How Value Meals Are Influencing QSR Visits
With affordability pressures continuing to weigh on Canadian households, quick-service restaurants have increasingly turned to value meal promotions to attract price-conscious guests. According to Restaurants Canada’s 2026 Foodservice Facts, 61% of Canadians were aware of $5 value meal promotions at quick-service restaurants. Awareness was highest in Manitoba (70%) and lowest in Quebec (55%).
Younger Canadians are particularly responsive to these promotions. Nearly one-quarter of Gen Z respondents (24%) and 21% of Millennials reported visiting quick-service restaurants offering value meals more often, compared to 16% of Boomers. Household income also plays an important role, with 30% of respondents earning less than $50,000 annually reporting more frequent visits to restaurants offering these promotions.
The impact also varies considerably by province. One-third of respondents in Newfoundland and Labrador (33%) and 26% in British Columbia reported visiting participating restaurants more often. In contrast, only one in 10 respondents in Alberta and Saskatchewan indicated that value meal promotions had increased their visit frequency.
Perhaps the most significant finding is how $5 value meals are influencing consumers’ dining decisions. Nearly one-quarter of consumers (23%) reported purchasing a value meal instead of preparing a meal at home, while another 13% chose a participating restaurant over a competitor.
At the same time, some substitution occurs within participating restaurants, with 53% of consumers reporting that a value meal replaced something they would otherwise have purchased at the same location. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that value meal promotions are doing more than simply offering lower-priced alternatives. They are encouraging more frequent visits among certain consumer groups, creating restaurant occasions that might otherwise have taken place at home, and helping participating restaurants capture business from competitors. However, the extent to which these promotions translate into increased sales and profitability remains unclear, particularly when consumers substitute value meals for higher-priced purchases.
For more information and to stay ahead of the trends expected in 2027, read our newly released Foodservice Facts 2026 report here.
As the Chief Economist and Vice President of Research for Restaurants Canada, Chris Elliott manages and produces a comprehensive research program that has made Restaurants Canada a leading source of information for and about Canada’s $125-billion foodservice industry. Chris tracks and analyzes key industry and economic indicators and translates them into member reports and publications. He also provides research to support Restaurants Canada’s lobbying efforts on issues that affect foodservice operators – from payroll taxes to food costs.
Chris has worked with Restaurants Canada for over 20 years, has a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s Degree in Economics and specializes in economic modelling and forecasting.
