Putting Value at the Top of the Menu

If you feel haunted by the numbers 5 and 7 popping up everywhere, relax. Fast food restaurants, the lower end of the QSR spectrum, are luring in customers again with $5 and $7 meal deals for hamburgers, tacos and fried chicken meals (with sides). But after competing on price, there’s not much left to appeal. Actual value comes from much more than that.

The global QSR market was worth approximately $17.29 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $31.42 billion by 2033, with an annual growth rate of about 6.8 percent from 2025 to 2033. Driving demand is a combination of QSC & P – Quality, Service, Cleanliness and, finally, Price.  Delivering all four is how you can keep guests coming back instead of going for another cheap meal deal.

The Value PropositionPrice is the last point on the value scale because value is largely a matter of perception. What do guests feel they walk away with for the money they’ve spent — a $5 burger, fries and drink they rush through in the car…