Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

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

Placer Bytes: RBI, Yum!, and Bloomin’

by 
Shira Petrack
 on 
April 27, 2022
Placer Bytes: RBI, Yum!, and Bloomin’

In this Placer Bytes, we dive into the recent performances of RBI, Bloomin’ Brands, and Yum! Brands – three companies operating some of the biggest dining concepts in the United States. 

Restaurant Brands International (RBI) – Compared to Previous Year 

Following a difficult 2020 for in-location visits, many restaurant concepts – including Popeyes, Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Firehouse Subs – saw their foot traffic increase in 2021. Between July ‘21 and February ‘22, monthly visits for all four RBI brands analyzed were up by double digits compared to the equivalent month in the previous year. But inflation and rising gas prices put a dent in the YoY recovery; Popeyes, Tim Hortons, and Firehouse visits dipped below 2021 levels in March ‘22. 

Only Burger King maintained its YoY lead, with a 1.0% increase in foot traffic compared to March ‘21. The relative success of the home of the Whopper is likely the result of the brand’s concerted efforts. In addition to optimizing its store fleet by shutting down underperforming locations, Burger King is also revamping its loyalty program. It now offers free weekly fries for the rest of 2022 for anyone who downloads its app before June 20th – which may have been enough to push YoY March visits into growth. 

Restaurant Brands International (RBI) – Compared to 2019

While looking at visits on a YoY basis tells a story of strong recovery followed by a (hopefully temporary) March drop, diving into foot traffic on a Yo3Y basis shows a slightly grimmer picture. Aside from Popeyes, visits to Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Firehouse Subs have been below 2019 levels all year, with foot traffic the week of April 11th down 29.3%, 12.3%, and 8.3%, respectively, when compared to 2019. 

Some of the drop is due to branch closures. Recently, RBI has been consolidating store fleets across some of its brands. And critically, these visit numbers don’t include all drive-thru and digital takeaway orders – a major growth channel for Firehouse Subs and Tim Hortons, and a possible explanation for why both Tim Hortons and Firehouse Subs have recently announced expansion plans despite low offline visit numbers. 

As for Popeyes, comparing the two RBI graphs shows a striking difference between Popeyes YoY and Yo3Y foot traffic numbers. And the reason is likely due to the brand’s introduction of its now iconic chicken sandwich in late 2019, which has given the brand a long-term visit boost. Foot traffic to Popeyes has been consistently higher post-chicken sandwich launch than it was before. So the strong Yo3Y visit numbers when comparing Q1 2022 and Q1 2019 (before the chicken sandwich launch) is likely due to the enduring popularity of this menu item. 

Bloomin’ Brands

In contrast with RBI’s QSR chains, Bloomin’ Brands operates mostly full-service restaurants. Bloomin’ Brands saw a YoY visit pattern similar to RBI, with strong increases between July ‘21 and February ‘22 followed by a drop in March. But the YoY increase in visits in Q3 and Q4 2021 was much more significant for Bloomin’ Brands than for RBI. This likely reflects the harder hit taken by full-service concepts in 2020 along with the pent-up demand that benefited many full-service restaurants as the country began opening back up. 

Bloomin’ Brands – Compared to 2019 

Despite the success of other steakhouse concepts in the first couple months of the year, visits to all four Bloomin’ Brands analyzed fell on a Yo3Y basis. Aside from a brief respite over the week of Valentine’s Day, visits to the four chains stayed well below 2019 levels. Visits to Outback, Bonefish, Carrabba’s, and Fleming’s were down 18.3%, 25.9%, 24.0%, and 12.7%, respectively, for the week of April 11th. But the graph below shows that the visit gap was slightly smaller in late February through early April, which may indicate that the resurgence of Omicron in early 2022 played a big part in keeping patrons away. And now that the latest COVID wave has died down, these brands may be slowly progressing towards recovery once more. 

Yum! Brands – Compared to Previous Year

YoY visits Yum! Brands were also high compared to the previous year, with KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill posting a 22.2%, 18.8%, 34.8%, and 42.4% increase in visits in February 2022 compared to February 2021. And unlike for RBI and Bloomin’ Brands, most of the brands continued the growth streak into March, with Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit enjoying a 8.4%, 18.2%, and 22.5% increase in visits compared to March 2019. 

Yum! Brands – Compared to 2019

Visits were down for all four Yum! Brands concepts analyzed on a Yo3Y basis, but like for RBI, low offline traffic doesn’t necessarily reflect poor performance. KFC has recently been experimenting with dual drive-thru lanes and a special entrance for online orders, following the brand’s soaring digital sales in 2021. Likewise, Pizza Hut added drive-thru lanes and digital-only pick-up windows (similar to Chipotle’s Chipotlanes) to many of its branches in 2021, and not all these visits are reflected in the offline traffic numbers cited below. 

