Good Times (GTIM) Q3 2026: how to test the consumer questions investors asked

Good Times Restaurants Inc. (Nasdaq: GTIM), the parent of Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard and Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Thursday, Aug 6, 2026. The call left four consumer questions open for anyone modeling the two brands, and a fund can answer each one with a Neon Blue study well before the next earnings call.

How can a fund test whether Good Times' $2 Bambinos add visits or just replace bigger burgers?

To test whether Good Times' $2 Bambinos add visits or mostly replace a Deluxe cheeseburger, a fund can run a Neon Blue substitution study on burger quick-service guests in Good Times' Colorado markets, split by Bambinos buyers and other guests. Neon Blue returns what each Bambinos order replaced, attach rates for sides and custard, and the effect on average ticket and basket size by segment.

From the call. Good Times' CEO said the $2 Bambinos test (cheeseburger sliders with sauce and pickles) went system-wide in June, same-store sales ran in the mid-single digits in fiscal June, and sales, check and transactions all grew in June and July. Bambinos became the largest single burger item purchased. He said there is "certainly some cannibalization" of larger burgers, that average check shows guests adding other items, and that the company is considering keeping $2 past the planned summer end. Management didn't say how many Bambinos orders were new trips.

The study

• Audience. US adults 18 and older in Good Times' Colorado markets who bought a burger quick-service meal in the past month. Split into Bambinos buyers, other Good Times guests, and burger quick-service guests who haven't visited Good Times in 3 months. Cut by visit frequency and drive-thru vs walk-up window.
• Questions to field (the $2 price is from the call; other steps are test levels you set).
  1. In the past month, have you ordered Bambinos at Good Times? [Yes / No / Not sure]
  2. On your last Bambinos visit, what would you have done otherwise? [Ordered a Deluxe cheeseburger or another larger Good Times burger / Eaten at another burger place / Not stopped at all / Eaten at home]
  3. On that visit, did you also order fries, a drink or frozen custard? [Two or more of those / One of those / None]
  4. If Bambinos went back to regular price after summer, how often would you visit Good Times? [More / Same / Less / I'd stop]
  5. What makes Bambinos worth a stop compared with a larger burger? Tell us in your own words.
• What comes back. The share of Bambinos orders that are new visits versus swaps, attach rates, visit intent if the price ends, and reasons in guests' own words, by segment. Read it next to promotion sensitivity in the model.
• Time to answer. Well before the next earnings call.

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Example output layout (illustrative, not a real result)

The shape of a Neon Blue substitution output. Cells are blank on purpose. Nothing here is data about Good Times guests.

How can a fund test whether Bad Daddy's monthly LTO burgers bring lapsed guests back?

To test whether Bad Daddy's Burger Bar's monthly limited-time burgers win back guests after a 2.3% same-store sales drop in Q3 2026, a fund can run a Neon Blue purchase intent for a new product study on lapsed and current full-service burger guests. Neon Blue returns trial intent for each planned item, whether a new item alone brings a lapsed guest back, and the return rate after trial, by guest status.

From the call. Management said Bad Daddy's same-store sales fell 2.3% on reduced traffic, partly offset by menu prices about 2.5% higher. A May smash-style burger was the best-selling limited-time burger the brand has launched, the Big Dill is featured in August, and monthly drops run through the calendar year. A sampler platter, the first in Bad Daddy's history, and a Power Bowl bringing back ahi tuna are planned for the core menu in fiscal Q1 2027. Management didn't say how many LTO buyers came back the following month.

The study

• Audience. US adults 18 and older in markets with a Bad Daddy's who ate at a full-service burger restaurant in the past 6 months. Split into Bad Daddy's guests in the past 3 months, lapsed guests (last visit 6 to 18 months ago) and never-visited.
• Questions to field.
  1. When did you last eat at Bad Daddy's Burger Bar? [Past month / 1 to 3 months ago / 4 to 12 months ago / Over a year ago / Never]
  2. Bad Daddy's releases a new limited-time burger each month. How likely are you to visit in the next 30 days to try one? [0 to 10]
  3. Which new item would most bring you in? [This month's limited-time burger / A shareable sampler platter / A Power Bowl with ahi tuna / A returning fan-favorite burger / None]
  4. After trying a new item, how likely are you to come back the next month? [0 to 10]
  5. Why did you stop going, or why do you keep going? Tell us in your own words.
• What comes back. Trial intent by item, return intent after trial, and ranked reasons for lapsing, by guest status. Pair it with foot traffic for the visit side of the model.
• Time to answer. Well before the next earnings call.

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How can a fund test whether Good Times guests still see value with prices held for the rest of 2026?

To test whether Good Times guests still see value with no further menu price increases planned for the rest of fiscal 2026, a fund can run a Neon Blue price-increase tolerance study on frequent Good Times guests. Neon Blue returns a price-tolerance curve for the usual order and which value lever, Bambinos or a held menu price, keeps each segment visiting.

