What restaurants have food that consumers crave the most and where are they most likely to return? The survey results are in.

NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The results of the 2012 Consumer Picks survey were unveiled in the August 6 issue of Nation's Restaurant News. Consumers rated brands in ten areas including food quality, value, cleanliness, likelihood to return and, a new category, "craveability."

Restaurants with the best "craveability" scores:

• Cracker Barrel – midscale/family restaurant
• Cheesecake Factory – casual dining restaurant
• Marble Slab Creamery – snack brands
• In-N-Out Burger – limited service restaurant

Highest rated in "likelihood to return":

• Cracker Barrel – midscale/family restaurant
• Mellow Mushroom – casual dining restaurant
• Rita's Italian Ice – snack brands
• Papa Murphy's Take & Bake – limited service restaurant

"Because of the success of last year's survey, we were encouraged to make this year's review bigger and better," said Dennis Lombardi, Executive Vice President of Foodservice Strategies at WD Partners. In its second year, the 2012 Consumer Picks survey has added 13 new restaurants and a new fine-dining category to give the restaurant industry more well-rounded insight into customer perspectives.

The survey canvassed more than 6,800 customers, to evaluate 152 restaurants in the limited-service, casual-, fine- and family-dining restaurant segments. Consumers were asked to evaluate brands they had visited at least once in the past six months to determine brand strengths and weaknesses relative to industry competitors.

Major findings point to the importance of differentiation, staying true to a core philosophy and delivering on the reputation for an exceptional experience.

The Consumer Picks results are further detailed in the August 6 issue of Nation's Restaurant News, the restaurant industry's most respected source of business intelligence, and at www.nrn.com/consumer-picks. Along with performance rankings, the NRN issue will include articles on the attributes that contribute to sales in each of the segments, with insights and commentary from NRN as well as WD Partners' resident foodservice expert, Dennis Lombardi.

Note to editors: Additional information and videos of Dennis Lombardi, EVP Foodservice strategies at WD Partners, can be found at www.nrn.com/consumer-picks.

About WD Partners
WD Partners is a customer experience expert that helps global food and retail brands. Research conducted by WD Partners' Insights group is part of the company's integrated approach to enhancing shoppers' experiences and brand performance. For more information, please visit www.wdpartners.com. 

About Nation's Restaurant News
For more than 40 years, Nation's Restaurant News has been the #1 source of business intelligence for the restaurant industry. Today, offering information solutions for changing times, NRN is the media brand professionals trust to help them tackle the challenges facing the foodservice business. For operators, NRN provides a one-stop resource for the most industry coverage in whatever formats they prefer, whether print or digital, web-based or at events. For suppliers, NRN's audience-rich portfolio of print, digital and live-event products provides the reach, access and flexibility needed to open doors and grow their businesses. For more information on NRN, visit www.nrn.com.

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Dennis Lombardi
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SOURCE WD Partners