Carl’s Jr is just one of the many players in the quick service restaurant, or QSR, industry. Companies in this industry focus on preparing and serving quality food to customers in a timely fashion. This food is generally inexpensive and is served in a take-out or to-go style packaging. [i] While traditionally “burger and fries” have been considered the epitome of many quick service restaurants, other foods such as fish, chicken, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, hot dogs, and ethnic foods are offered in the same quick, production line fashion.
Some of the major players in the QSR industry include McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, Starbucks and Wendy’s, as they rank the highest in overall sales.[ii] Though different in the foods they serve, these restaurants generally follow the same operational procedures. A majority of companies employ a limited menu in order to keep food costs low and follow simple food preparation procedures to reduce the time of customer orders. Almost all “fast food” restaurants offer drive-thru sales of their products, allowing customers to quickly order and receive their food without having to leave the comfort of their vehicles. [iii] Since the QSR industry is volume driven and focuses highly on order time reduction, outstanding customer service is generally encouraged to make the customer experience memorable and increase customer retention.
The QSR industry is highly competitive, with more than 200,000 restaurants competing against each other. In order to compete, these restaurants must focus primarily on the concerns and preferences of the consumer. Customers at fast food restaurants rank convenience, time of order, and value as their highest priorities when it comes where they decide to dine. With the recent trends in healthier eating habits, as well as the rise in lawsuits arising from unhealthy products, companies must also offer healthy alternatives on their menus and provide the nutritional information of their...