Which Quick Service And Casual Dining Restaurants Perform Best On Social Media?

Toronto-based data company Engagement Labs released a ranking of the top restaurant brands on social media based on their proprietary eValue measurement and their performance on three major social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The company also measured how well brands are doing when it comes to word-of-mouth conversations.

In a statement, Engagement Labs’ CEO Bryan Segal said, “While restaurants are reaching audiences easily on social media, retention is the key focus for both quick-service and casual-dining restaurants as they aim to stay ahead of the competition by having customers come back to their channels consistently and remain top of mind.”

In the quick service segment, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts scored the highest on Facebook, Jimmy John’s won on Twitter and Starbucks earned the top spot on Instagram. The casual-dining chain segment also had three different winners on every social media platform—LongHorn Steakhouse performed the best on Facebook, Chili’s Grill & Bar came in first on Twitter and Logan’s Roadhouse beat out the competition on Instagram.

But social media scores aren’t everything. Dairy Queen was ranked the number one quick service restaurant in offline word-of-mouth mentions, while The Cheesecake Factory won the title for casual dining chains. Segal notes that in the restaurant industry, that means something.

“Brands within the competitive restaurant industry cannot rely solely on online conversations to retain customer business. It is imperative to understand that offline word of mouth can be just as impactful as online conversations, especially in the restaurant industry where recommendations drive so many purchasing decisions,” said Segal.