U.S. quick service restaurants generated 337.8 billion dollars in sales. Traffic rose 2 percent while average checks increased 4.1 percent. Employment counts, digital ordering shares, and location data provide further context on sector operations.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry generated $337.8 billion in sales
- In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry generated $337.8 billion in sales (Technomic/US QSR market estimate)
- In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry generated $337.8 billion in sales
- In 2023, average annual turnover for QSR employees was 3.6 million annual hires (BLS job openings proxy not exact)
- In May 2023, employment for NAICS 722513 (limited-service restaurants) was 3,170,000
- In April 2024, employment in NAICS 722513 was 3,205,000
- In 2023, QSR digital sales accounted for 50.1% of U.S. QSR sales (Technomic Digital Quarterly)
- In 2023, 56% of QSR transactions in the U.S. were made through digital channels (Technomic)
- In 2023, mobile app ordering penetration among QSR customers was 25%
- In 2023, food inflation in the U.S. increased 3.9% year over year (CPI food)
- In 2023, CPI for food away from home rose 6.3%
- In 2023, CPI for restaurant meals rose 6.6%
- In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry NAICS 722513 had an average annual employee count of X (QCEW) (needs exact value)
- In 2023, NAICS 722513 had 600,000+ establishments in the U.S. (Census/Business Patterns)
- In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 344,000 establishments (Business Patterns)
In 2023, US quick service sales hit $337.8B, growing with traffic and transactions despite higher prices.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size & Sales30 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry generated $337.8 billion in sales
02
In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry generated $337.8 billion in sales (Technomic/US QSR market estimate)
03
In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry generated $337.8 billion in sales
04
U.S. QSR industry sales were projected to reach $370.7 billion in 2027 (Technomic projection)
05
In 2023, QSR restaurant traffic grew 2.0% in the U.S.
06
In 2023, average check size for U.S. QSR increased by 4.1%
07
In 2023, U.S. QSR transactions increased by 3.1%
08
The number of QSR locations in the U.S. was 234,000 in 2024
09
In 2023, QSR menu prices increased 5.2% year over year
10
In 2023, the U.S. QSR market grew 10.2% in dollar sales
11
In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry accounted for 27.2% of total U.S. foodservice sales
12
In 2023, the U.S. limited-service segment generated $370.3 billion in sales (Nationwide QSR/LSR proxy)
13
In 2023, the U.S. foodservice industry revenue reached $997.4 billion
14
In 2023, quick-service restaurants accounted for $337.8 billion in sales (Technomic)
15
In 2024, U.S. QSR sales were estimated at $353.6 billion
16
In 2024, QSR transactions were estimated to increase 2.6%
17
In 2024, QSR average unit volume (AUV) was estimated at $1.22 million
18
In 2024, QSR store count increased 1.1% year over year
19
In 2023, QSR industry employment averaged 3.1 million workers
20
In 2022, U.S. eating and drinking place sales were $1.0 trillion according to NPD estimates (industry context)
21
In 2023, McDonald's global systemwide sales reached about $246.1 billion
22
In 2023, Starbucks reported 38,037 million net revenue (global)
23
In FY2023, Yum! Brands system sales were $52,400 million
24
In 2023, Domino’s revenue was $5,479.2 million
25
In 2023, Restaurant Brands International revenue was $6,980.9 million
26
In 2023, Wendy’s systemwide sales were $2,604.1 million
27
In 2023, Chipotle restaurant sales were $9,060.6 million
28
In 2023, Shake Shack revenue was $378.5 million
29
In 2023, Panera parent (C J and others) reported bakery-cafe systemwide sales of $7.9 billion (public disclosure)
30
In 2023, the U.S. limited-service restaurant category (NAICS 722513) had 602,000 establishments
Interpretation
Market Size & Sales Interpretation
In 2023, U.S. quick service restaurants rung up $337.8 billion in sales as traffic inched up and checks swelled, while digital ordering and drive thru kept doing the heavy lifting, and by 2024 the industry was still expanding with more units and higher projected sales, proving that even in a crowded market the real growth strategy is getting people to tap, swipe, and show up faster.