From the call. Good Times' average menu price was about 1.7% above the prior-year quarter, and management said that "based upon the competitiveness in the current market" it is not planning other price increases for the balance of the year. Same-store sales rose 0.6% for the quarter. Management didn't say whether pricing resumes in fiscal 2027.

The study

• Audience. US adults 18 and older who visited Good Times at least twice in the past 3 months. Cut by household income band and by whether they usually order Bambinos or a larger burger.
• Questions to field (dollar steps are test levels you set).
  1. Compared with other burger drive-thrus near you, is Good Times [A better value / About the same / Worse value]?
  2. If your usual Good Times order cost $0.50 more next year, what would you do? [No change / Order Bambinos instead / Visit less / Go elsewhere]
  3. And if it cost $1 more? [Same options]
  4. And $2 more? [Same options]
  5. Which would do the most to keep you coming? [Keeping $2 Bambinos / Holding prices on the rest of the menu / A combo deal / Faster service at the drive-thru or walk-up window]
  6. At what price for your usual order would you cut back? Tell us in your own words.
• What comes back. A price-tolerance curve by income band, the share trading into Bambinos at each step, ranked value levers and reasons in guests' own words. It slots into a consumer channel check on the quick-service brand.
• Time to answer. Well before the next earnings call.

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How can a fund test whether better server training lifts Bad Daddy's check and visits?

To test whether Bad Daddy's push on server salesmanship can lift both check and traffic, a fund can run a Neon Blue service-experience study on recent full-service burger guests. Neon Blue returns how often a server suggestion changes the order, which add-ons guests accept, and how much service drives return intent, by guest status.

From the call. Bad Daddy's is expanding team member training and retraining through a new learning management system, and the CEO said improved salesmanship is "key to improving both sales and traffic." Management didn't say when the training would show up in traffic.

The study

• Audience. US adults 18 and older who ate at a full-service burger restaurant in the past 3 months. Split into Bad Daddy's guests and other full-service burger guests, cut by party size and check band.
• Questions to field.
  1. On your last full-service burger visit, did your server suggest anything? [A starter or shareable / A drink / A dessert / An upgrade / Nothing]
  2. Did you order what they suggested? [Yes / No / Nothing was suggested]
  3. How would you rate the service on your last Bad Daddy's visit? [0 to 10 / Haven't visited]
  4. What would a server have to do for you to order more, or come back sooner? Tell us in your own words.
• What comes back. Suggestion acceptance, add-on mix, the link between service and return intent, and coded reasons, by segment. Read it with same-store sales, since it speaks to the check side of the comp.
• Time to answer. Well before the next earnings call.

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How Neon Blue runs consumer studies for funds

Neon Blue runs studies on simulated audiences grounded in real people's data. A fund brings a question tied to one variable in its model and gets the answer back by segment. See consumer research for funds.

• Scoped to the variable. Each study is built around the audience and questions behind one model line. Neon Blue answers the consumer question, never the call on the stock.
• Simulated, and kept separate. Simulated answers are kept separate from real responses. Bring your own audience data, or add live follow-ups through the AI interviewer.
• Private. Client questions stay private and are never used for training. Neon Blue has completed a SOC 2 Type II audit.
• Cost. A consumer study costs a fraction of a round of expert calls.

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What to watch before Good Times' Q4 2026 call

• Bambinos past summer. Management is considering keeping the $2 price beyond its planned end. Test: visit intent at regular price.
• Bad Daddy's monthly drops and new core items. Monthly limited-time burgers through calendar 2026, then the sampler platter and ahi tuna Power Bowl in fiscal Q1 2027. Test: trial and return intent among lapsed guests.
• Price hold at Good Times. No further increases planned for the balance of fiscal 2026. Test: tolerance for a fiscal 2027 step.

FAQ

What consumer questions came out of Good Times' Q3 2026 earnings call?

Four: whether $2 Bambinos add visits or replace larger burgers, whether Bad Daddy's monthly limited-time burgers bring lapsed guests back, whether Good Times guests still see value with prices held for the rest of fiscal 2026, and whether server training lifts Bad Daddy's check and traffic. Each maps to a Neon Blue study on this page.

How can I test Bambinos before Good Times reports Q4 2026?

Run a Neon Blue substitution study on burger quick-service guests in Good Times' Colorado markets. It shows which Bambinos orders are new visits, which replace a larger burger, and how visits change if the $2 price ends.

Why do Good Times and Bad Daddy's need separate studies?

The two brands serve different occasions, a quick drive-thru stop and a full-service burger bar, and they moved in opposite directions in Q3 2026. Neon Blue builds a separate audience for each so one brand's guests don't blur the other's read.

How long does a Neon Blue study take?

A Neon Blue study comes back well before the next earnings call.

Does Neon Blue give a view on GTIM stock?

No. Neon Blue answers the consumer question behind a variable in your model. It doesn't make stock calls.

Related consumer studies

• Consumer studies for restaurant analysts
• Promotion sensitivity
• Price-increase tolerance
• Pre-earnings consumer checks