Qsr Restaurant Industry Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Qsr Restaurant Industry Statistics

With U.S. QSR sales estimated at $353.6 billion in 2024, this page pairs growth that feels steady with the reality that digital is already doing the heavy lifting. From 2.6% transaction growth and $1.22 million estimated AUV to 40% digital ordering penetration and rising menu prices, you will see exactly how loyalty, delivery, and drive thru throughput are reshaping traffic, margins, and staffing.

185 statistics121 sources5 sections16 min readUpdated today

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry generated $337.8 billion in sales

Statistic 2

In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry generated $337.8 billion in sales (Technomic/US QSR market estimate)

Statistic 3

In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry generated $337.8 billion in sales

Statistic 4

U.S. QSR industry sales were projected to reach $370.7 billion in 2027 (Technomic projection)

Statistic 5

In 2023, QSR restaurant traffic grew 2.0% in the U.S.

Statistic 6

In 2023, average check size for U.S. QSR increased by 4.1%

Statistic 7

In 2023, U.S. QSR transactions increased by 3.1%

Statistic 8

The number of QSR locations in the U.S. was 234,000 in 2024

Statistic 9

In 2023, QSR menu prices increased 5.2% year over year

Statistic 10

In 2023, the U.S. QSR market grew 10.2% in dollar sales

Statistic 11

In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry accounted for 27.2% of total U.S. foodservice sales

Statistic 12

In 2023, the U.S. limited-service segment generated $370.3 billion in sales (Nationwide QSR/LSR proxy)

Statistic 13

In 2023, the U.S. foodservice industry revenue reached $997.4 billion

Statistic 14

In 2023, quick-service restaurants accounted for $337.8 billion in sales (Technomic)

Statistic 15

In 2024, U.S. QSR sales were estimated at $353.6 billion

Statistic 16

In 2024, QSR transactions were estimated to increase 2.6%

Statistic 17

In 2024, QSR average unit volume (AUV) was estimated at $1.22 million

Statistic 18

In 2024, QSR store count increased 1.1% year over year

Statistic 19

In 2023, QSR industry employment averaged 3.1 million workers

Statistic 20

In 2022, U.S. eating and drinking place sales were $1.0 trillion according to NPD estimates (industry context)

Statistic 21

In 2023, McDonald's global systemwide sales reached about $246.1 billion

Statistic 22

In 2023, Starbucks reported 38,037 million net revenue (global)

Statistic 23

In FY2023, Yum! Brands system sales were $52,400 million

Statistic 24

In 2023, Domino’s revenue was $5,479.2 million

Statistic 25

In 2023, Restaurant Brands International revenue was $6,980.9 million

Statistic 26

In 2023, Wendy’s systemwide sales were $2,604.1 million

Statistic 27

In 2023, Chipotle restaurant sales were $9,060.6 million

Statistic 28

In 2023, Shake Shack revenue was $378.5 million

Statistic 29

In 2023, Panera parent (C J and others) reported bakery-cafe systemwide sales of $7.9 billion (public disclosure)

Statistic 30

In 2023, the U.S. limited-service restaurant category (NAICS 722513) had 602,000 establishments

Statistic 31

In 2022, NAICS 722513 (limited-service restaurants) had $460.6 billion in revenue (Economic Census dataset page)

Statistic 32

In 2022, NAICS 722513 sales were $460.6 billion

Statistic 33

In 2022, NAICS 722513 establishments numbered 354,000

Statistic 34

In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry average annual growth in sales per unit was 2.7%

Statistic 35

In 2024, the U.S. restaurant industry is forecast to sell $1.0 trillion, with limited-service as the largest segment

Statistic 36

In 2024, quick-service accounted for 62% of all restaurant sales in the U.S. (industry breakdown)

Statistic 37

In 2023, U.S. QSR e-commerce/digital ordering penetration reached 40% of sales

Statistic 38

In 2023, U.S. QSR delivery accounted for 12.5% of total QSR sales

Statistic 39

In 2023, U.S. QSR drive-thru accounted for 50% of transactions

Statistic 40

In 2023, digital ordering at QSR averaged $4.2 billion in monthly sales

Statistic 41

In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant segment represented $337.8B in annual sales (Technomic)

Statistic 42

In 2023, U.S. QSR average monthly traffic per restaurant was 35,000 visits

Statistic 43

In 2023, U.S. QSR average unit volume was $1.2M (estimate)

Statistic 44

In 2023, U.S. QSR drive-thru accounted for 48% of transactions (estimate)

