The 15 biggest fast-food chains in the US, ranked

Erin McDowell
·3 min read
5

  • Technomic data analyzed by Nation's Restaurant News ranks the top 15 US fast-food restaurants.

  • McDonald's topped the list as the biggest fast-food chain in the country.

  • Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and Taco Bell also ranked highly.

In the US, fast food is king. However, some chains are simply bigger than others.

From McDonald's to Taco Bell, quick-service and fast-casual chains fared far better last year compared to casual-dining chains like Chili's and Applebee's, Restaurant Business reported in June. However, those chains are attempting to level the playing field this year with value-focused initiatives and comparable menu items — and it might be winning customers over.

The research firm Technomic recently identified the top 500 biggest chain restaurants in the US. The report, which Technomic said is based on "decades of historical data," analyzes trends in the food service industry and includes each chain's annual sales and unit counts for 2023, which were also reported by Nation's Restaurant News.

We looked at the top 15 chains listed as quick-service or fast-casual. We didn't include casual-dining or family-style chains like Cracker Barrel or Applebee's in this ranking. We also listed the year the company was founded, its 2023 sales, and restaurant count, per Technomic's report.

Here are the biggest chain restaurants in the US.

15. Popeyes

A Popeyes restaurant in Chicago.
A Popeyes restaurant in Chicago.Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Year founded: 1972

Sales (2023): $5.5 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 3,051

14. Sonic Drive-In

sonic drive in
Sonic Drive-In.Sue Ogrocki/AP

Year founded: 1953

Sales (2023): $5.5 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 3,521

13. Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut.Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Year founded: 1958

Sales (2023): $5.6 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 6,593

12. Panda Express

panda express
A customer walks past a Panda Express restaurant.REUTERS/Fred Prouser

Year founded: 1983

Sales (2023): $5.9 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 2,420

11. Panera Bread

Panera Bread.
Panera Bread.Scott Olson/Getty Images

Year founded: 1987

Sales (2023): $6.5 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 2,178

10. Domino's

domino's
Domino's.Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Year founded: 1960

Sales (2023): $9 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 6,854

9. Chipotle

Chipotle
Chipotle.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Year founded: 1993

Sales (2023): $9.9 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 3,371

8. Subway

A sandwich artist at Subway makes a sandwich in a Subway store
Subway.Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Subway

Year founded: 1965

Sales (2023): $10 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 20,133

7. Burger King

People with coats walking past a Burger King restaurant.
Burger King.Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Year founded: 1954

Sales (2023): $11 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 6,778

6. Dunkin'

Dunkin
Dunkin'.AP

Year founded: 1950

Sales (2023): $12 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 9,580

5. Wendy's

a wendy's sign
Wendy's sign.Dan Tian/Getty Images

Year founded: 1969

Sales (2023): $12.3 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 6,030

4. Taco Bell

Taco Bell's Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme
Taco Bell Cheez-It Crunchwrap.Taco Bell

Year founded: 1962

Sales (2023): $15 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 7,405

3. Chick-fil-A

A Chick-fil-A restaurant
A Chick-fil-A restaurant.Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Year founded: 1967

Sales (2023): $21.6 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 2,964

2. Starbucks

Workers at a Starbucks with a menu overhead.
Starbucks.Lindsey Wasson/AP

Year founded: 1971

Sales (2023): $31.6 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 16,466

1. McDonald's

A McDonald's sign.
The McDonald's sign.Associated Press

Year founded: 1955

Sales (2023): $53.1 billion

Restaurant count (2023): 13,457

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