CHICAGO – Sept. 3, 2025 – One year after major restaurant chains launched value meal platforms to combat inflation and declining traffic, new data from Circana LLC™ reveals that value offerings are successfully driving traffic growth, even in an increasingly crowded marketplace. The key challenge for restaurants now is standing out with refreshed messaging that connects with value-seeking consumers.

Consumer-perceived value menu traffic increased by 1% across the total foodservice industry in the quarter ending June 2025, building on 2% growth from the previous year. This growth is particularly significant given that overall restaurant traffic declined by 1% during the same period, demonstrating the effectiveness of value menus as traffic drivers.

The appeal of lower prices continues to motivate consumers, with a Circana survey finding that 50% of people who had not recently dined out would be encouraged to visit restaurants with lower prices. This motivation is even stronger among households with incomes under $75,000, with 54% indicating they would visit more frequently for better prices — making this demographic a critical target for value menu marketing.

"It's important for restaurants to remember that value is rarely defined only by price," said David Portalatin, senior vice president and industry advisor for Food and Foodservice at Circana. "Operational excellence in providing quality, affordability, great experiences, and convenience is what leads winning restaurants and their supply chain partners to greater success."

With consumers now surrounded by value messaging from multiple brands, restaurants must ensure their offerings stand out. Circana's data shows that value buyers are 33% more likely than non-value buyers to purchase value menu items when visiting other restaurant chains, indicating they actively seek out deals across various brands.

"Our creative and media agency clients are cutting through the clutter for their restaurant clients by using Circana's Foodservice Audiences, which allows them to most efficiently target the households that are most likely to respond based on their current purchasing behavior," said Jen Gold, senior vice president of Media at Circana. "It's been an effective marketing tool for connecting CPG and retail brands for limited-time offers and, competitively, for restaurant brands looking to reach households that visit other restaurants, especially for value deals."

The data suggests that value menus are working as intended, but success requires continued promotion of total value propositions and precise targeting to make every advertising dollar count.