Study Shows Teens Love Starbucks, Chipotle Not So Much

Findings from Piper Jaffray's 2016 Taking Stock With Teens Survey, which reports on teen spending habits, showed that Starbucks is still popular with teens, while Chipotle is losing the age group's interest.

6,500 teens were surveyed, and these consumers reported a decreased popularity and preference for Chipotle, meaning that teenagers still love Chipotle, but not as much as they once did, reports Business Insider.

"While Chipotle remained the second most preferred brand among upper income teens and ties for top five among average income teens... it did cede share sequentially across both gender and geography categories," analyst Nicole Miller Regan wrote in the report. Business Insider also notes that teens are a key demographic for brands, as they can turn into lifelong fans. Chipotle is trying to win back our trust, but will it work?

While Chipotle had a predicted decrease in popularity, given the food-safety scares that plagued the company, Starbucks is still the most preferred brand by "upper- and average-income teens." Starbucks was the top restaurant among teens, boasting a 14 percent market share among the teens that were surveyed.

The study showed that teens chose fast-casual over full-service restaurants, and states, "teens are choosing limited-service concepts at a 50 percent greater rate than full-service concepts." Are fast-casual restaurants the future of the industry?