Do you ever ask yourself questions like, ‘Does everyone like my fave Fast Food twist, or am I the only one?” Now a BuzzFeed blogger has asked (and continues to ask) readers how they weigh in on some well-known Fast Food habits on which most fans say they have strong preferences…
A typical Fast Food Meal: Which adheres to the results of the preferences survey…
I tripped across this extended Buzzfeed Poll while conducting my usual daily survey of Food News sources, and I thought, why not feed this survey some additional contributors? It could result in changes in what the big brands offer us in the future and/or change the way their marketing and development brain trusts go about the arduous task of coming up with new stuff to keep us (their audience) interested in the brand.
Some of the interim results (viewable question-by-question) may surprise you. Others may revolt or enthrall you.
(Keep in mind that the following are only about half of the total number of questions posed in the survey…)
How often do you enjoy Fast Food?
- Only 2 percent admit they eat the stuff ‘every day’.
- 22 percent say ‘multiple days a week’.
- 46 percent say ‘every few weeks’.
- 18 percent say ‘every few months’.
- 12 percent say ‘almost never’.
Sounds reasonable to me. But tell me more about the folks who admit they eat it every day. Like, for instance, what’s their average BMI? And how does their life expectancy compare with the national average?
Are you a Burger or Chicken person?
- Surprise! Chicken (in all its forms) wins by a head with 49 percent of the vote.
- 43 percent of respondents say ‘Burgers all the way!’
- Only 8 percent say they ‘don’t normally order either of these’.
Yah… I was really surprised that a majority of Fast Food patrons order Chicken. But this might just be a temporary bump, as the current Fried Chicken Sandwich Race continues.
When a Burger does beckon, do you order Plain or with Cheese?
- A resounding 81 percent demand a Cheeseburger.
- Only 12 percent order the ‘plain’ version of their fave burger.
- Somehow, 7 percent manage to order neither of the above.
I want to know what would constitute an order in the ‘neither’ category!
Do you ever order a Seafood item (such as Shrimp or Fish)?
- 68 percent say, ‘No, never’,
- 28 percent said ‘A few times’.
- Just 4 percent responded ‘All the time’.
Well. these results match my personal expectations. No surprise, here, I suppose; after all the badmouthing the Seafood/Fish section of the menu has received from resto staff, customers and reviewers alike. So why do the restos even bother with this section anymore, anyway? Are there not lots of Fish and Chip joints around? The idea that, to be the ‘top’ Fast Food joint, you have to offer literally ‘something for everybody’, may be totally out-of-date.
What’s the best part of a Fast Food menu?
- 41 percent of respondents say the Regular Menu items are their faves.
- Just 21 percent say the Breakfast items are most important to them.
- 15 percent say the Dessert items attract them most strongly.
I would have thought that Breakfast Menu items would have enjoyed greater popularity than the results indicate. But that’s just a result of my personal musings.
And, finally… Which type of Fry is ‘superior’?
- As I expected, the regular, square-cut Fry got almost half the votes (41 percent).
- 23 percent said ‘curly’.
- 20 percent said ‘waffle’.
- Only 9 percent voted for ‘crinkle’ cut fries.
- 5 percent opted for onion rings.
- 2 percent voted for ‘something else’.
‘Something else’, again? So… Again, what would that be? I was also surprised that onion rings were way down near the bottom with just 5 percent of the vote. But, maybe, ORs should not have been included in this category at all, to be fair to them. Another, additional fair separate question might have been: ‘Do you prefer Fries? Onion Rings? Or something else on the side? Anyway…
My overall take…
That’s the basic response profile to the big, independent Fast Food preferences survey.
One beef: No questions on beverages.
Another ‘suggestion’: Whose Coffee is best?
The more you think, the more questions suggest themselves…
Since this poll does not refer specifically to any brand or chain, and is not sponsored or commissioned by any specific chain or brand, it can be taken as a true, undistorted filter-free gauge of preferences. Marketing and product development folks, take note! This may just be the closest thing to a completely transparent survey you’ll see this or any other year!
Muse on that!
~ Maggie J.