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

FAQs

What is the #1 fast food chain in America? ›

What is the number one fast food chain the US? McDonalds is the number one fast food chain in the US. McDonald's is the number one restaurant chain in America based on both sales and number of locations, and it has over 36,000 restaurants in over 100 different countries.

McDonald's

The ACSI data shows McDonald's satisfaction score has dropped from 70 to 68, putting it at the very bottom of the list of customer favorites among fast-food chains.

McDonald's, which is the largest U.S. restaurant chain by sales, has a clear size advantage over Chick-fil-A, with roughly 14,000 U.S. locations, and plans to build 900 more by 2027. But McDonald's hasn't been able to match Chick-fil-A's massive annual unit volumes or its reputation for customer service.

McDonald's was the most valuable fast food brand in the world with an estimated brand value of about 191 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

When it comes to total sales, nobody holds a candle to McDonald's. The fast-food behemoth, in 2017, reported $37,480.67 (in millions) across its 14,000 domestic units—more than double its nearest competitor.

Indeed, Kalinowski Equity Research noted all the way back in 2018 that Chick-fil-A's biggest competitor is McDonald's and it's no wonder why the Golden Arches and seemingly every other QSR concept (and beyond) have since ignited a chicken sandwich war replicating the Atlanta-based chain's signature product.

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.

Who is number 1 on the food chain? ›

Humans are sometimes called apex predators, which means they occupy the top position in the food chain and have no natural predators.

Most historians agree that the American company White Castle was the first fast-food outlet, starting in Wichita, Kansas in 1916 with food stands and founding in 1921, selling hamburgers for five cents apiece from its inception and spawning numerous competitors and emulators.

Subway is now officially the largest restaurant chain in the world. The company passed McDonald's in the United States in 2002 but it has now passed it worldwide. Subway had 33,749 restaurants worldwide at the end of last year, according to company reports, and McDonald's Corp. had 32,737.

1. McDonald's. Taking the top spot with ease, the Mac Daddy and OG of fast food chains is McDonald's! From young kids excited about Happy Meals to adults looking for that familiar bite of a Big Mac, their menu is for everyone.