Taco Bell has also accelerated its digital development since the onset of the pandemic. One of the brand’s more recent online innovations is the introduction of $10 monthly taco subscriptions, available for purchase since early January on the Taco Bell app. And as of late February, the taco subscription has become a permanent service. In an era of high prices for everything – including food – the ability to get lunch every day for $10/month could explain Taco Bell’s March success. 

For more data-driven brick and mortar insights, visit Placer.ai

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.
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
How Did Key Retail Categories Perform in Q1 2023?
Northeastern USA Grocery Dive
Movie Theaters Storylines for 2023
Ollie's Bargain Outlet: Discounters are Evolving
Leveraging Brick-and-Mortar Retail in 2023
America’s Evolving Work Patterns: A Deep-Dive into New York and Chicago
Placer.ai Mall Index March 2023
Tuning Into Record Stores
Five Franchises To Watch in 2023
What’s Next For Domestic Tourism?
It’s Showtime! Movie Theaters in the Spotlight
5 Limited Time Offers (LTOs) Driving Restaurant Traffic
Department Store Deep-Dive: Belk
Regional Grocery Chains Staying Ahead of the Competition
Five Chains that Rightsized for Success
Unlocking the Potential of Offline Retail Media Networks
Dining Out With Darden
What’s in Store for Self-Storage?
Nike & lululemon Update: Strong Performance Amid Expansion Plans
Many Ways to Win: Midwest Grocery Deep Dive
Retail, Reinvented: The Rise of the Pop-Up Shop
Navigating a New Normal in Business Travel & Commutes
Placer.ai Office Index: February 2023 Recap
Retail Categories Staying Strong in Volatile Environment
Ulta Beauty: Poised for Success into 2023
Placer.ai Mall Index February 2023: Reasons for Continued Optimism
Catching Up With DICK’s & Hibbett
The Miami-Dade Arena: An Advertising Slam Dunk
Car Washes Revving Up Visits
Tuesday Morning and Sunrises in Home Furnishing
Dining & Valentine’s Day Recap
2023: The Year of the Discount Store
Aldi’s Success Highlights Growing Demand for Value Groceries
5 Retail & Service Categories Holding onto Pandemic Gains in 2023
Visitor Insights from Super Bowl 2023
2023 First Look: Home Improvement Update
How Are Target, Walmart, and Wholesale Clubs Faring in 2023?
Department Store Deep-Dive: Nordstrom
Off-Price: Taking Off in Uncertain Times
Checking in On Middle-Class Hubs
Who Attends the Super Bowl?
Placer.ai Office Index: January 2023 Recap
Focusing On Fitness: Q4 and January Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: January 2023 – Returning Mall Normalcy?
Location Intelligence Insights Into Concert Attendance
Winning Dining Strategies for 2023
In-N-Out Burger: What to Expect as the Brand Moves East
Location Intelligence Breakdown: Coffee Caps-Off 2022
Digitally Native Brands Lean Into Brick & Mortar
Washington, D.C. Population Changes & Migration Trends
A Location Intelligence Perspective on Macy’s Rightsizing
Amazon-Powered Shopping: The Future of Brick-and-Mortar Grocery?
Cold Weather, Hot Visits: Diving into Winter Resorts
Wawa and 7-Eleven: Leaning Into the “Slurpee Effect”
2022 and Beyond: Catching Up With McDonald’s & Chipotle
Let’s Have Some Fun! Going Out Is In
Placer.ai’s Q4 2022 Quarterly Index
Placer.ai Adds Industry Executives to Leadership Team To Drive Company's Next Phase of Growth
5 Emerging Retail Formats: 2023’s Brick-and-Mortar Evolution
Grocery Update: Zooming in on the Lone Star State
2022 Office Recap: The Year of the TGIF Work Week
What Lies Ahead for Brick-and-Mortar Luxury in 2023
Placer.ai Mall Indexes: December 2022 Recap
Looking Back on 2022’s Holiday Shopping Season
Post-Pandemic Migration Trends in New York
Top Retailers for 2023
The Live Sports Advertising Opportunity
Domestic Migration to the Mountain States: Small Shifts with Big Implications
New Year, New Food: 5 Dining Trends For 2023
Announcing Placer.ai’s COVID RECOVERY DASHBOARD
This is Why Shop-in-Shops Are Everywhere
Super Saturday 2022 Recap
The San Francisco Shift
Grocery Year-End Update: Publix in the Spotlight
Three Ways Retailers Can Think Small to Increase Store Impact