It is no secret that Brits and Australians love their fast food. When Nine, one of Australia’s biggest online magazines, asked their readers how often they ate fast food, 50% said once a week. Even more surprisingly, 10% said twice a week. In the UK, recent research carried out by YouGov found that 40% of Brits enjoyed fast food at least once a week.
But what is not so well known is the fact that for both Brits and Australians, it is not all about burgers, fries, and pizzas. The residents of both countries love experiencing other food cultures.
Take, for example, Filipino food in Australia, which has become very popular in a relatively short space of time. The list of successful Australia-based Filipino restaurants includes Cebu Lechon, Mama Lor, Cucina de Manila, Descanso, Pamana Chatswood, Sir Manong, and Sizzling Fillo Lidcomb.
When it comes to fast food, there is not much choice, yet clearly, people want to eat more than burgers, fried chicken, or pizza. Something that is also backed up by a piece of recent research carried out by Mandoe Media. They looked at search trends in both countries to find out which US food chains that are not yet available in Australia or Britain are searched for by people who live there. As you can see below, some surprising US-based fast-food chains made the list:
Panda Express – which sells mainly Chinese food cooked in the American style.
Del Taco, Qdoba, and Moe’s Southwest Grill – all of which sell Mexican-inspired dishes
Jimmy John’s, Firehouse Subs, and Jersey Mike’s – are sandwich chains that sell a huge range. They are all well known for their super quick service. This is a takeaway format that would work particularly well in busy commuter cities.
Bojangles – is well known for its fast-food chicken, biscuits, and other traditional American food.
Boston Market – specializes in Mediterranean-style rotisserie chicken and comfort food sides.
Jason’s Deli and McAlister’s Deli – both are casual deli chains that offer old-school sandwiches, soups, and salads
Papa Murphy’s – this last one is a pizza chain, but with a twist. Customers order a pizza, then take it home and bake it themselves. A format that would work well for the busy families of the UK and Australia.
Expect tourist favorites to open soon in both countries
Because the fast-food market in both countries is so big, quite a few chains are planning to open in them. Fast-food outlets in the world monitor their foreign card transactions. When they see lots of people from a certain country visiting their outlets during their travels, they investigate the possibility of opening in those countries.
Jollibee, the famous Filipino fast-food chain, has already expanded into several countries. Following careful data analysis and market research, they went ahead and opened branches in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Macau, North America, Spain, Italy, and the UK. Currently, there is no branch in Australia, but one is planned for Campbelltown. It has just been delayed by the need to build a new road in the area.
