Here are some of the best questions for an event attendee survey about food quality, plus tips on crafting them. If you want, you can quickly generate a conversational survey in seconds using Specific’s AI tools.
Best open-ended questions for event attendee surveys about food quality
Open-ended questions let attendees describe their experience in their own words. This provides richer context and uncovers motivations, preferences, and unmet needs—insights you’ll miss with just yes/no or scale questions. They're best when you want unfiltered feedback on what really stood out or could be improved. Here are our favorite open-ended questions for any event attendee food quality survey:
What stood out to you about the food options at this event?
How would you describe the overall quality of the food you tried?
Were there any food or drink items you especially enjoyed? What made them memorable?
Did you have any issues with food temperature, freshness, or presentation? Please describe.
Were your dietary needs or preferences (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.) adequately addressed?
Did you discover any local or unique dishes that you liked? Tell us about them.
How did the beverage selection complement the food? Any suggestions?
Were portions and wait times for food appropriate? If not, what could be improved?
Was there anything missing from the food selection that you would have liked?
Do you have any additional comments or suggestions for improving food at future events?
Open feedback is essential. 90% of event attendees consider quality food and drink key to a positive event experience [1], so these questions help pinpoint what really matters.
Best multiple-choice questions for event attendee surveys about food quality
Single-select multiple-choice questions are ideal for quantifying preferences and quickly seeing trends. They work well when you want a snapshot of satisfaction or need to compare options. These questions also make it easier for attendees to start sharing, breaking the ice so you can follow up with deeper, open-ended probes. Try these for food quality surveys:
Question: How would you rate the overall quality of the food at this event?
Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Question: Were your dietary preferences accommodated?
Yes, fully
Somewhat
No
No dietary preferences
Question: Which food option mattered most to you at this event?
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten-free
Meat-based
Other
When to follow up with "why?" If someone gives a negative or ambiguous answer ("Average" or "Somewhat"), it’s the perfect time to ask “Can you tell us why?” This quickly turns a basic result into actionable insight. For example, if someone marks "Average," a follow-up like “What could we do better next time?” adds depth you’d otherwise miss.
When and why to add the "Other" choice? Some guests may have needs or favorites you didn’t consider. Offering “Other” lets them specify and helps you discover emerging trends or overlooked issues. Follow-up questions on these "Other" responses often uncover valuable, previously unknown feedback.
Should you use NPS for food quality at events?
NPS (Net Promoter Score) asks how likely someone is to recommend your event based on their experience, often using a 0-10 scale. For event food quality, it helps you measure advocacy—did the food delight enough to drive word of mouth, or was it a letdown? 52% of attendees say catering significantly shapes their event experience [3], so understanding this can guide real changes. Setting up an NPS food quality survey is simple—just start here.
The power of follow-up questions
Asking follow-ups can double or triple your insight from responses. Specific’s automated follow-up feature lets AI probe for detail, clarify context, and react just like a skilled researcher in real time. Instead of chasing vague replies over email, you get clear, actionable data in one conversational flow. This makes surveys feel like a friendly chat instead of a boring form. (Read more about automated followups.)
Event Attendee: “The food was okay.”
AI follow-up: “Thanks! Could you share what you think would make the food better next time?”
How many followups to ask? Usually, 2–3 targeted follow-ups per topic gives you a complete view. Set up surveys so respondents can skip to the next question if they’re done—a feature built into Specific, saving time for everyone.
This makes it a conversational survey—a series of natural, two-way exchanges, not just a static interrogation.
AI analysis, response summaries, theme extraction: Even with lots of open responses, using AI for survey analysis makes it simple to find trends—see our guide on analyzing responses with AI for practical tips. This saves hours on manual review without missing subtle feedback.
Automated follow-ups are still new for many teams. Try using Specific to create a survey and see just how efficient it can be.
How to write a ChatGPT prompt for food quality survey questions
AI tools like ChatGPT help brainstorm and refine your survey, especially if you’re stuck on phrasing or want to check for bias. To get the best results, start with a focused prompt:
Ask the AI for open-ended questions:
Suggest 10 open-ended questions for event attendee survey about food quality.
But remember: AI always does better if you add background—describe your event, attendee type, goals, and food concept:
I’m hosting an outdoor cultural festival. Most guests are young adults who value variety, local ingredients, and sustainability. Suggest 10 open-ended questions to help me improve food quality for future events.
Once you have a long list, ask ChatGPT to group them:
Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.
See which categories resonate with your goals, then drill deeper:
Generate 10 questions for categories “Dietary options” and “Food presentation”.
What is a conversational survey?
A conversational survey doesn’t just ask, “Was the food good?” then move on. It adapts—asking why, probing for more details, and responding in real time. This results in more honest, thoughtful data that’s hard to get from old-school forms or generic survey builders.
Here’s how AI-generated surveys compare to traditional survey tools:
Manual Survey Creation | AI Survey Generator (like Specific) |
|---|---|
Write questions one by one | Create full surveys from your prompt |
Static, no follow-ups | Dynamically adapts with follow-up questions |
Difficult to analyze open-ended responses | AI summarizes and categorizes feedback instantly |
Time-consuming to launch and edit | Edit and deploy surveys by chatting with AI |
AI-powered conversational surveys save you hours and provide richer, context-aware feedback—ideal for food quality insights at busy events. Specific’s survey generator leads here, delivering the best experience for both creators and attendees, making feedback engaging, natural, and highly actionable.
If you want a step-by-step on starting, our guide on creating an event attendee survey about food quality walks you through the full process.
See this food quality survey example now
Experience the difference: try an AI-powered food quality survey and start gathering feedback that transforms your next event. Get richer insights, clearer recommendations, and happier attendees in record time!