Here are the most popular fast food brands in America
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Key points
- The major fast food brands all have familiar names: McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and KFC.
- McDonald’s serves 69 million people every day, more than the population of Thailand and the UK.
- Americans now spend more on fast food than on groceries.
The fast food industry is a multi-billion dollar business in the United States. Recovering from the pandemic, the industry is expected to generate $331 billion this year. There is no doubt that Americans love their fast food. And with so many options to choose, it can be difficult to know which brands are the most popular. The major fast food brands all have familiar names: McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and KFC.
Most Popular Fast Food Companies
McDonald’s is by far the most popular fast food chain in the United States. It has approximately 13,500 locations in the United States, 40,000 worldwide, and operates in 118 countries. McDonald’s serves 69 million people every day, more than the population of Thailand and the UK.
Starbucks is number 2, powered by the Starbucks Card program and Starbucks mobile ordering and payment. No. 3 is Chick-fil-A, which is about three times smaller than Taco Bell in terms of number of locations, but generates 33% more revenue. Chick-fil-A is arguably the fastest growing fast food brand in the country, in fact. Taco Bell and Wendy’s round out the top five. A new Taco Bell has opened on average every two hours over the past year.
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We’ve compiled a list of the most popular fast food brands in America, based on total US sales and locations in 2021.
Mark |
System-wide sales, 2021 |
Number of slots |
---|---|---|
McDonald’s |
$45.96 billion |
13,458 pitches |
Starbucks |
$24.3 billion |
15,450 pitches |
Chick-fil-A |
$16.7 billion |
2,732 pitches |
Taco Bell |
$12.6 billion |
7,002 pitches |
Wendy’s |
$11.1 billion |
5,938 pitches |
Dunkin’: |
$10.4 billion |
9,244 pitches |
Burger King |
$10 billion |
7,105 pitches |
Subway |
$9.4 billion |
21,147 pitches |
Dominoes |
$8.6 billion |
6,560 pitches |
Chipotle |
$7.5 billion |
2,966 pitches |
Sonic drive-in |
$5.8 billion |
3,552 pitches |
panera bread |
$5.7 billion |
2,080 pitches |
pizza hut |
$5.5 billion |
6,548 pitches |
KFC |
$5.1 billion |
3,953 pitches |
Kitchen Louisiana Popeyes |
$4.5 billion |
2,754 pitches |
dairy queen |
$4.5 billion |
4,339 pitches |
Arby’s |
$4.5 billion |
3,409 pitches |
Panda Express |
$4.5 billion |
2,334 pitches |
Little Caesars |
$4.2 billion |
4,181 pitches |
jack in the box |
$4.1 billion |
2,218 pitches |
Daddy Johns |
$3.5 billion |
3,164 pitches |
whataburger |
$2.7 billion |
873 pitches |
Culver’s |
$2.5 billion |
837 pitches |
Raising Caine |
$2.4 billion |
567 pitches |
At Jimmy John’s |
$2.3 billion |
2,657 pitches |
wing stop |
$2.3 billion |
1,534 pitches |
At Zaxby’s |
$2.2 billion |
908 pitches |
Jersey Mike’s |
$2.2 billion |
2,100 pitches |
Hardee’s |
$2.1 billion |
1,734 pitches |
five guys |
$2.1 billion |
1,390 pitches |
Carl’s Jr. |
$1.6 billion |
1,058 pitches |
Bojangles |
$1.5 billion |
773 pitches |
Burger In-N-Out |
$1.2 billion |
370 pitches |
fire station submarines |
$1 billion |
1,140 pitches |
Krispy Kreme |
$996 million |
358 pitches |
El Pollo Loco |
$973 million |
481 pitches |
Tropical Smoothie Coffee |
$948 million |
1,039 pitches |
Del Taco |
$931 million |
600 pitches |
Ladies/Rally |
$931 million |
834 pitches |
Marco’s pizza |
$899 million |
1,002 pitches |
McAlister’s Deli |
$869 million |
505 pitches |
Qdoba |
$835 million |
739 pitches |
Papa Murphy’s |
$809 million |
1,240 pitches |
Shake Shack |
$777 million |
243 pitches |
Church Chicken |
$776 million |
892 pitches |
Freddy’s frozen custard and steak |
$759 million |
420 pitches |
Tim Hortons |
$687 million |
637 pitches |
Baskin Robbins |
$686 million |
2,317 pitches |
by Moe |
$661 million |
659 pitches |
white castle |
$615 million |
349 pitches |
Data source: QSR magazine.
There are many types of Fast food, ranging from global chains like McDonald’s and KFC, to local businesses like hamburger restaurants and pizzerias. Fast food is a staple of the American diet today. In fact, Americans now spend more on fast food than races. This is partly due to the recession as people have had to alter their personal finances and have often turned to cheap and convenient meals instead of cooking at home. But it’s also due to the growing popularity and ease of accessing fast food chain fare through methods like food delivery apps.
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