April 19, 2017
The Harris Poll’s 29th annual EquiTrend Study reveals 2017’s strongest brands across the media, travel, financial, automotive, entertainment, retail, restaurant, technology, household and nonprofit industries, based on consumer response.
Measuring brand health over time, the EquiTrend Brand Equity Index is comprised of three factors—Familiarity, Quality and Purchase Consideration—that result in a brand equity rating for each brand. According to a Harris Poll press release, the brands ranking highest in equity receive the Harris Poll EquiTrend “Brand of the Year” award for their respective categories. This year, more than 100,000 U.S. consumers assessed more than 4,000 brands across more than 450 categories.
Here are the top-ranking brands in the restaurant industry:
Burger Restaurant Brand of the Year
- Five Guys Burgers and Fries
- In-N-Out Burger
- Shake Shack
- Wendy’s
- Culver’s
- Whataburger
- McDonald’s
- SONIC America’s Drive-In
- Smashburger
- Steak ‘n Shake
Casual Dining Restaurant Brand of the Year
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Texas Roadhouse
- Olive Garden Italian Restaurants
- Outback Steakhouse
- LongHorn Steakhouse
- California Pizza Kitchen
- IHOP (International House of Pancakes)
- Carrabba’s Italian Grill
- Maggiano’s Little Italy Restaurant
- Chili’s Grill & Bar
Chicken Restaurant Brand of the Year
- Chick-fil-A
- Zaxby’s
- El Pollo Loco
- Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Coffee & Quick Service Restaurant Brand of the Year
- Starbucks Coffee Shops
- Dunkin’ Donuts Stores
- Krispy Kreme
- Einstein Bros Bagels
Fast Casual Mexican Restaurant Brand of the Year
- Moe’s Southwest Grill
- Baja Fresh Mexican Grill
- Taco Bell
Ice Cream and FroYo Shop Brand of the Year
- Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop
- Baskin Robbin’s Ice Cream Shop
- Cold Stone Creamery
Pizza Chain Brand of the Year
- Papa John’s Pizza
- Blaze Pizza
- Pizza Hut
- Marco’s Pizza
Sandwich Shop Brand of the Year
- Subway
- Panera Bread
- Potbelly Sandwich Shop
- Corner Bakery Cafe