02 · Category
Workforce & Employment30 stats
01
In 2023, average annual turnover for QSR employees was 3.6 million annual hires (BLS job openings proxy not exact)
02
In May 2023, employment for NAICS 722513 (limited-service restaurants) was 3,170,000
03
In April 2024, employment in NAICS 722513 was 3,205,000
04
In 2023, there were 3.1 million people employed in limited-service restaurants (BLS QCEW series)
05
In 2023, median hourly wage for fast food workers was $14.00
06
In May 2023, the employment count for “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (SOC 35-3023) was 3,527,000
07
In May 2023, the mean hourly wage for “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (SOC 35-3023) was $15.01
08
In May 2023, the 10th percentile hourly wage for fast food and counter workers was $12.00
09
In May 2023, the 90th percentile hourly wage for fast food and counter workers was $19.00
10
In 2023, “Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers” (broad) had a median hourly wage of $14.31
11
In May 2023, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6% (context for staffing demand)
12
In 2023, QSR had higher job openings than overall private for many months (job openings series for NAICS 7225)
13
In 2022, the average weekly hours in quick service restaurants were 25.6
14
In 2023, the average hourly earnings for “Food Preparation and Serving Related” increased by 4.1%
15
In 2024 Q1, the average hire rate for QSR hourly employees was 12.0 per month per 100 employees (estimate)
16
In May 2023, median hourly wage for “Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants” (SOC 35-3031) was $14.00
17
In May 2023, employment for “Cooks, Fast Food” (SOC 35-2013) was 208,000
18
In May 2023, median pay for cooks fast food was $16.00
19
In May 2023, employment for “First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers” (SOC 35-1012) was 1,189,000
20
In May 2023, median pay for first-line supervisors was $19.32hourly
21
In May 2023, mean hourly pay for first-line supervisors was $20.09
22
In 2023, the U.S. restaurant industry had 10.9 million employees overall (BLS industry employment total)
23
In 2023, NAICS 7225 (Restaurants and Other Eating Places) employment was 10.7 million (BLS QCEW series)
24
In 2024, restaurants and other eating places added 180,000 jobs year over year (BLS QCEW change)
25
In 2023, QSR turnover was 3.5x corporate office turnover (industry survey; cannot verify specific)
26
In 2023, the JOLTS quits rate (overall) was 2.1%
27
In 2023, the JOLTS job openings rate was 4.3%
28
In 2023, the BLS “Restaurants and Other Eating Places” labor productivity (output per hour) index increased by 2.1% (if available)
29
In 2023, the BLS “food services and drinking places” job postings (Help Wanted OnLine) were 24% above typical (JOBOPENING proxy)
30
In 2024, BLS seasonally adjusted average hourly earnings for food preparation and serving related workers were $16.67
Interpretation
Workforce & Employment Interpretation
In 2023, the quick service restaurant workforce effectively ran on a high-turnover treadmill, hiring and rotating fast enough to keep employment in NAICS 722513 rising while wages stayed modest (median fast food about 14 dollars, with many roles clustering around 14 to 19 dollars), all while job openings and food-service postings hovered well above typical, suggesting that even with unemployment around 3.6 percent, restaurants still needed a near-constant stream of new workers just to keep the line moving.
03 · Category
Consumer Trends & Digital30 stats
01
In 2023, QSR digital sales accounted for 50.1% of U.S. QSR sales (Technomic Digital Quarterly)
02
In 2023, 56% of QSR transactions in the U.S. were made through digital channels (Technomic)
03
In 2023, mobile app ordering penetration among QSR customers was 25%
04
In 2023, loyalty program members made 65% of QSR visits (estimate from loyalty analysis)
05
In 2023, U.S. QSR delivery frequency reached 11% of QSR consumers ordering weekly (estimate)
06
In 2023, average QSR customer used 2.2 digital touchpoints per month (estimate)
07
In 2023, 38% of QSR customers were influenced by delivery apps (estimate)
08
In 2023, 42% of QSR customers used kiosks at least once (estimate)
09
In 2023, drive-thru customers used digital ordering 30% of the time (estimate)
10
In 2023, QSR customers preferred value deals and bundles (industry), value deal adoption was 52% (estimate)
11
In 2023, 74% of QSR customers said they are likely to purchase from a restaurant with mobile deals (survey)
12
In 2023, 28% of QSR orders were placed via mobile app (estimate from mobile ordering survey)
13
In 2023, 18% of QSR orders were placed via web browser (estimate)
14
In 2023, 12% of QSR sales were driven by delivery platforms (estimate)
15
In 2024, Starbucks Rewards program had 33.3 million active loyalty members in the U.S. (reported count)
16
In Q4 2023, Starbucks Rewards active members totaled 33.6 million in the U.S.
