Fast Food Bracket: Round 2 Predictions

Last night saw the conclusion of Round 1 of voting in So Good’s Fast Food bracket, and it was a doozy. Plenty of big upsets, close votes and intriguing match-ups.  In the first round, two #1 seeds, Burger King and Subway fell, as well as #2 seed Dunkin Donuts.

Click the bracket below to see all the first round results, including % of the vote won in each match-up. Scroll down for my predictions on the second round match-ups.

Analysis & Predictions:

#1 McDonald’s vs. #4 Dairy Queen

McDonald’s SHOULD beat Dairy Queen because frankly, they are #1 in the country. What they lack in quality they make up for in sheer volume, convenience, dollar menu etc. They also have a wealth of Facebook fans and Twitter followers to call upon if they want to get out the vote. However, Dairy Queen showed in the first round that they are much better at leveraging their fans through social media, and as such I expect them to prevail.

#2 KFC vs. #6 Five Guys

This is a tough one.  Five Guys is VERY popular, and I would bet the average voter stumbling across this site will go for them by about a 3/2 margin.  However, KFC is a huge chain with a national following and so far they’ve done a good job at mobilizing their fans to come out and vote. KFC should prevail.

#5 Popeyes vs. #8 Zaxby’s

Zaxby’s shocked the world by knocking off Burger King in the first round, but that was more an indication of Burger King’s terrible and inactive social media presence than it was of Zaxby’s strength. They have a cult following, but so does Popeyes, and as the bigger chain, they should win easily.

#2 Pizza Hut vs. #3 Sonic

Pizza Hut did a good job mobilizing it’s voters in round 1, but Sonic did an even better job. They have an insanely passionate fan base, active online presence and the ability to inspire their consumer. Honestly, at this early stage, they look like the one to beat in this whole tournament.  I expect them to knock off Pizza Hut easily.

#5 Chiptole vs. #8 White Castle

When I first published this bracket, I looked at Chipotle’s region and thought they would run the table. People LOVE Chipotle. However, what Chipotle does not seem to love is actively using their Facebook page to mobilize voters.  White Castle has a small following, but they were relentless about getting out the vote against Subway, a chain people have lukewarm feelings on. If Chipotle doesn’t mobilize the vote then this one will be close, but they should still emerge victorious.

#3 Arby’s vs. #7 Steak ‘n Shake

I’m not gonna mince words: I hate Arby’s. It’s gross. Yet somehow they defeated the In-N-Out secret menu, an incredibly tasty fast food chain that unfortunately barely anyone knows about because it’s in 4 states.  Steak ‘n Shake was a surprising victor over Dunkin Donuts, and I still have no idea how or why. DD with their 1 million + Facebook fans could have won in a landslide, but they didn’t mobilize any voters. This one’s a toss up.

#1 Wendy’s vs. #4 Chick-fil-A

Wendy’s had a really strong first round showing as other #1 seeds either went down to defeat or underperformed. They are big and widespread, and their fans seem to be passionate – but perhaps no fans are more passionate than Chick-fil-A’s. This one’s a toss up.

#2 Taco Bell vs. #3 Domino’s

Domino’s managed to get by a strong get out the vote effort from Whataburger in round 1 and seem to know how to  mobilize their voters. Taco Bell has a ton of loyalty out there though, and they are the bigger chain with more stores. If Taco Bell successfully mobilizes their voters through Facebook or Twitter, they should win by a moderate margin.

Who do you think should win and what are your predictions for these match-ups?

Disclosure: As I’ve mentioned in the past, Domino’s is a client of mine and my company.