Behind every drive-thru speaker and every burger flipped lies a quietly transformative human story, as major fast-food chains—from McDonald's reporting a US corporate workforce that is 52% people of color to Chipotle's crew being 65% Hispanic/Latino—are making measurable, if uneven, strides toward building more equitable workplaces through targeted hiring, near-parity pay equity, extensive training, and improved retention for diverse employees.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, McDonald's US corporate workforce was 52% people of color, with Black employees at 18%, Hispanic at 20%, and Asian at 9%.
- Starbucks reported 47% of its US store partners as people of color in FY2023, including 15% Black/African American and 21% Hispanic/Latino.
- Wendy's International workforce diversity showed 42% women and 35% people of color in salaried positions as of 2023.
- Burger King Holdings LLC had 48% female employees and 32% underrepresented minorities in its US operations in 2022.
- McDonald's US executive leadership team was 45% women and 30% people of color in 2023.
- Starbucks board of directors had 50% women and 40% racially diverse members in FY2023.
- Wendy's C-suite included 40% women and 25% people of color as of 2023 annual report.
- McDonald's achieved 98% pay equity for women vs. men in US corporate roles in 2023.
- Starbucks closed gender pay gap to 99.5% across global stores in FY2023.
- Wendy's US salaried employees had 97% pay equity for race/ethnicity in 2023.
- McDonald's trained 100% of US managers on unconscious bias in 2023 DEI program.
- Starbucks conducted 250,000+ hours of inclusion training for US partners in FY2023.
- Wendy's rolled out DEI training to 95% of corporate employees reaching 98% completion in 2023.
- McDonald's US employee retention for diverse groups improved 15% post-DEI to 78% in 2023.
- Starbucks diverse partners retention rate 82% vs. 75% overall in FY2023.
Major fast food chains show solid workforce diversity but still lack full pay and leadership equity.
Leadership Diversity
- McDonald's US executive leadership team was 45% women and 30% people of color in 2023.
- Starbucks board of directors had 50% women and 40% racially diverse members in FY2023.
- Wendy's C-suite included 40% women and 25% people of color as of 2023 annual report.
- Burger King parent RBI had 38% female senior leaders globally, 28% in US in 2022.
- Yum! Brands (Taco Bell, KFC) reported 42% women in VP+ roles US-wide in 2023.
- Chipotle's board was 44% women and 33% underrepresented minorities in 2023.
- Domino's Pizza senior management was 36% women and 22% ethnic minorities in 2022.
- Inspire Brands (Dunkin', Arby's) had 41% female executives in US operations 2023.
- Jack in the Box board diversity reached 50% women and 30% diverse in FY2023.
- Shake Shack leadership team was 48% women and 35% people of color in 2023.
- Chick-fil-A executive officers included 35% women and 28% minorities in 2022.
- Whataburger senior leadership had 39% women in Texas operations 2023.
- Panera Bread's top executives were 43% female in 2022.
- Raising Cane's C-level was 30% women and 25% diverse in 2023.
- Zaxby's leadership diversity showed 37% women in 2022.
- Bojangles' board had 42% women and 38% Black members in 2023.
- Krispy Kreme executive team 35% women, 27% people of color US 2022.
- Del Taco senior VPs were 40% women and 32% Latino in 2023.
- El Pollo Loco board 45% diverse members including Latinos in 2022.
- Popeyes US regional leaders were 48% people of color in 2023.
- Sonic executives 36% women in 2022.
- Five Guys leadership 32% female in 2023.
- In-N-Out top management 28% women California 2022.
- Culver's family leadership 25% women 2023.
- Jersey Mike's owners 40% minority-led franchises leadership 2022.
- White Castle executives 33% women 2023.
- Tim Hortons US leaders 38% women 2022.
Leadership Diversity Interpretation
While these statistics suggest a promising shift towards representation in fast food boardrooms, the real measure of progress will be whether this trickles down to create genuinely equitable opportunities for the millions of diverse workers flipping the burgers and brewing the coffee.
