There’s a moment every diner knows too well. You sit down, you wait, the food arrives cold or wrong, and something inside you quietly says: “Never again.” Across the United States in 2024 and 2025, that feeling has become a full-blown trend, with millions of customers walking out of once-beloved restaurant chains for the last time.
Consumer reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, Yelp, Reddit, and Consumer Affairs are overflowing with frustration. Backed by data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which surveys tens of thousands of real diners, the picture is clear: some of America’s most recognizable chains are losing customers at a rate that can’t be ignored. Here’s who’s on the list, and why.
1. McDonald’s – The Golden Arches Are Losing Their Glow
Honestly, it feels strange putting McDonald’s on a list like this. It’s the most recognized fast food brand on the planet. Yet the numbers don’t lie. McDonald’s, which also placed last in 2024 and 2023 in the ACSI rankings, saw its score fall from 71 to 70 in 2025. That’s dead last among all major quick-service restaurant chains in the country.
“Too expensive” was the most common complaint among surveyed diners, with many saying they get better value elsewhere. Inconsistent food quality and a loss of iconic menu items have hurt the brand’s appeal. Think about that for a moment – McDonald’s, the brand built on cheap and cheerful, is now being called out for being too pricey.
In recent years, customers have been turned off by prices that climbed into double digits, with Big Mac meals reaching as high as $18 in some cities. In McDonald’s first-quarter earnings report for 2025, it revealed that its U.S. comparable sales decreased by 3.6% year-over-year during the quarter. For a chain built on affordability, that kind of pricing backlash is about as damaging as it gets.
McDonald’s ranked dead last in customer service, and this isn’t its first time at the bottom – though to be fair, its score improved by 3%, jumping from 69 in 2023 to 71 in 2024. Customers continue to report messed-up orders and rude staff, a combination that’s making the golden arches lose their glow.
2. Applebee’s – A Neighborhood Favorite That Lost the Neighborhood
Applebee’s used to be the go-to spot for a casual dinner that felt comfortable and affordable. These days, it reads more like a cautionary tale. Since 2021, Applebee’s has struggled with store closures and declining same-store sales, dropping from 1,578 stores in 2021 to 1,501 in 2024, according to the brand’s SEC filings. Applebee’s saw 35 net domestic restaurant closures in 2024 alone.
In multiple Reddit feeds, customers complain about experiences dining at Applebee’s, with the majority of issues arising from bad service and understaffed restaurants in major need of a facelift. A chain that once prided itself on “neighborhood” warmth is now being described as a place people leave and never return to.
Pervasive poor customer service, long waits, and rude managers are among the most common Applebee’s customer complaints. Frequent food quality issues including undercooked, cold meals, and reports of food poisoning also dominate the reviews. Applebee’s has a rating of 2.1 stars from 191 reviews on Sitejabber, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied.
3. Denny’s – When the 24-Hour Diner Can’t Keep Up
Few brands carry as much American diner nostalgia as Denny’s. The Grand Slam breakfast. The late-night booths. The vibe of a place always open. That reputation, though, is cracking under serious pressure right now. According to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Denny’s is the worst-rated full-service restaurant chain in 2025, with a rating of 75 out of 100, and its customer satisfaction score has gone down since 2024.
According to Consumer Affairs, which has more than 400 ratings and reviews of the chain, customers agree on a few main problem areas. In particular, they take issue with long wait times and inconsistent service quality, with some customers noting it took more than an hour to be seated while others claim their waitress all but ignored them.
Denny’s experienced a terrible 2024 and announced it was closing 50 of its restaurants in just a few months, citing underperformance as the main reason. This followed a difficult period where a large number of its restaurants stopped operating round-the-clock in a bid to save money. In the same announcement, Denny’s also stated it was closing 100 further restaurants throughout 2025. In total, 180 restaurants were due to close in just 24 months, a huge proportion of its remaining locations.
4. TGI Fridays – The Party Is Officially Over
There was a time when TGI Fridays genuinely felt like a celebration. It was lively, fun, and the cocktails were good. Somewhere between the 1990s and now, that energy just evaporated. TGI Friday’s confirmed it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024 and has continued shuttering restaurants in 2025. According to its website, only 85 remain open.
While TGI Fridays has a reputation for welcoming waitstaff and a friendly atmosphere, the inconsistent food quality and long waiting times deter many people. Together with the number of restaurants closing, that may actually spell disaster for TGI Friday’s.
Soggy French fries, bare ribs, old lettuce, over-fried chicken strips, and bitter Alfredo are among the complaints from customers online. Many also find their food being served cold or the waitstaff delivering the entirely wrong order to their table. Customers who try to subvert the chaos by ordering online don’t seem to have luck either.
5. KFC – The Colonel Has Lost His Recipe for Success
KFC is one of those brands that should, theoretically, be indestructible. Fried chicken never goes out of style. Yet here we are. The owner of the largest ACSI drop from 2024 to 2025 is KFC, which fell from a score of 81 to 77 out of 100 – the steepest single-year decline of any restaurant in the entire index.
The famed fried chicken franchise saw its sales in 2024 drop even as other poultry chains like Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Raising Cane’s, and Wingstop increased their revenue. KFC fell behind all of those competing restaurants in total consumer spending, placing the once-dominant Colonel Sanders in fifth place among fast food chicken spots.
