/* 2010 February | The Channel Checkers */

Over the past week, we surveyed California Pizza Kitchen locations to gauge trends in wait times, average billing and most popular menu items We asked the following questions:

    

  1. Why do people eat here?

  2. How is business compared to last month?

  3. What is the most popular item on the menu?

  4. What is the average bill for a party of two?

 

 

  • 38% of respondents said that “atmosphere” was the reason that many customers came to CPKI. 25% said the menu was the key driver. 25% said they believed a combination of menu, atmosphere, location and prices.

  • 42% of respondents reported that business in February was better than in January. 33% reported business was the same and 21% reported that business was slower.

  • The most popular menu item was the Original BBQ Chicken pizza according to 46% of respondents. 13% of respondents cited the Buffalo Chicken Pizza.

  • The average bill was reported as being $36.70 for a party of two with responses ranging from $12 to $75.

 

Conclusion of Channel Check: Based on the survey, the activity level at California Pizza Kitchen appears favorable, however the trends are less positive than recent survey data we found on the Cheesecake Factory.

 

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Ann Dykes at 978-358-7809 or ann@thechannelcheckers.com

 

Over the past week, we surveyed various Cheese Cake Factory locations to gauge trends in wait times, average billing and most popular menu items We asked the following questions:

1.What is the average wait time for a party of two?
2.What is the average bill for a party of two?
3.What is the most popular menu item?
4.Was this location busier this month than in January?

62% of respondents said that wait times ranged from 5 minutes to 15 minutes. 22% of respondents reported wait times of 20 minutes to 30 minutes while 13% of respondents reported now wait time at all.
The average bill was reported as being $49 for a party of two with responses ranging from $25 to $80.
The most popular items unsurprisingly was listed as Cheesecake by 39% of respondents. Respondents stated that customers order cheesecake 61% of the time they eat at the restaurant.
72% of respondents reported that their location was busier in February versus January. 24% reported that their locations was slower while 4% said that business was the same in February as in January.

Conclusion of Channel Check: Based on the survey, the activity level at Cheesecake Factory locations appears to be increasing. Average check size remains a little lower than what we might expect to see in a very strong environment but wait times and traffic levels look solid.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com