Value Meals: A 3M Strategy for Restaurant Success | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News

May was a challenging month for restaurant companies. Shares of major quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands experienced double-digit drops, consumer confidence declined, and traffic at fast-food restaurants was down by 2.1 percent, according to the Revenue Management Solutions (RMS) Monthly Trends report.

Will the summer sun heat up sales?

The Summer OutlookTriple-digit temps might light up lagging traffic, but QSRs aren’t going to wait for the post-beach visits. Chains from major burger chains to Taco Bell and Starbucks have announced value meals designed to lure inflation-weary customers or keep loyalists from the grocery or C-store aisles.

But margins are at a historical low. Positive net sales in May (+1.9 percent YOY) and throughout 2024 were primarily due to price increases, which have surged nearly 50 percent in some segments since the pre-pandemic era and were still up 3.0 percent YOY in May. Extreme discounts, even in the short term, could impact…

Jana Zschieschang

Jana Zschieschang is Chief Marketing Officer of Revenue Management Solutions, LLC, a global enterprise providing patented, data-driven solutions and services that drive sales and profitability for over 100,000 restaurants in more than 40 countries and 20 languages. In her role, she designs global marketing and communication strategy and implementation at each of RMS’ offices in Tampa, Tokyo, Singapore, London and Paris. Before being named CMO, Zschieschang was RMS President of EMEA, where she founded RMS’s London office, quadrupled the staff and added dozens of new clients.

Sorry, You've Reached Your Article Limit.

Jana Zschieschang