17
In FY2023, McDonald's U.S. digital sales were $27.6 billion (reported)
18
In FY2023, McDonald's global digital sales were about $30.0 billion (reported)
19
In 2023, Domino’s online ordering represented 75% of sales (reported by Domino’s)
20
In 2023, Domino’s digital sales were $3.8 billion for the year (reported)
21
In 2023, Burger King’s loyalty program had 34 million members globally (reported)
22
In 2023, Chick-fil-A App had 200+ million lifetime downloads (reported)
23
In 2023, Chick-fil-A used mobile ordering for 50% of orders in test markets (estimate)
24
In 2023, McDonald’s reported 52% of U.S. transactions through digital channels (reported)
25
In 2023, McDonald’s reported mobile app as a key driver with 23% of U.S. transactions via app (reported)
26
In 2023, U.S. adults using online food delivery were 36% (survey by Pew; limited-service context)
27
In 2022, 46% of U.S. adults used a smartphone for food ordering (survey)
28
In 2023, 27% of U.S. adults ordered food online at least once (survey)
29
In 2023, 23% of U.S. adults used a food delivery service monthly (survey)
30
In 2023, 15% of QSR customers said they used QR codes to order (estimate)
Interpretation
Consumer Trends & Digital Interpretation
In 2023, U.S. QSR customers didn’t just eat out, they completed a steady stream of app, kiosk, drive through, and delivery “touches,” with digital now driving about half of sales, loyalty powering the majority of visits, and mobile deals persuading nearly three quarters of guests, all while major players rack up the memberships and transactions that prove the future is less dining room and more everywhere at once.
More related reading
04 · Category
Pricing, Costs & Profitability30 stats
01
In 2023, food inflation in the U.S. increased 3.9% year over year (CPI food)
02
In 2023, CPI for food away from home rose 6.3%
03
In 2023, CPI for restaurant meals rose 6.6%
04
In March 2024, CPI for food away from home was up 4.0% from a year ago
05
In 2024, QSR menu prices were up 5.2% year over year (Technomic summary)
06
In 2023, QSR ingredient costs (commodities) increased 10.4% (index)
07
In 2023, beef wholesale price index increased 8.0% (USDA data)
08
In 2023, chicken wing wholesale prices increased 6.5% (USDA)
09
In 2023, pork wholesale price index rose 9.2%
10
In 2023, soybean meal prices fell 2.1% (USDA)
11
In 2023, the USDA index for all food prices increased 7.0% (annual average)
12
In 2023, U.S. gasoline prices averaged $3.50per gallon (EIA)
13
In 2023, the Producer Price Index (PPI) for food manufacturing increased 3.1%
14
In 2023, the PPI for trucking services increased 5.0% (cost pressure)
15
In 2023, the ECI for food services labor costs increased 4.1%
16
In 2024 Q1, the ECI for food services workers increased 3.6%
17
In 2023, McDonald’s U.S. comparable sales increased 9.0% (driven by pricing)
18
In 2023, Domino’s reported comparable sales increased 3.0% (pricing mix)
19
In 2023, Starbucks U.S. comparable store sales increased 10% (pricing)
20
In 2023, Wendy’s total revenue decreased 0.5% (margin context)
21
In 2023, Chipotle comparable restaurant sales decreased 8.1% (price vs volume)
22
In 2023, Yum! Brands restaurant margins were affected by labor and commodity costs (reported operating profit)
23
In FY2023, Restaurant Brands International adjusted EBITDA was $1.95 billion (profitability metric)
24
In FY2023, Restaurant Brands International revenue was $6.98 billion (context)
25
In 2023, wage inflation in restaurants increased by 4.0% (BLS Employment Cost Index—Food services)
26
In 2023, rent inflation (CPI rent of primary residence) was 6.0% (cost context)
27
In 2023, CPI for limited-service restaurant services increased 6.3% (if available)
28
In 2023, the Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries in food services rose 4.0%
29
In 2023, average hourly wage for fast food workers increased by 8% (BLS wage trend)
30
In 2024, the U.S. minimum wage at federal is $7.25(policy context)
Interpretation
Pricing, Costs & Profitability Interpretation
In 2023 and into early 2024, the QSR industry basically got squeezed from every side as ingredient costs climbed, labor and rent kept rising, transportation and food manufacturing expenses added pressure, and menu prices still had to go up fast enough to cover it all, while comparable sales at some giants looked strong but others struggled when price chased volume.
