McDonald’s Still Wearing the Crown
Despite all the grumbling about rising prices and that infamous E. coli outbreak last year, McDonald’s somehow managed to keep its spot as America’s top fast food chain. McDonald’s remains the No.1 fast food chain in America despite recently reporting a drop in sales, according to a new report by QSR Magazine. High prices and a listeria outbreak negatively impacted McDonald’s sales, which were down 1.4% according to fourth-quarter earnings reports, with CEO Chris Kempczinski admitting “Our performance in 2024 did not meet our expectations.” Yet customers keep coming back, even though a McDonald’s breakfast for two can now cost $25. The company has continued a $5 value meal at most of its locations throughout the summer in an effort to entice inflation-weary customers that were lost due to rising prices. Sometimes tradition trumps everything else – McDonald’s has been serving Big Macs since 1955, and that golden arches nostalgia runs deep.
Chick-fil-A Redefining What Sunday Means
Over the past decade, Chick-fil-A has quadrupled in size to become the third-largest chain in America by sales, with only McDonald’s and Starbucks generating more annual sales than Chick-fil-A. Here’s the kicker though – Chick-fil-A’s non-mall restaurants brought in $9.4 million in revenue on average in 2023, which is more than double McDonald’s average unit volumes of close to $4 million. Think about that for a second. They’re closed every Sunday, yet they’re absolutely crushing it per location. Famously closed on Sundays, Chick-fil-A has skyrocketed in popularity over the years, with its menu consisting of chicken sandwiches and nuggets paired with waffle fries and lemonade. It’s like they figured out the secret sauce to making people crave chicken sandwiches six days a week more than other chains do seven days a week. Their customer loyalty is honestly kind of scary – in a good way.
Raising Cane’s Taking the Chicken World by Storm
Raising Cane’s (#16) passed KFC in the rankings, with Wingstop’s 41% growth in consumer spend marking the largest gains among the top 50 chains, while Raising Cane’s 31% expansion was second greatest. For the first half of 2024, Raising Cane’s same-store sales increased 17.5%, which helped boost revenues by 33% year over year to $2.3 billion, driven by a 12.8% increase in traffic and a 4.7% increase in average check. With 17 new Restaurants opened in December, they wrapped up 2024 with a total of 118 Restaurants opened! Their strategy is brilliantly simple – chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, Texas toast, and that magical Cane’s sauce. That’s it. No complicated menu, no confusion. The chain is one of the fastest growing concepts in the industry with plans to reach $10 billion in sales and 1,600 restaurants, leveraging a wildly popular chicken category with a simple menu of chicken tenders, coleslaw, fries, and Texas Toast.
Wingstop Riding the Wing Wave
This year in the sales-growth race, Raising Cane’s may be chasing Wingstop, which reported an industry-busting 29% increase in domestic same-store sales in the second quarter, driven almost entirely by traffic. Marketing investments this year focused on live sports, including Wingstop’s designation as the Official Partner of the NBA, have created more brand awareness and generated new guests. If it’s wings you’re after, then Wingstop is perhaps the best fast-food option, with chefs raving about this place as the chain offers roughly a dozen different sauces and dry rubs to flavor your wings, all with varying levels of heat. Founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, Wingstop has grown in popularity year by year, with revenue increasing by 21.6% since 2020. They’ve managed to turn chicken wings from a bar snack into a legitimate fast-food category all their own.
Chipotle Keeps Rolling Despite the Challenges
Chipotle delivered full year 2024 comparable sales increase of 7.4% driven by 5.3% transaction growth, with CEO Scott Boatwright noting they had “another outstanding year, delivering strong transaction driven comps each quarter.” During 2024 they opened 304 company-owned restaurants, bringing the total restaurant count to 3,726, with 257 including a Chipotlane. Data from Placer.ai showed that Chipotle saw visits increase by 10% year-over-year in the first quarter, with comparable sales rising 7%. Sure, they’ve had their portion size controversies and the occasional price hike complaint, but people still line up for those burrito bowls. The third annual “Gen Z’s Top 25 Most Magnetic Brands” report finds that McDonald’s, Wingstop, Raising Cane’s, Chipotle, and Starbucks are popular among the demographic. Their commitment to “Food with Integrity” and customizable meals keeps them relevant even when inflation hits everyone’s wallets.
The Subway Slide Continues
The single biggest fast food chain by sheer volume, with over 20,000 stores just in the US, Subway should be eating $5 footlongs at the top of the heap but instead it’s on the verge of completely imploding, with The Washington Post reporting a drop in foot traffic of 25 percent over the last several years. Subway, a global leader in fast-food sandwiches, is significantly reducing its footprint in 2025, as despite attempts to modernize with refreshed menus and redesigned stores, the chain has struggled to compete with smaller, gourmet sandwich shops. Some estimates claim up to a third of all Subways are losing money, with franchisees blaming the leadership. It’s wild to think the chain that once promised to “Eat Fresh” and had Jared as their spokesperson is now closing locations left and right. The problem isn’t just competition – it’s that there are simply too many Subway locations cannibilizing each other’s sales. However, it lost its growth due to the closing of around 6000 US stores from 2015-2021.
Quiznos Nearly Toast
Quizno’s, once the second-largest sandwich chain in the country with over 5,000 restaurants has been on a steady decline, with currently only 148 in the US. As of 2024, just 148 Quiznos are left despite various turnaround measures. When Subway decided to bite back in 2005 by introducing toasters into their locations, Quiznos competitive edge was demolished, then Subway introduced the $5 footlong and to remain competitive Quiznos began handing out coupons for free sandwiches. In 2014 franchisees were fed up with minimal profits as Quiznos forced them to purchase food and paper products at inflated prices, leading to a lawsuit alleging fraud and ultimately a bankruptcy filing. Remember when Quiznos was everywhere with those weird talking baby commercials? Those days feel like ancient history now. The toasted sub concept that once made them special became standard everywhere else, and they never recovered from the blow.
Steak ‘n Shake Losing Its Sizzle
Since 2018, Steak ‘n Shake has closed 200 locations, and as part of a refranchising effort closed 44 in 2019, though CEO Sardar Biglari maintains the brand is set for a comeback saying “The new team is setting a new pace in 2025—fast and focused.” Steak ‘n Shake is no stranger to adversity, with the fast-food burger chain closing 200 locations from 2018 to 2025, though following a major overhaul of the senior management team, they’re hopeful for a turnaround. Customers complain “They seem to have replaced most of their employees with computers and kiosk and often you cannot even eat inside, though their burgers, shakes, and fries are like the best out of any of the major fast food restaurants.” It’s honestly heartbreaking because anyone who’s had a real Steak ‘n Shake experience knows their burgers and hand-dipped shakes were something special. The problem is they tried to automate everything and lost that personal touch that made them worth the wait.
The fast food landscape is shifting faster than a drive-thru line at lunch rush, and it’s fascinating to watch which chains adapt and which ones get left behind. The winners seem to understand that Americans want either incredible convenience or an experience worth paying for – there’s not much middle ground anymore. So next time you’re deciding where to grab a quick bite, remember you’re not just choosing lunch – you’re casting a vote for which chains will still be around in ten years. Which team are you on?
