“Burger consumption has benefited from an increased emphasis on quality and sourcing, particularly as it relates to domestic beef, as well as operators’ ability to adapt the classic burger to modern demands through menu development,” explains Anne Mills, manager of consumer insights at Technomic. “Going forward, routinely innovating with new flavors, particularly sauces and premium toppings, will be key as expectations continue to rise for unique burgers.”
Key takeaways from the report include:
• Thirty-six percent of consumers have a preferred restaurant that they almost always go to for their burger occasions, up from 30 percent in 2015;
• Forty percent of 18- to 34-year-olds say it’s very important that restaurants offer burgers with new and unique flavors, compared to 22 percent of older consumers;
• Fifty-six percent of consumers say it’s very important that they can customize burger toppings.
