Rankings (1-10): McDonald’s, Subway, IHOP, Burger King, Starbucks, Denny’s, Dunkin’s Donuts, Wendy’s, KFC & Chick-fil-A.
McDonald’s Corp, which is expected to offer all-day breakfasts starting this fall to turn around slumping U.S. sales, is the top choice for ‘Breakfastarians’, who crave breakfast food at any hour, according to a new survey YouGov BrandIndex.
41% of consumers who eat breakfast twice a day consider McDonald’s for their next meal, according to the survey. Subway was diners’ second choice for anytime breakfast with 34%, followed by DineEquity Inc’s IHOP at 32%, Burger King with 27% and Starbucks at 26%.
Denny’s and Dunkin’ Donuts were tied with 25% each and Wendy’s Co got 23%, while KFC and Chick-fil-A rounded out the top 10 with 22% apiece.
McDonald’s long has dominated the breakfast category, which already accounts for roughly 25% of McDonald’s sales and about 40% of profit in the United States. Breakfast is the only US restaurant meal time seeing an uptick in customer visits. Breakfast traffic was up 4% for the year ended May 2015, largely because of gains at fast-food chains, while lunch and dinner visits were flat, according to research firm NPD Group.
The category is increasingly competitive as growth-hungry chains dive in or double down with new breakfast menu items. McDonald’s added espresso drinks to its morning lineup of McMuffins and inexpensive drip coffee. Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts struck back with new and upgraded breakfast sandwiches and pastries. And, Taco Bell last year jumped in with waffle tacos and other twists on the morning meal.
While McDonald’s holds the lead in the survey, its results suggest that the industry’s breakfast brawls are far from over. Chick-fil-A, IHOP and Taco Bell made the greatest purchase consideration gains in the last six months. Breakfastarians “Appear willing to consider a broad range of options,” said Ted Marzilli, CEO, YouGov BrandIndex.
The online survey, which took place over a 12-month period, included 1,000 adults over the age of 18 who eat breakfast twice per day.
