Share of consumers who eat from fast food restaurants in Australia 2018, by chain

In a survey conducted between April 2017 and March 2018 about Australians who eat at fast food restaurants, 52.7 percent of respondents said they had eaten at a McDonald’s in an average six-month period. The next most popular restaurant was KFC, with 40.8 percent, followed by Subway with 30.8 percent of respondents saying they had eaten food from there at least once in six months.

Consumption and access to fast food

When considering a smaller time frame, around 45 percent of respondents to a 2018 survey said they ate fast food less than once per week. Additionally, the same survey also revealed that around 36 percent of respondents consumed fast food between one and three times per week.

A large proportion of Australians have access to quick service restaurants; a survey conducted between July 2017 and June 2018 showed that just under 44 percent of respondents have at least one restaurant within 1,500 meters. Around four percent have access to one or more premises within 400 meters.

Australians prefer American fast food chains

In September 2018, a survey conducted amongst Australian consumers showed that the most popular quick service restaurants were dominated by US chains. The most popular were McDonald’s, with 32 percent of respondents saying that it was their favorite, and KFC with 23 percent of respondents. Elsewhere, Dominos and Subway were both favored by 14 percent of respondents, and fish and chip shops also proved popular; 22 percent stated their preference for them.