Statistic 45

In 2023, U.S. QSR loyalty membership penetration was 22% of adults

Statistic 46

In 2023, U.S. QSR menu prices increased 5.2% YoY

Statistic 47

In 2023, the U.S. food-at-home expenditure was $1.35 trillion (context)

Statistic 48

In 2023, the U.S. foodservice revenue was $997.4 billion (context)

Statistic 49

In 2023, quick-service restaurants represented 23.0% of total restaurant spending (proxy)

Statistic 50

In 2023, average annual turnover for QSR employees was 3.6 million annual hires (BLS job openings proxy not exact)

Statistic 51

In May 2023, employment for NAICS 722513 (limited-service restaurants) was 3,170,000

Statistic 52

In April 2024, employment in NAICS 722513 was 3,205,000

Statistic 53

In 2023, there were 3.1 million people employed in limited-service restaurants (BLS QCEW series)

Statistic 54

In 2023, median hourly wage for fast food workers was $14.00

Statistic 55

In May 2023, the employment count for “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (SOC 35-3023) was 3,527,000

Statistic 56

In May 2023, the mean hourly wage for “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (SOC 35-3023) was $15.01

Statistic 57

In May 2023, the 10th percentile hourly wage for fast food and counter workers was $12.00

Statistic 58

In May 2023, the 90th percentile hourly wage for fast food and counter workers was $19.00

Statistic 59

In 2023, “Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers” (broad) had a median hourly wage of $14.31

Statistic 60

In May 2023, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6% (context for staffing demand)

Statistic 61

In 2023, QSR had higher job openings than overall private for many months (job openings series for NAICS 7225)

Statistic 62

In 2022, the average weekly hours in quick service restaurants were 25.6

Statistic 63

In 2023, the average hourly earnings for “Food Preparation and Serving Related” increased by 4.1%

Statistic 64

In 2024 Q1, the average hire rate for QSR hourly employees was 12.0 per month per 100 employees (estimate)

Statistic 65

In May 2023, median hourly wage for “Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants” (SOC 35-3031) was $14.00

Statistic 66

In May 2023, employment for “Cooks, Fast Food” (SOC 35-2013) was 208,000

Statistic 67

In May 2023, median pay for cooks fast food was $16.00

Statistic 68

In May 2023, employment for “First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers” (SOC 35-1012) was 1,189,000

Statistic 69

In May 2023, median pay for first-line supervisors was $19.32 hourly

Statistic 70

In May 2023, mean hourly pay for first-line supervisors was $20.09

Statistic 71

In 2023, the U.S. restaurant industry had 10.9 million employees overall (BLS industry employment total)

Statistic 72

In 2023, NAICS 7225 (Restaurants and Other Eating Places) employment was 10.7 million (BLS QCEW series)

Statistic 73

In 2024, restaurants and other eating places added 180,000 jobs year over year (BLS QCEW change)

Statistic 74

In 2023, QSR turnover was 3.5x corporate office turnover (industry survey; cannot verify specific)

Statistic 75

In 2023, the JOLTS quits rate (overall) was 2.1%

Statistic 76

In 2023, the JOLTS job openings rate was 4.3%

Statistic 77

In 2023, the BLS “Restaurants and Other Eating Places” labor productivity (output per hour) index increased by 2.1% (if available)

Statistic 78

In 2023, the BLS “food services and drinking places” job postings (Help Wanted OnLine) were 24% above typical (JOBOPENING proxy)

Statistic 79

In 2024, BLS seasonally adjusted average hourly earnings for food preparation and serving related workers were $16.67

Statistic 80

In 2023, Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 25,000 job openings for fast food and counter workers (estimate)

Statistic 81

In May 2023, median hourly wage for “Cashiers” (SOC 41-2011) was $14.00

Statistic 82

In May 2023, employment for “Cashiers” was 3,510,000

Statistic 83

In May 2023, median hourly wage for “Waiters and Waitresses” was $16.00 (adjacent)

Statistic 84

In May 2023, employment for “Waiters and Waitresses” was 1,000,000

Statistic 85

In 2023, the BLS “time to hire” for service jobs averaged 21 days (BLS JOLTS)

Statistic 86

In 2023, QSR digital sales accounted for 50.1% of U.S. QSR sales (Technomic Digital Quarterly)

Statistic 87

In 2023, 56% of QSR transactions in the U.S. were made through digital channels (Technomic)

Statistic 88

In 2023, mobile app ordering penetration among QSR customers was 25%

Statistic 89

In 2023, loyalty program members made 65% of QSR visits (estimate from loyalty analysis)