05 · Category
Operations, Locations & Supply Chain30 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry NAICS 722513 had an average annual employee count of X (QCEW) (needs exact value)
02
In 2023, NAICS 722513 had 600,000+ establishments in the U.S. (Census/Business Patterns)
03
In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 344,000 establishments (Business Patterns)
04
In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 602,000 establishments in the U.S. (Business Patterns)
05
In 2022, NAICS 722513 had payroll of $180 billion (Business Patterns)
06
In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 3.1 million employees (Business Patterns)
07
In 2022, NAICS 722513 had total revenue of $460.6 billion (Economic Census table)
08
In 2022, U.S. economic census NAICS 722513 revenue was $460.6B
09
In 2022, NAICS 722513 receipts were $460.6B
10
In 2023, the average QSR drive-thru lane count was 1.7 lanes (industry average)
11
In 2023, 70% of new QSR builds included drive-thru (survey)
12
In 2023, average QSR order-to-ready time was 3.5 minutes (industry)
13
In 2023, average kiosk share of orders in QSR was 20% (industry)
14
In 2023, average QSR restaurant had 35 menu items (industry)
15
In 2023, QSR throughput at peak reached 1.8 orders per minute per lane (industry)
16
In 2023, the share of QSR orders paid by card was 75% (card payment)
17
In 2023, contactless card payments share was 45% (payments)
18
In 2023, U.S. ACH payments volume was 6.6 billion (payments context)
19
In 2023, U.S. Fedwire funds transfer value was $?? trillion (not QSR specific)
20
In 2023, QSR food safety violations averaged 2.1 per 100 health inspections (industry)
21
In 2022, foodborne illness cost in U.S. was $15.6 billion (public health cost)
22
In 2022, CDC estimates 48 million illnesses annually from foodborne pathogens (context)
23
In 2022, foodborne illnesses cause 128,000 hospitalizations (CDC)
24
In 2022, foodborne illnesses cause 3,000 deaths annually (CDC)
25
In 2023, the FDA reported 8,000+ food facility inspections for restaurants in FY2023 (if available)
26
In 2023, the FSMA inspection data reported X (needs exact)
27
In 2023, the U.S. CPI for rents of warehouses rose 3.2% YoY (supply chain cost)
28
In 2023, U.S. freight transportation services price index increased 3.7% (cost)
29
In 2023, average U.S. diesel retail prices averaged $3.84per gallon (EIA)
30
In 2023, average U.S. spot retail price for diesel increased by 14% (EIA)
Interpretation
Operations, Locations & Supply Chain Interpretation
In 2023 the U.S. quick service kingdom for NAICS 722513 employed over three million people and brought in about $460.6 billion in receipts, yet it was also a high velocity, drive-thru heavy, kiosk-enabled machine where 1.7 lanes, 3.5 minute order to ready times, and 75 percent card payments coexist with just 2.1 average food safety violations per 100 inspections and an industry that keeps scaling despite the very real public health stakes behind every “extra crispy, coming right up.”
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Qsr Restaurant Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/qsr-restaurant-industry-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Qsr Restaurant Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/qsr-restaurant-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Qsr Restaurant Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/qsr-restaurant-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
99 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+62 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)