A new study has revealed the nation’s top ten favorite food chains, coming at a time when 65% of residents eat some form of fast food at least once a week.
The data, conducted by price-tracking website PriceListo, looked at the average monthly search volumes on Google Keyword Planner for famous chains to reveal the top ten restaurants. Over 250 chains were assessed and were then ranked according to the highest number of searches overall.
#1 McDonald’s
The research revealed McDonald’s, the largest food chain in the world, is the number one restaurant, with an average of 22.9 million searches each month. Since its opening in 1954, McDonalds has opened over 36,000 restaurants worldwide and currently has 13,500 of these in America. Shockingly, this figure stands higher than the number of hospitals (10,660) in the country.
The company's iconic golden arches signify a tasty meal to passersby, and the symbol is currently one of the most famous and recognizable symbols worldwide alongside the famous mascot Ronald McDonald. Alongside this, McDonald’s is the world’s largest distributor of toys thanks to its Happy Meals with over 220 million of these sold each year in America.
#2 Domino’s Pizza
Coming in second place is Domino’s Pizza with 15.8 million searches per month. According to the company themselves, there are over 34 million ways to customize a pizza. At the end of last year there were 6,856 stores in the U.S.
Globally, the company sells around 3 million pizzas a day and in America the busiest days are New Year’s Eve, Halloween and Super Bowl Sunday with the latter day serving an average of 2 million pizzas alone.
#3 Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A ranks as third most popular, amassing 15.4 million monthly searches for its restaurants. As of 2023, there were 3,059 restaurants across 48 states and the company is currently looking to open across the water in the UK next year.
The company is the third most profitable chain in America currently, and is known for their famous chicken sandwiches which, it turns out, are not their most popular items. Instead, their tasty waffle fries are the most sold item, selling millions each year since their introduction in 1985.
#4 Taco Bell
With 12.1 million monthly searches, Taco Bell comes in fourth place. The restaurant, famed for its tasty Mexican cuisine, currently has 7,936 stores across the country, with California alone having an incredible 11% (882) of these.
The chain, started by Glen Bell in the 1950s, aimed to bring Americanized versions of Mexican food to the public and has since found mass popularity. Last year, global system sales for Taco Bell grew 9% according to the company’s owner Yum! Brands, proving the chain is still well loved.
#5 Pizza Hut
Ranking as fifth most loved, Pizza Hut comes in with 10 million monthly searches. The chain, which first opened in 1958, has 19,866 restaurants globally with 6,805 of these being in America.
The beloved pizza chain was created by two brothers from Kansas who borrowed $600 from their mom to open a store in Wichita. Since then, the original first location has become a museum dedicated to Pizza Hut’s history and the company is thriving with stores in over 100 countries.
The top ten fast-food chains, ranked
#6 Chipotle
Earning its place as sixth favorite, Chipotle comes next with 9.8 million searches. Chipotle has been a staple in Mexican cuisine for over three decades and is currently valued at $16.2 billion. The company has restaurants in seven different countries and has 3,437 locations globally as of last December.
#7 Subway
The second largest fast-food chain in the world, Subway places seventh most popular citing 8.4 million average monthly searches. Similar to Pizza Hut’s origin, the chain started its domination of America when entrepreneur Fred DeLuca borrowed money off a friend to start the business back in 1965. Globally, there are over 37,000 locations with 58% of these located within America.
#8 Burger King
The eighth most popular chain turns out to be Burger King, which averages 7.7 million Google searchers per month. Worldwide, the chain has 19,739 locations and is valued at $7.13 billion presently. Each year, Burger King sells over 2.1 billion of its best-selling item, the Whopper.
#9 Wendy’s
Founded in Ohio in 1969, Wendy’s has amassed 6.8 million monthly searches making it the ninth most popular chain on the list. Globally, the brand has 7,166 sites and was the first chain to offer a value menu.
#10 Texas Roadhouse
Rounding off the list is the iconic steakhouse Texas Roadhouse. The restaurant chain currently gains 6.7 million monthly searches and has 627 locations across the nation. Alongside this, there are 29 international sites in ten different counties. On average, the stores sell 300,000 meals a day and their best seller is the six-ounce choice sirloin.
Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson from PriceListo said: “America is famed globally for its thriving food industry and its different varieties on offer.
“Since the mid 1900s many Americans have opted for a treat in fast-food thanks to the convenience, relatively low prices and tastiness of such offerings. With 2 out of 3 Americans indulging at such places weekly, it is important for the companies to keep their menus affordable and delicious.
“To see McDonald’s dominate the top spot is not too surprising, after all it continues to reign supreme in profits and number of customers globally. It is fantastic to see the list is made up by all American-made brands, proving the nation to be at the very front of innovative and tasty dining experiences.”
SOURCE: https://www.pricelisto.com/menu-prices/mcdonalds
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