Students eat out more often than the population of the UK as a whole, with 60% eating out at least weekly, compared to 41% for public as a whole, according the latest Peach BrandTrack consumer survey.
It found that McDonald’s was the brand used most by students over the last six months at 72%, followed by Costa 65%, JD Wetherspoon 58%, Subway 58%, and Greggs 57%.
Nando’s, Pizza Hut, Subway, Starbucks and JD Wetherspoon are the brands that students use much more than the average for the population as a whole. But although half of all students use Nando’s, still more go to Pizza Hut.
The survey also found that male students eat out most frequently, with 26% eating out more than three times a week, compared to just 16% of women students
Male students have Upper Crust, Toby, Beefeater and Hungry Horse in their Top 10s and are heavier users of KFC; women students are more likely to use Wagamama and YO! Sushi.
The research also showed that 60% of those going to Nando’s go there with friends, followed by 55% using Wetherspoon’s also go with friends.
More than a fifth (22%) of Nando’s student customers go to eat there mid-afternoon, the same proportion as use the brand for lunch, which marks it out as a more popular afternoon location than Pizza Hut or Wetherspoon. Location is the main reason students say they choose Nando’s, while 40% think it’s cool.
The survey said that value and food quality were the main reasons students choose Pizza Hut, with students most likely to think it’s “friendly, fun and reliable”.
Value is the stand-out reason students choose Wetherspoon, highlighting that it is “friendly and reliable”.