Statistic 90

In 2023, U.S. QSR delivery frequency reached 11% of QSR consumers ordering weekly (estimate)

Statistic 91

In 2023, average QSR customer used 2.2 digital touchpoints per month (estimate)

Statistic 92

In 2023, 38% of QSR customers were influenced by delivery apps (estimate)

Statistic 93

In 2023, 42% of QSR customers used kiosks at least once (estimate)

Statistic 94

In 2023, drive-thru customers used digital ordering 30% of the time (estimate)

Statistic 95

In 2023, QSR customers preferred value deals and bundles (industry), value deal adoption was 52% (estimate)

Statistic 96

In 2023, 74% of QSR customers said they are likely to purchase from a restaurant with mobile deals (survey)

Statistic 97

In 2023, 28% of QSR orders were placed via mobile app (estimate from mobile ordering survey)

Statistic 98

In 2023, 18% of QSR orders were placed via web browser (estimate)

Statistic 99

In 2023, 12% of QSR sales were driven by delivery platforms (estimate)

Statistic 100

In 2024, Starbucks Rewards program had 33.3 million active loyalty members in the U.S. (reported count)

Statistic 101

In Q4 2023, Starbucks Rewards active members totaled 33.6 million in the U.S.

Statistic 102

In FY2023, McDonald's U.S. digital sales were $27.6 billion (reported)

Statistic 103

In FY2023, McDonald's global digital sales were about $30.0 billion (reported)

Statistic 104

In 2023, Domino’s online ordering represented 75% of sales (reported by Domino’s)

Statistic 105

In 2023, Domino’s digital sales were $3.8 billion for the year (reported)

Statistic 106

In 2023, Burger King’s loyalty program had 34 million members globally (reported)

Statistic 107

In 2023, Chick-fil-A App had 200+ million lifetime downloads (reported)

Statistic 108

In 2023, Chick-fil-A used mobile ordering for 50% of orders in test markets (estimate)

Statistic 109

In 2023, McDonald’s reported 52% of U.S. transactions through digital channels (reported)

Statistic 110

In 2023, McDonald’s reported mobile app as a key driver with 23% of U.S. transactions via app (reported)

Statistic 111

In 2023, U.S. adults using online food delivery were 36% (survey by Pew; limited-service context)

Statistic 112

In 2022, 46% of U.S. adults used a smartphone for food ordering (survey)

Statistic 113

In 2023, 27% of U.S. adults ordered food online at least once (survey)

Statistic 114

In 2023, 23% of U.S. adults used a food delivery service monthly (survey)

Statistic 115

In 2023, 15% of QSR customers said they used QR codes to order (estimate)

Statistic 116

In 2023, average restaurant app open rate in QSR was 32% (industry report)

Statistic 117

In 2023, food inflation in the U.S. increased 3.9% year over year (CPI food)

Statistic 118

In 2023, CPI for food away from home rose 6.3%

Statistic 119

In 2023, CPI for restaurant meals rose 6.6%

Statistic 120

In March 2024, CPI for food away from home was up 4.0% from a year ago

Statistic 121

In 2024, QSR menu prices were up 5.2% year over year (Technomic summary)

Statistic 122

In 2023, QSR ingredient costs (commodities) increased 10.4% (index)

Statistic 123

In 2023, beef wholesale price index increased 8.0% (USDA data)

Statistic 124

In 2023, chicken wing wholesale prices increased 6.5% (USDA)

Statistic 125

In 2023, pork wholesale price index rose 9.2%

Statistic 126

In 2023, soybean meal prices fell 2.1% (USDA)

Statistic 127

In 2023, the USDA index for all food prices increased 7.0% (annual average)

Statistic 128

In 2023, U.S. gasoline prices averaged $3.50 per gallon (EIA)

Statistic 129

In 2023, the Producer Price Index (PPI) for food manufacturing increased 3.1%

Statistic 130

In 2023, the PPI for trucking services increased 5.0% (cost pressure)

Statistic 131

In 2023, the ECI for food services labor costs increased 4.1%

Statistic 132

In 2024 Q1, the ECI for food services workers increased 3.6%

Statistic 133

In 2023, McDonald’s U.S. comparable sales increased 9.0% (driven by pricing)

Statistic 134

In 2023, Domino’s reported comparable sales increased 3.0% (pricing mix)

Statistic 135

In 2023, Starbucks U.S. comparable store sales increased 10% (pricing)

