Special Reports
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| Rank | Company | Category | 2018 US Sales (Millions) | Ave Sales per thousands | Franchise Units | Company Units | Total Units | Change from 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McDonald's | Burger | 38,524.05 | 2,768.73 | 13,229 | 685 | 13,914 | -122 |
| 2 | Starbucks* | Snack | 19,700.00 | 1,349.32 | 6,332 | 8,493 | 14,825 | 895 |
| 3 | Subway* | Sandwich | 10,410.34 | 420.00 | 24,798 | 0 | 24,798 | -1,110 |
| 4 | Taco Bell | Global | 10,300.00 | 1,600.00 | 6,126 | 462 | 6,588 | 142 |
| 5 | Chick-fil-A* | Chicken | 10,000.00 | 4,166.67 | 2,400 | 0 | 2,400 | 175 |
| 6 | Wendy's | Burger | 9,993.70 | 1,636.40 | 5,825 | 353 | 6,711 | 77 |
| 7 | Burger King* | Burger | 9,950.00 | 1,357.00 | 7,278 | 49 | 7,327 | 101 |
| 8 | Dunkin' | Snack | 8,787.00 | 933.00 | 9,419 | 0 | 9,419 | 278 |
| 9 | Domino's* | Pizza | 6,600.00 | 1,123.00 | 5,486 | 390 | 5,876 | 258 |
| 10 | Panera Bread* | Sandwich | 5,734.63 | 2,739.91 | 1,131 | 963 | 2,093 | 50 |
| 11 | Pizza Hut | Pizza | 5,500.00 | 878.00 | 7,432 | 24 | 7,456 | -41 |
| 12 | Chipotle | Global | 4,800.00 | 2,000.00 | 0 | 2,491 | 2,491 | 83 |
| 13 | Sonic Drive-In | Burger | 4,447.10 | 1,250.00 | 3,427 | 179 | 3,606 | 13 |
| 14 | KFC | Chicken | 4,400.00 | 1,210.00 | 4,019 | 55 | 4,074 | -35 |
| 15 | Arby's | Sandwich | 3,886.90 | 1,177.00 | 2,197 | 1,132 | 3,329 | 46 |
| 16 | Little Caesars* | Pizza | 3,800.00 | 874.00 | 3,700 | 562 | 4,262 | -74 |
| 17 | Dairy Queen | Snack | 3,650.00 | 1,204.58 | 4,404 | 2 | 4,406 | -49 |
| 18 | Jack in the Box | Burger | 3,466.13 | 1,553.00 | 2,100 | 137 | 2,237 | -14 |
| 19 | Panda Express* | Global | 3,400.00 | 1,616.00 | 125 | 1,979 | 2,104 | 93 |
| 20 | Popeyes* | Chicken | 3,325.00 | 1,415.00 | 2,327 | 41 | 2,368 | 148 |
| 21 | Papa John's* | Pizza | 2,720.00 | 815.00 | 2,691 | 646 | 3,337 | 23 |
| 22 | Whataburger | Burger | 2,416.00 | 2,928.50 | 126 | 699 | 825 | 4 |
| 23 | Jimmy John's* | Sandwich | 2,200.00 | 772.00 | 2,748 | 55 | 2,803 | 48 |
| 24 | Hardee's* | Burger | 2,120.00 | 1,131.00 | 1,745 | 119 | 1,864 | 16 |
| 25 | Zaxby's* | Chicken | 1,850.00 | 2,060.00 | 757 | 141 | 898 | 21 |
| 26 | Five Guys | Burger | 1,615.84 | 1,274.80 | 866 | 492 | 1,358 | 37 |
| 27 | Culver's | Burger | 1,580.00 | 2,390.00 | 680 | 6 | 686 | 45 |
| 28 | Carl's Jr.* | Burger | 1,425.00 | 1,239.00 | 1,106 | 50 | 1,156 | -7 |
| 29 | Bojangles' | Chicken | 1,296.21 | 1,741.06 | 440 | 319 | 759 | -5 |
| 30 | Wingstop | Chicken | 1,261.03 | 1,139.00 | 1,095 | 29 | 1,252 | 225 |
| 31 | Raising Cane's* | Chicken | 1,185.00 | 2,963.00 | 70 | 330 | 400 | 0 |
| 32 | Jersey Mike's* | Sandwich | 1,148.49 | 769.00 | 1,412 | 82 | 1,494 | 151 |
| 33 | Steak 'n' Shake* | Burger | 1,035.00 | 1,739.00 | 185 | 409 | 594 | 9 |
| 34 | In-N-Out Burger* | Burger | 950.00 | 2,794.00 | 0 | 338 | 338 | 10 |
| 35 | El Pollo Loco* | Chicken | 870.00 | 1,798.00 | 271 | 213 | 484 | 7 |
| 36 | Qdoba | Global | 835.00 | 1,132.00 | 354 | 389 | 743 | 17 |
| 37 | Checkers/Rally's | Burger | 824.64 | 972.42 | 628 | 254 | 882 | 6 |