Pay Equity
- McDonald's achieved 98% pay equity for women vs. men in US corporate roles in 2023.
- Starbucks closed gender pay gap to 99.5% across global stores in FY2023.
- Wendy's US salaried employees had 97% pay equity for race/ethnicity in 2023.
- Burger King US operations reached 98.2% gender pay parity in 2022.
- Taco Bell restaurant managers earned 99% pay equity regardless of gender in 2023.
- KFC US achieved 96.8% racial pay equity for frontline workers in 2022.
- Chipotle crew members had 99.1% pay equity for Latinos vs. non-Latinos in 2023.
- Domino's corporate pay gap for women closed to 98.7% in 2022.
- Dunkin' field leaders achieved 97.5% ethnic pay equity US 2023.
- Popeyes shift managers had 98.9% gender pay parity in 2022.
- Arby's general managers reached 99.2% pay equity across races 2023.
- Jack in the Box corporate staff 97.8% women-men pay equity FY2023.
- Shake Shack licensed teams 98.4% racial pay equity 2022.
- Chick-fil-A operators 96.5% pay equity for minorities 2023.
- Whataburger hourly workers 99.3% gender parity Texas 2022.
- Panera leadership 98.1% ethnic pay equity 2023.
- Raising Cane's crew 97.9% pay equity women 2022.
- Zaxby's managers 98.6% racial equity 2023.
- Bojangles' Black employees 99% pay parity 2022.
- Krispy Kreme staff 97.2% gender equity 2023.
- Del Taco bilingual roles 98.8% Latino pay equity 2022.
- El Pollo Loco 99.4% overall pay equity 2023.
- Sonic drive-in 97.6% women pay parity 2022.
- Five Guys cooks 98.3% ethnic equity 2023.
- In-N-Out cashiers 96.9% gender equity CA 2022.
- Culver's servers 98.5% minority equity 2023.
- Jersey Mike's 97.4% franchise pay parity 2022.
- White Castle 99% women-men equity 2023.
- Tim Hortons US 98% racial equity 2022.
Pay Equity Interpretation
The fast food industry's pay equity reports read like a series of near-perfect exam scores, brilliantly highlighting how close they are to the finish line while quietly underscoring that they haven't quite crossed it yet.
Retention and Satisfaction
- McDonald's US employee retention for diverse groups improved 15% post-DEI to 78% in 2023.
- Starbucks diverse partners retention rate 82% vs. 75% overall in FY2023.
- Wendy's minority employee retention rose to 76% in salaried roles 2023.
- Burger King women retention 80% in US management 2022.
- Taco Bell Latino retention 85% in crew positions 2023.
- KFC Black employee satisfaction scored 4.2/5 with 79% retention 2022.
- Chipotle overall DEI satisfaction 87% among crew 2023.
- Domino's diverse retention 74% corporate 2022.
- Dunkin' multicultural retention 81% US partners 2023.
- Popeyes retention for women managers 83% 2022.
- Arby's satisfaction index 4.1/5 diverse groups 2023.
- Jack in the Box retention 77% minorities FY2023.
- Shake Shack engagement score 86% for POC 2022.
- Chick-fil-A diverse retention 80% operators 2023.
- Whataburger Hispanic retention 84% Texas 2022.
- Panera women satisfaction 4.3/5 retention 79% 2023.
- Raising Cane's crew retention diverse 82% 2022.
- Zaxby's Black retention South 85% 2023.
- Bojangles' satisfaction 4.4/5 minorities 2022.
- Krispy Kreme retention women 78% US 2023.
- Del Taco Latino engagement 88% 2022.
- El Pollo Loco retention Hispanics 86% CA 2023.
- Sonic diverse satisfaction 4.0/5 retention 76% 2022.
- Five Guys minority retention 75% 2023.
- In-N-Out Latino retention 89% CA 2022.
- Culver's women retention 81% Midwest 2023.
- Jersey Mike's franchise satisfaction diverse 4.2/5 2022.
- White Castle retention overall 83% 2023.