Customers who say the chain has declined most often talk about its budding inconsistency, including chicken that is not as crisp, flavor differences compared to long-held recipes, longer hold times, and sides that feel hit-or-miss. Over on Facebook, the group KFC Complaints, started in December 2019, has over 55,000 members voicing similar grievances. That’s a pretty loud wake-up call for any brand.
6. Sonic Drive-In – The App Is Broken, and So Is the Experience
The drive-in concept is genuinely fun and nostalgic, and Sonic built a cult following on it. In 2025, though, the experience itself is what’s driving customers away for good. Sonic scored a disappointing 73 in 2025, falling well short of the 79-point average for quick-service restaurants, and it has fallen considerably from last year’s score of 76, suggesting things are heading downhill fast.
On Trustpilot, Sonic’s reputation takes an even harder hit with a dismal 1.5-star rating. Let’s be real – that’s practically the floor. Customers report dealing with rude staff, shakes that arrive runny instead of thick, and an ordering system and app that is often not working. Getting orders wrong appears to be a regular occurrence, and even worse are the complaints about undercooked food.
While Sonic’s ACSI score significantly improved to 76 in 2024, up from 72 in 2023, complaints about inconsistent service and long waits continue. Many customers report that understaffed locations lead to extended wait times, even when placing mobile orders. Two steps forward, three steps back.
7. Subway – Bigger Isn’t Always Better
Subway once seemed unstoppable. It was everywhere, it was relatively affordable, and it sold a healthier fast-food image that resonated with millions. That era is looking increasingly distant. At its peak in 2015, Subway had approximately 27,000 restaurants in the U.S., and that number has been gradually sinking ever since. In 2024, it had to close a massive 631 restaurants in the U.S., and it spent much of 2025 without a permanent CEO.
Complaints about inconsistencies across locations, rude employees, sloppy sandwiches, and long waits placed Subway in a low spot, with a customer satisfaction score of 74, down from 75 in 2023. For a sandwich chain, a sloppy sandwich is really the one problem you absolutely cannot afford to have.
Subway was rated 74 out of 100 in 2024, representing a one-point decrease from 2023. There is a silver lining on the international front, where the store has managed to continue growing overseas for two consecutive years. Domestically, though, it’s having a hard time, partly due to fierce competition from other brands.
8. Burger King – Slow Service, Broken Promises
Burger King has long marketed itself as the better alternative to McDonald’s. The “have it your way” promise felt meaningful. Today, customers are saying they can rarely have it any way at all – at least not in a timely, accurate fashion. After a dismal 2024, Burger King is also struggling. Restaurant Brands International reported quarterly earnings with same-store sales of Burger King declining 1.3%, steeper than the estimated 0.9% decline.
Customers complain that they seldom have it their way at Burger King. The chain scored 77 in the latest ACSI ranking, with customers reporting slow service and frequent order mistakes. It’s a frustrating pattern for a brand that has been trying desperately to turn things around.
Starting in late 2025, Wendy’s began a large wave of closings affecting hundreds of locations, and at Burger King too, customers have started to feel the shockwaves. Corporate leadership insists these shutdowns are part of a strategic realignment, yet the closures seem to be landing hardest in areas where residents rely on affordable fast-food options the most. Customers have taken to review platforms to express frustration over shuttered stores, unpredictable hours, and stretched-thin staff. Reports suggest that service at surviving locations feels rushed, understaffed, and inconsistent.
9. Chili’s – The TikTok Bump Can’t Hide Real Problems
Chili’s had a remarkable social media moment in 2024. The Triple-Dipper went viral on TikTok, and foot traffic shot up. It looked, briefly, like a turnaround story. Here’s the thing though – viral moments don’t fix operational dysfunction. Despite the rise, fall, and recent resurgence of Chili’s, the chain seems to be dropping in customer satisfaction compared to previous years. Based on the ACSI, the chain has dropped a couple of points between 2024 and 2025, and more than half of the customer ratings on Consumer Affairs are 1-star reviews.
Around spring of 2024, Chili’s rolled out new promotions and menu items aimed at attracting McDonald’s customers. These customers came in with different expectations than Chili’s typical crowd. Apparently, this shift, along with the rapid changes happening at the chain, is the cause of its satisfaction decline.
Many reviews report food quality issues, with customers complaining that many of their meals lacked flavor, were burnt, had unexpected spice, and more. Some have reported issues like potato soup that arrived without potatoes, reminiscent of baby food. Similarly, the restaurant has served chicken quesadillas that were severely lacking in chicken. At those prices, that’s hard to forgive.
10. Hooters – A Brand That Can’t Find Its Footing
Hooters was never going to be everyone’s favorite, but it had a loyal customer base for decades. That base has been eroding steadily, and 2024 and 2025 brought things to a head in a very public way. Hooters filed for bankruptcy in April 2025 after years of decline. The chain is determined to survive by selling 100 restaurants to franchisees.
Hooters’ bankruptcy claim was followed by more bad news when, in June, the chain suddenly announced it was closing dozens of its restaurants. Later in the year, it shifted to a pure franchise model – a plan designed to try and save the brand and keep it operating for years to come.
The model depends on franchisees buying in and wanting to keep the brand alive. They’ll only do that if they feel like it’s a safe bet – and that may not be the case going forward. I think it’s hard to say for sure whether Hooters can genuinely stage a comeback, but the road ahead looks steep, and customers who’ve already moved on show little sign of returning.
