Chick-fil-A appears to be doing something right! The restaurant chain that's famous for its chicken sandwich is #1 for customer satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index's latest report.
The study said both full-service and limited-service (fast food) restaurants are improving by revamping their menus and rolling out mobile ordering options.
"As the economy improves, consumers have more money to spend, and they're dining out more," said David VanAmburg, Managing Director at ACSI. "At the same time, restaurants are adapting their menus and technology in line with shifting consumer preferences, as millennial tastes for fresh food, mobile ordering, and automated kiosks take hold. The bottom line: Restaurants are working hard to please consumers, and the latest ACSI scores show that it's paying off."
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ACSI: Chick-fil-A, Texas Roadhouse top restaurant customer satisfaction for 2018
Chick-fil-A’s score of 87 on a 100-point scale was the highest across both restaurant categories. Its closest competitor among limited-service restaurants was Panera Bread with a score of 81.
Meanwhile, Texas Roadhouse’s 83 score was enough to capture the #1 spot among full-service restaurants. Cracker Barrel, which earned a score of 81, wasn’t too far behind.
Take a look at the ACSI’s full rankings below to see where your favorite restaurant ended up…
Full-service restaurants
Company |
2017 |
2018 |
| Full-service restaurants | 78 | 81 |
| Texas Roadhouse | 82 | 83 |
| All others (smaller chains) | 78 | 81 |
| Cracker Barrel | 84 | 81 |
| LongHorn Steakhouse | 77 | 81 |
| Olive Garden | 81 | 80 |
| Outback Steakhouse | 80 | 79 |
| Red Lobster | 81 | 79 |
| Red Robin | 73 | 79 |
| TGI Fridays | 76 | 79 |
| Applebee’s | 79 | 78 |
| Chili’s | 77 | 78 |
| Ruby Tuesday | 78 | 78 |
| Denny’s | 76 | 77 |
Limited-service restaurants
Company |
2017 |
2018 |
| Limited-service restaurants | 79 | 80 |
| Chick-fil-A | 87 | 87 |
| All others (smaller chains) | 82 | 82 |
| Panera Bread | 82 | 81 |
| Papa John’s | 82 | 80 |
| Pizza Hut | 76 | 80 |
| Subway | 81 | 80 |
| Arby’s | 80 | 79 |
| Chipotle | 79 | 79 |
| Domino’s | 78 | 79 |
| Dunkin’ Donuts | 79 | 78 |
| Starbucks | 77 | 78 |
| KFC | 78 | 77 |
| Little Caesars | 78 | 77 |
| Wendy’s | 76 | 77 |
| Burger King | 77 | 76 |
| Jack in the Box | 75 | 74 |
| Taco Bell | 76 | 74 |
| McDonald’s | 69 | 69 |
The ACSI Restaurant Report 2018 on full-service and limited-service (fast food) restaurant chains is based on interviews with more than 22,000 customers. Read more at theacsi.org.
Which restaurants have the best and worst service? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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