Grounds for concern: Why national coffee shop chains are losing steam
Key takeaways
- National coffee chains can regain loyalty and brand health by using store-level consumer insights to improve food and beverage quality, digital ordering and the overall customer journey.
- Jobs-to-be-done analysis helps coffee leaders understand why consumers choose certain brands across moments, providing a clearer demand landscape for positioning strategy and value delivery.
- Real-time review analysis helps QSRs move faster on pricing, convenience, mobile order satisfaction and perceived value by focusing on what matters most to consumers.
Across the U.S., the daily grind is getting tougher for major coffee chains—with customer satisfaction nearly 30% lower than it was five years ago. Meanwhile, local coffee shops are holding their ground—or even growing. What’s driving the gap?
ZS research points to four core issues:
- Experience breakdowns. Long waits, confusing store hours and inconsistent service frustrate customers and erode trust.
- Quality control. Orders are incorrect, ingredients are sometimes missing and drinks are served at the wrong temperature.
- Perceived value gaps. As prices rise, customers expect more.
- Convenience failures. A historic strength is now slipping due to fulfillment issues and delays.
These patterns suggest something significant: Big brands have lost sight of how—and why—consumers choose their daily coffee spot. Legacy research tools can’t keep up with the complexity and context behind the real-life needs and occasions that shape today’s decisions. By nature of their size, local coffee shops are inherently more attuned to customer needs. Larger organizations need a more nimble and comprehensive approach.
A new way to listen at scale and grow with consumer-centric insights
For years, operators relied on surveys, loyalty apps and mystery shops to understand the guest experience. Those tools still have a role, but they often miss why the same person might choose different coffee spots depending on their needs in the moment. Today, reviews make that context easier to capture and analyze at scale—revealing not just who’s making the choice, but how they’re making it right now. That’s how retail can move from anecdote to pattern, from lagging indicators to real-time signals. Reviews help decode the situational drivers behind consumer choice and map them into a demand landscape—a structured view of why people show up, what they expect and how those expectations shift across different contexts.
As part of our research, we analyzed more than 6 million consumer reviews across 150,000 U.S. coffee shop locations. What we found reveals not just declining satisfaction but changing definitions of value. It’s not just about speed or accuracy anymore. Guests want something that feels personal, local and worth the spend.
Independent shops are gaining ground, though not because they’re one-size-fits-all. Coffee decisions are more occasion-driven now. Big brands still have plenty of advantages—they just need to be clear on which lane they’re in and optimize around it.
ZS Atlas Intelligence helps leaders do exactly that. It turns large-scale review data into sharper, faster insights so they can close experience gaps.
Beyond the brew: A broader opportunity for QSR brands
While this study focuses on the coffee segment, the same approach is highly applicable across the broader quick-service restaurant (QSR) landscape. From fast food to fast casual, understanding consumer sentiment at scale and acting on it quickly is crucial for driving loyalty and staying ahead of the competition. The lessons learned here can be applied to any QSR brand aiming to enhance customer experience, grow trust and thrive in a dynamic market.
Do you know what really drives loyalty today? Download the executive summary to see what 6 million reviews reveal.
