Restaurant Mystery Shops

i apologize if this is a topic that exists already, but I am relatively new to the mystery shopping gig and so far have been enjoying it. I have done a lot of storage unit shops, USPS, virtual web/phone shops, and electronics shops, but really want to expand a bit if anyone has any advice or "hints" on any other MSCs that I can sign up for. I would love to do more virtual shops, and shops for restaurants too, like Olive Garden or Chipotle (if they still offer MS). Thank you!

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There is a list of mystery shopping companies at the end of this page. Start signing up with them as you have time. Knowing which MSCs have shops in Idaho (for instance) is of marginal value if you live in Virginia. Some fast food companies have national programs, some are local, and some work through franchisees. Start with the top 15 companies on the list. Some are out of business, and the list is therefore out of date, but it is a place to start.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

oh thank you

BTW, Chipotle no longer has mystery shops. I don't recall ever seeing Olive Garden.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

Olive Garden did a 1x thing earlier in 2022 for a limited menu roll out. It was more of a promotional push for the new items and how the restaurants were handling it. I only saw if for 1 or 2 rounds in 2022. Can't remember how long it had been before (maybe 5 years earlier with a different MSC).

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the restaurants I have shopped previously have discontinued their shopping programs. We used to get more free meals than we knew what to do with. Now, there are very few in my region. Other areas may be better.

Olive Garden had one earlier this year that was reimbursement only and did not cover the cost of the required items. I did one b/c my daughter loves OG and we’d eat there anyway.

San Diego - CA

A Closer Look and Coyle could be worth signing up for if you like more upscale restaurants. Both lean on the more narrative side so expect to write longish reports with a lot of details.

Some companies have their mystery shopping performed "in house," by their own employees. Sometimes they supplement their in-house work with one-off assignments through MS companies.

I dont know how effective it is compared with what we do, but I know we are da bomb!

In latish 2021 when a few restaurant shops came back I was able to easily assign them to myself as it seems many others were still not mystery shopping. In my city there were still rules as to how far away tables had to be from each other and many featured outdoor dining. In the past few months it seems there are still the same few clients as a year ago but they are gone before I get a chance to apply. I gather the competition for these shops has returned and with so few non fast food available they go quickly...that is all except the one I did a few months ago where the report took me 5 hours to complete. That msc cannot seem to find shoppers.

In my first four yrs. shopping, I completed several fine dining shops. I discontinued applying for those jobs due to the considerable time of the reports and have never regretted that decision. My choices, by far, are casual and fast casual. They require just enough narrative to be undesirable to shoppers whose interest is checking boxes.

BJ Restaurant and Brewhouse, Red Lobster, Bartaco and Texas Roadhouse still offer MS

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2022 11:13PM by gene.

They're also quite a few delivery shops from fast casual restaurants that do delivery. IHOP is shopped so is their ghost kitchens.

are you able to hint any MS companies that do BJ Brewhouse, Red Lobster or Texas Roadhouse? I was able to find Red Lobster and actually signed up for the shop, but can not locate any others but the occasional IHOP

@hinakhuynh wrote:

are you able to hint any MS companies that do BJ Brewhouse, Red Lobster or Texas Roadhouse? I was able to find Red Lobster and actually signed up for the shop, but can not locate any others but the occasional IHOP

Look at Presto. They have listings from a bunch of SASSIE based MSCs. You may be able to find the comany that does those shops there.

MS who does Teas Roadhouse are strugling to get shoppers all time and asking for referals.

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

@Amarsir wrote:

A Closer Look and Coyle could be worth signing up for if you like more upscale restaurants. Both lean on the more narrative side so expect to write longish reports with a lot of details.

Coyle has ‘longish’ reports. The is the understatement of the year. If you do a Coyle report you might have to write in the region of 1he equivalent of 10 A4 pages unless you want them constantly badgering you for small details.

@gene wrote:

MS who does Teas Roadhouse are strugling to get shoppers all time and asking for referals.

t

East of the Mississippi I think is the border there is a scheduler that is the worst scheduler I've dealt with. I've tried to re-shedule shops with her and got a ""1" twice from her. I now apparently no longer get e-mails from the MSC that does the Texas Roadhouse shops since they are on the board and I didn't get an e-mail.

She also schedules for several other MSCs and I'm guessing I don't get their e-mails about their shops either.

Funny she sent me desperate e-mails that she needed shops done NOW. Why the hell would I help her if I could after the way she treated me.

I'm not not the only shopper who has has issues with her. Do a search on NA or Natale Atkins.

I searched. I didn't find anything.

@wrosie wrote:

East of the Mississippi I think is the border there is a scheduler that is the worst scheduler I've dealt with. I've tried to re-shedule shops with her and got a ""1" twice from her. I now apparently no longer get e-mails from the MSC that does the Texas Roadhouse shops since they are on the board and I didn't get an e-mail.

She also schedules for several other MSCs and I'm guessing I don't get their e-mails about their shops either.

Funny she sent me desperate e-mails that she needed shops done NOW. Why the hell would I help her if I could after the way she treated me.

I'm not not the only shopper who has has issues with her. Do a search on NA or Natale Atkins.

Rosie,

Her name is Nikki Atkins. And she has done it to all of us at least once. I don't do shops with her name on it, EVER. And I have added another name to the NEVER list, her name is Elise. I still do work for that MSC, now and then for other schedulers, but I don't bend, and I don't do favors, because they don't.

She gave me a "1" when I had to cancel a shop after being exposed to someone with severe covid. (That person survived, but others in that family did not.) It was what normal MS compsnies required their shoppers to do. That single rating somehow cut through years of "10" ratings, lowering my overall rating such that I no longer qualified for any of their shops.

I was upset, then realized, good riddance. It is an example of how one person can ruin things for others.

Susan,

Exactly, she ruined my whole mystery shopping experience because SHE didn't feel I was worthy. Then when she frantically e-mailed me about shops she needed done and I didn't respond. She says "Are you getting my e-mails?"

I told another scheduler that I haven't responded to her ranting e-mails because I wasn't going to help her. And she responded, well lets just say in her own interest.

@wrosie wrote:

I told another scheduler that I haven't responded to her ranting e-mails because I wasn't going to help her. And she responded, well lets just say in her own interest.

I get her emails every day from other companies she works for. I make a note of those companies so as to beware of all of their shops. She may be a scheduler/helper on any of them, and I have no plans to do shops for her again.

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