Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

Sign Up
Already have a Placer.ai account? Log In

Burger Brands Breakdown

by 
Shira Petrack
 on 
November 15, 2021
Burger Brands Breakdown

Visits to popular burger fast-food chains such as Portillo’s, In-N-Out, Shake Shack, and White Castle have been particularly strong over the past couple of months. We dove into the data to better understand foot traffic patterns to these cult favorites. 

Impressive Growth in Overall Visits 

Many of the burger brands analyzed are relatively regionally focused – Portillo’s has a high concentration of Chicago locations, In-N-Out is strong in California, Shake Shack is particularly popular in the tri-state area, and White Castle has a loyal Midwestern and Northeastern following. But one thing these chains have in common is their strong visit performance over the past two quarters.

As nationwide dining foot traffic lagged behind 2019 levels for most of this past year, visits climbed to these burger brands. In September, as year-over-two-year nationwide dining visits were down by 7.9%, visits to Portillo’s, In-N-Out Burger, While Castle, and Shake Shack increased by 2.1%, 19.5%, 4.5%, and 4.0%, respectively, compared to September 2019. And October’s performance was even stronger, with Yo2Y visits to Portillo’s, In-N-Out Burger, While Castle, and Shake Shack rising by 7.5%, 30.3%, 14.0%, and 17.7%, respectively – positioning these chains for a robust Q4.  

Changes in Visits per Venue

Some of the increase in visits is due to new location openings. In particular, Shake Shack’s impressive foot traffic growth seems to be largely due to its brick and mortar expansion, with Yo2Y average monthly visits per venue numbers significantly lower than its overall foot traffic growth. This makes sense, given that Shake Shack has opened over thirty new locations in 2020 and announced in January that it planned to open 35-40 additional locations in 2021

Portillo’s, which also opened several new locations in 2020 and 2021, has also seen its Yo2Y visits/venue metrics fall behind Yo2Y overall visit growth – but the drop has not been dramatic. The fact that the Chicago-based brand managed to maintain relatively consistent visits/venue numbers while expanding its physical footprint –– even attaining Yo2Y growth in visits/venue of 2.4% in October – bodes well for its long-term expansion plan.

Meanwhile, In-N-Out and White Castle have both seen major hikes in visits/venue over the past couple of months, with October average monthly visits per venue rising by 25.3% and 17.4% for In-N-Out Burger and White Castle, respectively. 

Even More Room for Growth

Diving into consumer behavior patterns reveals even more room for growth. The charts below, which analyze the changes in the share of hourly visits out of total visits to the brand, indicate that the share of evening visits rose across almost all the brands (except for Shake Shack) when compared to 2019, while the share of lunchtime visits between the hours of 11AM and 2PM fell across the board. This means that Portillo’s, In-N-Out, White Castle, and Shake Shack managed to grow their Yo2Y visits despite a drop in the relative number of lunchtime visits. Critically, the drop in lunchtime visits was more pronounced in September and October, as consumers were returning to routines, than it was in the summer months. 

This Yo2Y drop in lunchtime visits was also seen with other leading QSR players, and is not necessarily reason for concern – after all, these brands have managed to exhibit strong Yo2Y visit growth despite the midday downturn. But the relatively weak lunchtime visit numbers do mean that these already strong brands have an opportunity to become even stronger. By finding ways to appeal to Americans returning to the office or to customers taking a midday break from work for holiday shopping, these brands can continue to grow and position themselves for even greater success in 2022. 

Will Portillo’s, In-N-Out, Shake Shack, and White Castle continue growing their foot traffic? Will lunchtime visits return? 

Visit Placer.ai to find out. 

Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter

Great! Prepare your inbox for data-driven insights...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Get a Demo

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please provide a valid email
Please enter your email
Please enter company name

Thanks for reaching out!

