Is Time the New Measure of Value?

Restaurants can learn from their retail counterparts by recognizing that their physical spaces aren’t just functional, but are part of the product itself, capable of creating memories and sharing the brand story, according to ChangeUp’s Experience Report, which ranked the top 50 retail and restaurant brands based on how well they resonate with customers through experience. Only nine restaurants made the top 50 with Texas grocery chain H-E-B takes the number one spot for retail and In-N-Out Burger ranking highest among restaurants.

“Retail reminds us that every square foot should tell your story,” Bill Chidley, Executive Director of Strategy and Insights at ChangeUp, told Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine. “H-E-B turns grocery shopping into theater with open tortilla presses and local pride. Trader Joe’s makes discovery the point. Restaurants can reclaim that. The atmosphere, the sensory detail, the ritual are the parts that linger after the check is paid.”

Most restaurants treat their dining rooms as a means to an end, he noted. 

“The shift toward drive-thru and pre-paid app ordering has accelerated that flattening. If the environment no longer participates in creating memory, all that remains is food and speed, and that is an exchange anyone can replicate.”

The report focuses on brands that have physical experiences as key to their business and gleans insights from 6,000 consumers, 200 brands, and more than 300,000 data points. It combines the findings with AI-powered sentiment analysis of customer reviews and online conversations. 

The Most Resonant Brands

Fast-casual has found the right tension between price, speed, and meaning, while full-service dining faces a harder climb, Chidley said. 

“Chipotle’s open assembly line still turns efficiency into theater. CAVA’s fresh displays make health feel indulgent. These formats let guests participate in the experience rather than simply receive it.Price increases have reframed more occasions as indulgent, not reflexive. When guests spend more, they rely on memory equity… what they recall from last time… to judge value. That is why surface changes often fail; if the emotional memory has not changed, the perception does not either.” 

The top performers stand out because they are not trying to win on everything, the report found. 

“Simplicity wins, said Chidley. “The most resonant brands such as In-N-Out, Raising Cane’s, and Chick-fil-A do not hide behind variety. They sharpen their focus until it becomes identity. They have learned what dimension of emotion they can own and they stay there. In-N-Out dominates loyalty and intent. Texas Roadhouse turns dinner into theater. Culver’s makes hospitality feel like home. Each has its own ritual energy. A small sequence or sensory anchor that guests replay in their minds afterward. That replay builds long-term brand gravity even in a category where choice is abundant and switching is easy.

The New Meaning of Value

A significant finding in the report highlight a seismic shift that is underway: how time has become the new benchmark of value.

“Value is shifting from money spent to time well spent,” said Chidley. “When convenience becomes universal, time becomes the scarce resource. A five-dollar meal that wastes twenty minutes in a lifeless space is poor value. A fifteen-dollar meal that leaves you smiling is a deal.”

One surprising result Chidley pointed out was that convenience stores outperformed restaurants. 

“Wawa, Sheetz, and Kwik Trip have turned transactional stops into small rituals of reliability. They have made the mundane memorable, which is what great brands always do. Meanwhile, many restaurant chains have slipped into autopilot. When everyone uses the same cues (same menu language, same tone, same color palette) guests stop noticing. The food may still be good, but the memory fades fast. Once emotion drains from the experience, loyalty follows.”

Building a More Resonant Brand

To capture resonance with guests, restaurant brands need to find the ability to occupy mental real estate no other brand can.

“That is what we mean by substitutability resistance,” Chidley explained. “Think of In-N-Out’s secret menu, Chick-fil-A’s service ritual, or Texas Roadhouse’s fresh rolls. These are not gimmicks; they are memory anchors. But resonance requires emotion. Frequency dulls it, so brands have to reintroduce moments of surprise or humanity that make the familiar feel renewed. Rituals, sensory cues, or even a line of dialogue can do that. The goal is not to be different; it is to be felt.”

Brands that endure find a rhythm between comfort and surprise and balance the craveability of core items with the intrigue of limited-time offers and innovation, Chidley said. 

“Restaurant guests don’t necessarily want change the way shoppers do, but they do want relevance. They want to feel that the brand still lives in the cultural conversation. That is why social capital matters so much. Chains like Raising Cane’s and Taco Bell stay vital not just through menu moves but by maintaining a sense of momentum… by staying present in culture even when the menu stands still. Consistency, then, isn’t just about repeating what works. It’s about keeping what’s familiar alive enough to feel current.”

Looking ahead to the coming year, he said successful brands will be the ones who make efficiency feel human. 

“As drive-thru and mobile ordering strip away environmental memory, brands will need to reinsert moments of recognition, warmth, and delight back into those compressed experiences. The clock is not the enemy; it is the medium.”