Crave Insight Launches First Industry Index Benchmarking Local Restaurants' Digital Performance

Ranks 300+ Miami restaurants on 'craveability' in highly competitive market

• Spans 700+ Miami-Dade locations
• Analyzes more than 100,000 data points
• 40% of brands identified as achieving growth

MIAMI, Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Crave Insight today unveiled its inaugural edition of the Crave IQ Index, a benchmark designed to measure the digital performance levels of restaurant brands in their local markets. For the first time, restaurant owners and stakeholders can see how their brands rank in the local market based on objective data.

"Until now, there hasn't been an integrated way to measure how brands break through in a specific market," said Javier Rodriguez, CEO and Co-founder of Crave Insight. "The Crave IQ Index and methodology answer that question and explain why."

The Miami Market: Strong Demand, Rising Pressure
The first Crave IQ Index focuses on Miami's restaurant landscape, offering an integrated view of performance signals traditionally analyzed in isolation. Miami's restaurant scene is highly dynamic:

• Ranks first nationally on composite restaurant quality score (6.94/10)
• Residents dine out 10.6 times per month
• Consumers average $737 per month with average check total of $69

More than 2,600 restaurants operate within just 36 square miles, equating to one restaurant for every 173 residents. Rising rents, insurance costs, food prices, and shifting consumer behavior are changing dining patterns, and 2025 saw a wave of closures. Yet 40% of brands achieved year-over-year search growth, demonstrating superior visibility and craveability.

Broad Scope, Proprietary Methodology
Craveability ties directly to business performance beyond sales data alone. The Crave IQ Index's proprietary methodology analyzes more than 100,000 data points across social media, digital marketing, brand experience, and press and community coverage. Standardized scoring identifies and ranks brands gaining attention, sustaining engagement, and converting visibility into competitive advantage. For the first time, restaurant owners and stakeholders have an objective measure of marketing effectiveness.

The Crave IQ Index report is updated annually. Crave Insight plans to expand market coverage to other major U.S. metro areas, creating a national benchmark for restaurant craveability.

About Crave Insight
Crave Insight provides integrated measurement of digital brand performance, based on real-world data signals and a proprietary methodology. Clients subscribe to the annual Crave IQ Index with quarterly updates and can access in-depth consulting services. Crave Insight is based in Miami. For more information, visit www.craveinsight.com. 

SOURCE Crave Insight