A report on fast-casual hamburger chains by 1010data Inc. in New York showed two OC-based operators grinding out a solid middle ground compared with several similar chains.
In-N-Out and Habit Burger, both based in Irvine, were stacked against Smashburger in Denver; BurgerFi in Palm Beach, Fla.; Shake Shack in New York; Five Guys in Lorton, Va.; and Whataburger in San Antonio.
The report, which focused on the chains’ first-quarter performance, shows In-N-Out with 26% of the group’s transactions, Habit with 5%, and Whataburger tops with 42%.
Habit had 21% year-over-year sales growth, In-N-Out 4%; and Shake Shack led with 33%. Habit had an average check of $17, In-N-Out $13, and BurgerFi the highest at $22.
The report also tracked how often customers returned and the percentage who didn’t, plus chain overlap—a brand-loyalty metric on customers who visit more than one chain in the group.
1010data is a data management and analytics company owned by Advance/Newhouse, an affiliate of Advance Publications Inc., which bought it in August 2015 for $500 million.
— Paul Hughes
