- McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Chick-fil-A lead the US’ fast-food scene, according to Technomic data reported by Restaurant Business magazine.
- The top 20 chains in terms of 2019 US sales are responsbile for the majority of the industry’s growth.
- Here are the rest of the chains at the top of the fast-food industry.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A handful of chains dominate the American fast-food scene.
According to data compiled by Technomic and reported by Restaurant Business magazine, the top 20 chains in the US – in terms of 2019 sales – were responsible for three-fourths of the industry’s total sales growth last year.
Technomic created a list of the top 500 chains in the country by looking at financial filings by public companies, surveying direct operators, and examining franchise disclosure documents. It also made use of a proprietary valuation algorithm.
The data was collected during 2019, and obviously, 2020 has brought about significant changes for the restaurant industry. Generally, large fast-food chains have fared better than independent restaurants, thanks, in part, to existing tech and infrastructure like apps for online ordering and drive-thrus, which were permitted to remain open even as dining rooms were ordered closed.
Here are the top 20, according to last year's sales in the US:
20. Little Caesars
2019 sales: $3.8 billion
19. Popeyes
2019 sales: $3.8 billion
18. Arby's
2019 sales: $3.9 billion
17. Panda Express
2019 sales: $3.9 billion
16. Applebee's
2019 sales: $4.1 billion
15. Olive Garden
2019 sales: $4.3 billion
14. KFC
2019 sales: $4.5 billion
13. Sonic
2019 sales: $4.7 billion
12. Chipotle
2019 sales: $5.5 billion
11. Pizza Hut
2019 sales: $5.6 billion
10. Panera Bread
2019 sales: $5.9 billion
9. Domino's
2019 sales: $7 billion
8. Dunkin'
2019 sales: $9.2 billion
7. Wendy's
2019 sales: $9.8 billion
6. Subway
2019 sales: $10.2 billion
5. Burger King
2019 sales: $10.2 billion
4. Taco Bell
2019 sales: $11.3 billion
3. Chick-fil-A
2019 sales: $11.3 billion
2. Starbucks
2019 sales: $21.4 billion
1. McDonald's
2019 sales: $40.4 billion