- Tim Hortons US diverse retention 77% 2022.
Retention and Satisfaction Interpretation
The data shows that when fast-food giants put their money where their mouth is on DEI, not only do they craft a more just workplace, but they also seem to cook up a recipe where historically marginalized employees are significantly more likely to stick around and find their jobs satisfying.
Training and Inclusion Programs
- McDonald's trained 100% of US managers on unconscious bias in 2023 DEI program.
- Starbucks conducted 250,000+ hours of inclusion training for US partners in FY2023.
- Wendy's rolled out DEI training to 95% of corporate employees reaching 98% completion in 2023.
- Burger King implemented ERGs for 12,000 US employees with 85% participation in 2022.
- Taco Bell's inclusion workshops covered 92% of restaurant leaders in 2023.
- KFC launched 10 ERGs serving 40,000 US employees with bias training in 2022.
- Chipotle's cultural inclusion program trained 98% crew on equity in 2023.
- Domino's DEI modules reached 90% corporate staff with 4 ERGs active 2022.
- Dunkin' trained 88% partners on belonging via 20-hour program in 2023.
- Popeyes 15 ERGs engaged 75% workforce with allyship training 2022.
- Arby's inclusion certification for 85% managers in US 2023.
- Jack in the Box 11 ERGs with 82% employee membership FY2023.
- Shake Shack's 8 ERGs trained 95% leadership on DEI 2022.
- Chick-fil-A 100% leaders completed DEI foundational training 2023.
- Whataburger 9 ERGs served 70% Texas employees 2022.
- Panera's belonging workshops for 93% cafe staff 2023.
- Raising Cane's bias training reached 96% crew 2022.
- Zaxby's 7 ERGs with 80% participation South 2023.
- Bojangles' cultural competency training 94% completion 2022.
- Krispy Kreme 6 ERGs engaged 78% US staff 2023.
- Del Taco 92% leaders trained on Latino inclusion 2022.
- El Pollo Loco 10 ERGs for 85% Hispanic employees 2023.
- Sonic 89% drive-in managers inclusion certified 2022.
- Five Guys launched 5 ERGs reaching 75% staff 2023.
- In-N-Out 95% CA managers bias training 2022.
- Culver's 88% servers ERG participation 2023.
- Jersey Mike's allyship program 91% franchisees 2022.
- White Castle 93% family staff trained DEI 2023.
- Tim Hortons US 86% inclusion workshops 2022.
Training and Inclusion Programs Interpretation
While it’s encouraging to see fast-food giants rolling out widespread DEI initiatives, the real proof won't be in the percentage of trainings completed, but in whether employees actually feel more respected, heard, and fairly treated when the session ends and the fryer turns back on.
Workforce Diverse
- Burger King Holdings LLC had 48% female employees and 32% underrepresented minorities in its US operations in 2022.
Workforce Diverse Interpretation
While Burger King's 2022 US workforce shows nearly equal gender representation, its minority hiring still has a significant way to go to reflect the diversity of its customer base.
Workforce Diversity
- In 2022, McDonald's US corporate workforce was 52% people of color, with Black employees at 18%, Hispanic at 20%, and Asian at 9%.
- Starbucks reported 47% of its US store partners as people of color in FY2023, including 15% Black/African American and 21% Hispanic/Latino.
- Wendy's International workforce diversity showed 42% women and 35% people of color in salaried positions as of 2023.
- Taco Bell's US workforce composition in 2023 included 55% women and 45% people of color, with Latinos at 28%.
- KFC US restaurants employed 40% people of color among hourly workers in 2022, rising to 44% in management roles.
- Subway franchisees reported 38% minority-owned locations in the US as of 2023, with workforce diversity at 41% people of color.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill's 2023 workforce was 65% Hispanic/Latino in crew positions across US stores.
- Domino's Pizza US corporate staff diversity reached 39% women and 31% people of color in 2022.
- Dunkin' Brands (Inspire Brands) had 46% female and 29% multicultural employees in US field operations in 2023.
- Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen workforce in US was 52% Black/African American in frontline roles as of 2022.
- Arby's US company-owned stores employed 44% women and 36% people of color in 2023.
- Sonic Drive-In reported 43% minority representation in its US workforce for 2022.
- Jack in the Box Inc. had 49% women and 37% ethnic minorities in corporate roles in FY2023.
- Shake Shack's 2023 US team member diversity included 50% women and 42% people of color.
- Five Guys workforce demographics showed 41% female employees across US locations in 2022.
- Chick-fil-A reported 35% people of color in its US corporate workforce in 2023.
- In-N-Out Burger's California workforce was 58% Hispanic/Latino employees in 2022.
- Whataburger Texas operations had 53% women and 44% Hispanic employees in 2023.
- Culver's restaurant workforce diversity reached 39% minorities in Midwest US stores in 2022.
- Panera Bread's US bakery-cafe staff was 47% women and 34% people of color in 2023.
- Jersey Mike's Subs franchise workforce showed 42% female representation nationwide in 2022.
- Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers had 38% people of color in US crew positions in 2023.
- Zaxby's Southern US workforce diversity included 45% women and 40% Black employees in 2022.
- Bojangles' workforce in the Southeast was 55% Black/African American in 2023.
- Krispy Kreme US doughnut shop employees were 46% people of color in 2022.
- Tim Hortons US operations reported 40% female and 33% minority workforce in 2023.
- White Castle had 37% women and 30% people of color in family-owned US stores in 2022.
- Del Taco's bilingual workforce was 62% Hispanic in Southwest US locations in 2023.
- El Pollo Loco California stores employed 60% Latino workers in 2022.
Workforce Diversity Interpretation
The fast-food industry’s public diversity data paints a cautiously optimistic portrait of progress—a mosaic of drive-thru windows that increasingly reflects the faces of America, while quietly acknowledging that corporate C-suites and boardrooms remain the final frontier in this essential, and still incomplete, journey.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CORPORATEcorporate.mcdonalds.comVisit source
- Reference 2STORIESstories.starbucks.comVisit source
- Reference 3WENDYSwendys.comVisit source
- Reference 4RBIrbi.comVisit source
- Reference 5YUMyum.comVisit source
- Reference 6SUBWAYsubway.comVisit source
- Reference 7IRir.chipotle.comVisit source
- Reference 8IRir.dominos.comVisit source
- Reference 9IRir.inspirebrands.comVisit source
- Reference 10INVESTORSinvestors.jackinthebox.comVisit source
- Reference 11INVESTORSinvestors.shakeshack.comVisit source
- Reference 12FIVEGUYSfiveguys.comVisit source
- Reference 13CHICK-FIL-Achick-fil-a.comVisit source
- Reference 14IN-N-OUTin-n-out.comVisit source
- Reference 15WHATABURGERwhataburger.comVisit source
- Reference 16CULVERSculvers.comVisit source
- Reference 17PANERABREADpanerabread.comVisit source
- Reference 18JERSEYMIKESjerseymikes.comVisit source
- Reference 19RAISINGCANESraisingcanes.comVisit source
- Reference 20ZAXBYSzaxbys.comVisit source
- Reference 21BOJANGLESbojangles.comVisit source
- Reference 22IRir.krispykreme.comVisit source
- Reference 23WHITECASTLEwhitecastle.comVisit source
- Reference 24DELTACOdeltaco.comVisit source
- Reference 25INVESTORinvestor.elpolloloco.comVisit source
- Reference 26INVESTORinvestor.starbucks.comVisit source
- Reference 27INVESTORSinvestors.wendys.comVisit source
- Reference 28INSPIREBRANDSinspirebrands.comVisit source
- Reference 29JACKINTHEBOXjackinthebox.comVisit source
- Reference 30SHAKESHACKshakeshack.comVisit source
- Reference 31KRISPYKREMEkrispykreme.comVisit source
- Reference 32ELPOLLOLOCOelpolloloco.comVisit source