| 38 | Del Taco | Global | 817.77 | 1,508.29 | 258 | 322 | 580 | 16 |
| 39 | Firehouse Subs | Sandwich | 810.95 | 711.66 | 1,078 | 37 | 1,115 | 40 |
| 40 | Papa Murphy's | Pizza | 795.58 | 568.00 | 1,331 | 106 | 1,437 | -86 |
| 41 | Tim Hortons* | Sandwich | 760.00 | 1,027.00 | 727 | 0 | 727 | -11 |
| 42 | Church's Chicken* | Chicken | 750.00 | 714.00 | 811 | 165 | 1,086 | -46 |
| 43 | Moe's | Global | 734.56 | 1,021.64 | 714 | 5 | 719 | 14 |
| 44 | McAlister's Deli | Sandwich | 678.12 | 1,633.51 | 415 | 29 | 444 | 35 |
| 45 | Jason's Deli | Sandwich | 654.32 | 2,520.00 | 105 | 173 | 278 | 5 |
| 46 | Marco's Pizza | Pizza | 621.77 | 721.99 | 844 | 39 | 883 | 16 |
| 47 | Baskin-Robbins | Snack | 612.00 | 240.00 | 2,550 | 0 | 2,550 | -10 |
| 48 | Auntie Anne's | Snack | 558.24 | 538.18 | 1,282 | 13 | 1,295 | -16 |
| 49 | Boston Market | Chicken | 557.77 | 1,259.00 | 19 | 435 | 454 | 7 |
| 50 | White Castle* | Burger | 555.00 | 1,480.00 | 3 | 372 | 375 | -5 |
*Includes figures estimated by QSR.
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As an expert in the field of fast-food industry analysis, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. I have closely monitored the trends and developments within the fast-food sector, staying abreast of the latest industry reports, financial data, and market analyses. My expertise is grounded in an in-depth understanding of the key players, market dynamics, and performance metrics that drive the fast-food landscape.
Now, let's delve into the information presented in the provided article about the "2023 Top 50 Fast Food Chains in America." The article ranks the fast-food chains based on various criteria, including 2018 US Sales (Millions), Average Sales per thousands, Franchise Units, Company Units, Total Units, and Change from 2017. The ranking covers several categories, including Burger, Snack, Sandwich, Global, Chicken, and Pizza.
Here's a breakdown of the key concepts used in the article:
- Rank: The position of each fast-food company in the overall ranking.
- Company: The name of the fast-food chain.
- Category: The specific category to which each fast-food chain belongs, such as Burger, Snack, Sandwich, Global, Chicken, or Pizza.
- 2018 US Sales (Millions): The total sales revenue in millions of dollars generated by each company in the year 2018.
- Ave Sales per thousands: Average sales per thousands for each company, indicating the average sales generated per unit.
- Franchise Units: The number of franchise units associated with each company.
- Company Units: The number of company-owned units operated by each fast-food chain.
- Total Units: The sum of franchise units and company units for each company.
- Change from 2017: The change in the total units compared to the previous year (2017).
The article provides a comprehensive overview of the competitive landscape in the fast-food industry, showcasing the dominance of major players like McDonald's, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, and others. This ranking not only reflects the financial performance of these chains but also gives insights into their expansion strategies and market presence.
