Ranking The Top 50 Fast-Food Chains in America - QSR Magazine (2024)

FAQs

What is the QSR 50? ›

A look at how the 50 biggest brands in America navigated the greatest crisis in restaurant history.

Culver's was recently named as the best fast food chain in America by Fodors.com's Geena Truman. Truman compiled a list ranking the 12 best fast food joints in the U.S. and chose the Wisconsin-based restaurant as its top choice.

McDonald's is the largest fast-food chain. Yum! Brands is based in China and is the largest quick-service restaurant company in the world.

Dive into all the data, from total sales to AUVs to unit counts and growth, with this free report of the 2022 QSR 50.

What is a QSR? When we define QSR, the QSR meaning is 'Quick Service Restaurant. ' In professional terms, this is official restaurant terminology for what others may call a 'Fast Food' restaurant. Burger King, KFC, McDonald's, Subway, Wendy's, and Taco Bell are prime examples of QSR establishments.

McDonald's is one of the largest and most well-known fast-food chains in the world. Privately-owned Burger King is McDonald's closest competitor. Yum Brands operates Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut. Subway is the largest restaurant chain in the world in terms of size, but sales have been sliding since 2012.

As a lean-meat protein, Chick-Fil-A's nutrition profile can offer great choices for a healthy meal-all depending on the cooking method. Breading and deep frying both add unnecessary fats and calories to the meal, taking away from some of its nutritional value.

In 2022, there were approximately 198 thousand quick service restaurants in the United States, up from approximately 194 thousand the previous year.

What is the difference between fast-food and QSR? ›

Although fast casuals also offer “fast food,” the guest may order at the counter and take their seat with an employee delivering their food 5-10 minutes later. QSR guests usually take their food immediately.

Distinguishing QSR, Fast Casual, and Casual Dining

The degree of service, atmosphere, and menu selections distinguish QSRs, fast casual, and casual dining. QSRs, also known as fast-food restaurants, emphasize speed and convenience by offering a restricted menu and self-service alternatives.

The franchisee only pays the $10k franchise fee. Chick-fil-A pays for (and retains ownership of) everything — real estate, equipment, inventory — and in return, it takes a MUCH bigger piece of the pie. While a franchise like KFC takes 5% of sales, Chick-fil-A commands 15% of sales + 50% of any profit.

Chick-fil-A is the third-largest restaurant chain in the U.S. by sales — and the company that everyone in the restaurant industry is looking to beat. Even McDonald's, which outstrips Chick-fil-A by sales and footprint, is leaning into chicken to drive growth.

That means each of McDonald's domestic locations generated roughly $3.9 million in sales last year, while Wendy's and Burger King had an average of $2 million and $1.7 million per store, respectively. Created with Highcharts 9.0. 1 U.S. sales per store* Sources: The companies Note: Data are for 2023.

This bullish growth comes as Taco Bell delivers “industry-leading” margins of 24% and average unit volumes of about $1.95 million, according to Technomic Ignite data. And, complexity aside, executives are confident these new menu items will continue to provide a strong tailwind for the brand.