One of our experts will be in touch soon

Try Placer.ai Free
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Pent-Up Demand Ahead of October Sales Events
4 Strategies Retailers are Using to Drive Traffic to Their Venues
5 Key Regional Grocery Players Impressing in 2023
Upscale Kitchenware Trending Up
Costco Finds More Room for Growth
Four C-Store Chains Making an A-Grade
National Parks + Outdoor Summer Activities
Diving Into Darden: Summer 2023 Update
The Summer Event Effect
Messi: Massive in Miami
Looking Back on Back to School 2023
The Anchor Recap: August 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai White Paper Recap: August 2023
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Strikes Again
Big Scoop: We All Scream For Ice Cream
Sports Away: Lululemon & Nike’s Momentum Continues
Summer Visits Heat Up For Recreation and Outdoor Gear Chains
No CSS overwrite - July 2023 Office Index Recap
Staging - August 2023 Mall Indec
Mid-Atlantic Grocery Deep Dive
Experiential Chains Heating Up This Summer
Petco Goes Big by Going Small
Ulta Beauty: Leading the Discretionary Pack
Discount and Dollar Chains Continue to Thrive
Summer of Sports: DICK’s Sporting Goods and Hibbett Sports
Off-Price: Succeeding Into Summer
The Anchor Recap: July 2023
Superstores Maintaining Pandemic Gains Amidst Economic Headwinds
2023: Home Improvement at the Halfway Point
July 2023 Office Index Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: July 2023 Recap
widget test
The Taylor Swift Visit Lift
Southwestern Grocery Dive
July 2023 White Paper Recap: Halfway Point Review & Quarterly Index
Yum! Brands: Driving Dining Visits
Slurpees and Summer Movies Stimulate Consumer Foot Traffic
Cool Beans: Summer Coffee Update
Checking In on Back to School 2023
Crocs and New Balance Tip The Scales
Burger Bliss: Shake Shack and In-N-Out Stacking Visits
Chipotle & McDonald's Continue to Reign Supreme
Vibenomics and Placer.ai Partner to Enhance Retail Media In-Store Measurement
California Grocers Here We Come!
Marriott’s Different Audiences
Bonchon and Kura Sushi Thrive in the Fast-Casual Scene
A Shoe In: Footwear Climbs to the Top
Cheers! Raising a Glass to Beverage Retail
Placer.ai Office Index: June 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index June 2023 Recap – A Turn of the Tide and a Dive into Open-Air Lifestyle Centers
Local Kitchens: Redefining the Restaurant
Unlocking Urban Insights: The Value in Manhattan’s Employees
Ohio State Parks On The Rise
How is Inflation Impacting the High-Income Shoppers?
Five Fast-Growing Dining Chains
What To Expect From Prime Day and July Sales Events in 2023
The State Of Fashion: How Are Apparel Retailers Faring in 2023?
2023’s Latest Dining Success Story: GEN Korean BBQ House
The NBA Finals: A Location Intelligence Perspective
Moving the Market: The Impact of Domestic Migration on Housing Costs
Post-Pandemic Museum Update
The Darden-est Things
The Enduring Demand for Urban and Suburban Retail
Leveraging Data to Evaluate the Impact of Municipal Investments
Trader Joe's Success Amidst Food Inflation and Changing Consumer Behavior
Placer.ai Office Index: May 2023 Recap
Fitness at its Fittest: Staying Strong in 2023
Movie Theaters, Off-Price, and Home Improvement: May 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index - May 2023 Recap
What’s Working for Bath & Body Works?
Why Are Specialty Grocers Thriving in 2023?
The CAVA Craze: A Location Intelligence Perspective on the Mediterranean Marvel
How Will Primark’s US Expansion Impact Target?
All Eyes on Eyewear
Northwestern U.S. Grocery Dive
Return of the Lunch: Salad Chains Are Thriving
Retail Media Networks – Off the Beaten Track
Bet Your Bottom Dollar: Discount and Dollar Stores Drive Foot Traffic
Ulta & Lululemon: Discretionary Spending On The Up
The Score After Q1: Sporting Goods Chains
Who Uses NYC Airports: Biting Into The Big Apple’s Main Transport Hubs
Off Price: Strength in The Face of Retail Challenges
Visits Improve for Home Improvement
Walmart, Target & Wholesalers in Q1 2023 – The Return of Mission-Driven Shopping?
Department Store Roundup: Q1 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: April 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index, April 2023 – A Rebound on the Horizon?
How Will Bed Bath & Beyond’s Bankruptcy Impact the Retail Space?
Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic
Thrift Stores: Vintage Visits Drive New Age in Apparel
The Windy City: A Hub of Post-Pandemic Opportunity
Diving into Dining Traffic - Q1 2023
Bring On The Joe
A Dollar (or more) For Your Thoughts: Five Below and pOpshelf
Dining Out With The Cheesecake Factory
Retail Foot Traffic Recap – March 2023
Digging Into 2023: McDonald’s and Chipotle Update
Placer.ai Office Index: March 2023 Recap