With Starbucks now the third largest restaurant chain the country, some of the other big names in fast food are coming up with creative design schemes to reverse sales declines. The theory is that nicer-looking restaurants will tend to attract more people than existing designs. Among the companies considering, or in the midst of, major changes to their appearance: McDonald's, Burger King and Subway.
By 2015, McDonald's expects to have redesigned the looks of the majority of its 14,000 US locations. The project could cost nearly $1 billion when finished. Many stores will trade the bright red and yellow colors for more muted shades, and stores will add lounges with TVs as a way to draw in customers.
Burger King hopes to remodel nearly 1,000 locations over the next year and a half. More than 800 franchisees have already signed on. Among the notable changes: barriers in between booths and a new color scheme.
Subway has not decided on the scale of its image overhaul, but several Subway Cafes have appeared throughout the country. With more than 1,000 stores opened already this year, the chain certainly has room to experiment.
Would you consider eating at these restaurants if they looked more like fine dining establishments?
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Comments
March 27, 2012
Whether people realize it or not, aesthetics affects perception. It partly explains why fast food joints go for warmer colors: warm colors (orange, particularly) stimulate the appetite, and in turn, encourage consumption. With McDonald's going for more subdued colors recently, it will be interesting to test how people would respond/ behave upon seeing the changes, as not all McDonald's stores have adopted the new scheme yet from where I am.