The cost of premium: What consumers are willing to pay

Premium fast food offerings give consumers higher-quality options at fast-food chains, fueled by a desire for better ingredients, more diverse menus and a more satisfying dining experience. But with premiums on the rise, how much are consumers willing to spend? And how does this affect their perspectives on fast food today?  

We recently ran a survey with a nationally representative sample of 3,000 US consumers to better understand their take. Read on to find out what we uncovered.

When it comes to what consumers are willing to pay, we found that nearly half of consumers (48%) say $5–$8 is the sweet spot for fast food pricing overall — making it the clear standard for perceived value.

That said, more frequent fast food eaters are more flexible, with those eating fast food more than 10x/month more likely to say $8–$10 (31%) or even over $10 (13%) is good value.

When it comes to who is leading the charge, over half (53%) believe Chick-fil-A can successfully offer premium items, the highest of any brand tested.

It's worth noting that McDonald’s (36%) and Wendy’s (33%) also rank high — suggesting trust and consistency help brands stretch into upscale territory.

We found that higher-income consumers show stronger interest in premium options, with 43% of those earning $150K+ excited to try premium items, compared to just 25% under $50K.

Still, one in three (35%) remain skeptical, and 23% say premium items feel overpriced or gimmicky — highlighting the need for brands to justify value.

We also found that 42% of parents say they’re excited to try premium items, nearly double the rate of non-parents (22%).

By contrast, non-parents are more skeptical (37%) and more likely to ignore new launches — suggesting family-oriented positioning may help premium items land better.

Finally, 41% of consumers say $15–$20 feels like good value for a full-service restaurant meal, compared to just 6% who say that’s true for fast food.

These price expectations scale significantly by format, indicating that brands aiming for premium QSR pricing must clearly signal added value.

TL;DR: 

1. The sweet spot for fast food pricing is between $5 and $8

2. Chick-fil-A leads in brand credibility for premium offerings

3. Premium fast food sparks interest — but trust varies by income

4. Parents are more open to try premium innovations

5. Consumers expect to spend more for sit-down restaurants vs. premium fast food experiences

While consumers are interested in what fast food brands offer when it comes to premium options, whether they try it or not largely comes down to cost and value. And with prices on the rise already, brands need to be able to offer competitive prices while clearly communicating its value to drive trial.  

Dive deeper into these purchasing behaviors and more in our report.