In addition to its excellent browning characteristics for breads and baked goods, it is a highly fermentable nutritive sweetener and prolongs product freshness.
The American Medical Association in June 2008 helped put to rest misunderstandings about this sweetener and obesity, stating that “high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.”
According to the American Dietetic Association, “high fructose corn syrup…is nutritionally equivalent to sucrose. Once absorbed into the blood stream, the two sweeteners are indistinguishable.”
Consumers can read the latest research and learn more about high fructose corn syrup at www.SweetSurprise.com.
Audrae Erickson
President
Corn Refiners Association
Audrae Erickson - 9/3/2009 1:23:00 PM PDT
No related content found.
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
