Report Says Restaurants are Struggling to Make it "Worth It" for Customers

Year-over-year sales and traffic numbers for all restaurant segments continue to slow down, says new data from Black Box Intelligence. Meanwhile, restaurants are looking for ways to give their customers an experience that makes it “worth it” in order to get them in the door.

Inflation is putting a crimp in consumer budgets and bank accounts and that’s making them even more sensitive to value. Consumers want to know what they are getting with both food and experience as it relates to what they pay.

Black Box Guest Intelligence data reveals that for those restaurants with mentions of “great price,” “affordable” and “worth it” tend to also receive the highest average star ratings from guests. Alternatively, mentions of “charge,” “pay,” “overpriced,” “waste of money” and “not worth it” tend to garner the lowest average star ratings in online reviews.

But it’s more than just price, it’s the total restaurant experience. Across both Limited-and Full-Service segments, guests tend to provide the highest value star ratings for “delicious” and “fresh” food, “friendly” service, and a “clean” environment. On the other side of the sentiment spectrum, “wait” time for food and “small” portions dragged ratings down significantly.