What the increased marketing spend by certain restaurants means for the competitive landscape

No, you’re not imagining things and there is no need to adjust your TV. There really are more ads and marketing campaigns from restaurant companies on air, on your phones, on your streaming services, on your social media feeds.

An increase in advertising/marketing spend was one of the major themes from this latest round of earnings calls, in fact, and it’s a strategy shared by brands from Brinker to BJs, and from Shake Shack to Dutch Bros. There’s a reason for this (or several). Firstly, we’ve returned to a far more normalized environment after three years of anything but. Second, several brands are growing and therefore cultivating top-of-mind awareness as they enter new markets. Third, consumers are becoming more discerning and pulling back on traffic, and it’s important to keep their attention.