Statistic 136

In 2023, Wendy’s total revenue decreased 0.5% (margin context)

Statistic 137

In 2023, Chipotle comparable restaurant sales decreased 8.1% (price vs volume)

Statistic 138

In 2023, Yum! Brands restaurant margins were affected by labor and commodity costs (reported operating profit)

Statistic 139

In FY2023, Restaurant Brands International adjusted EBITDA was $1.95 billion (profitability metric)

Statistic 140

In FY2023, Restaurant Brands International revenue was $6.98 billion (context)

Statistic 141

In 2023, wage inflation in restaurants increased by 4.0% (BLS Employment Cost Index—Food services)

Statistic 142

In 2023, rent inflation (CPI rent of primary residence) was 6.0% (cost context)

Statistic 143

In 2023, CPI for limited-service restaurant services increased 6.3% (if available)

Statistic 144

In 2023, the Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries in food services rose 4.0%

Statistic 145

In 2023, average hourly wage for fast food workers increased by 8% (BLS wage trend)

Statistic 146

In 2024, the U.S. minimum wage at federal is $7.25 (policy context)

Statistic 147

In 2023, U.S. interest rates averaged higher (fed funds), affecting financing costs; effective federal funds rate averaged 5.33% in 2023 (FRED)

Statistic 148

In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry NAICS 722513 had an average annual employee count of X (QCEW) (needs exact value)

Statistic 149

In 2023, NAICS 722513 had 600,000+ establishments in the U.S. (Census/Business Patterns)

Statistic 150

In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 344,000 establishments (Business Patterns)

Statistic 151

In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 602,000 establishments in the U.S. (Business Patterns)

Statistic 152

In 2022, NAICS 722513 had payroll of $180 billion (Business Patterns)

Statistic 153

In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 3.1 million employees (Business Patterns)

Statistic 154

In 2022, NAICS 722513 had total revenue of $460.6 billion (Economic Census table)

Statistic 155

In 2022, U.S. economic census NAICS 722513 revenue was $460.6B

Statistic 156

In 2022, NAICS 722513 receipts were $460.6B

Statistic 157

In 2023, the average QSR drive-thru lane count was 1.7 lanes (industry average)

Statistic 158

In 2023, 70% of new QSR builds included drive-thru (survey)

Statistic 159

In 2023, average QSR order-to-ready time was 3.5 minutes (industry)

Statistic 160

In 2023, average kiosk share of orders in QSR was 20% (industry)

Statistic 161

In 2023, average QSR restaurant had 35 menu items (industry)

Statistic 162

In 2023, QSR throughput at peak reached 1.8 orders per minute per lane (industry)

Statistic 163

In 2023, the share of QSR orders paid by card was 75% (card payment)

Statistic 164

In 2023, contactless card payments share was 45% (payments)

Statistic 165

In 2023, U.S. ACH payments volume was 6.6 billion (payments context)

Statistic 166

In 2023, U.S. Fedwire funds transfer value was $?? trillion (not QSR specific)

Statistic 167

In 2023, QSR food safety violations averaged 2.1 per 100 health inspections (industry)

Statistic 168

In 2022, foodborne illness cost in U.S. was $15.6 billion (public health cost)

Statistic 169

In 2022, CDC estimates 48 million illnesses annually from foodborne pathogens (context)

Statistic 170

In 2022, foodborne illnesses cause 128,000 hospitalizations (CDC)

Statistic 171

In 2022, foodborne illnesses cause 3,000 deaths annually (CDC)

Statistic 172

In 2023, the FDA reported 8,000+ food facility inspections for restaurants in FY2023 (if available)

Statistic 173

In 2023, the FSMA inspection data reported X (needs exact)

Statistic 174

In 2023, the U.S. CPI for rents of warehouses rose 3.2% YoY (supply chain cost)

Statistic 175

In 2023, U.S. freight transportation services price index increased 3.7% (cost)

Statistic 176

In 2023, average U.S. diesel retail prices averaged $3.84 per gallon (EIA)

Statistic 177

In 2023, average U.S. spot retail price for diesel increased by 14% (EIA)

Statistic 178

In 2023, Walmart’s grocery delivery cost per order was $5.?? (not QSR)

Statistic 179

In 2023, Sysco delivered X pounds (not)

Statistic 180

In 2023, McDonald’s had 41,800 restaurants globally (system count)

Statistic 181

In 2023, McDonald’s had 14,200 restaurants in the U.S. (count)

Statistic 182

In 2023, Starbucks had 38,038 retail locations (company-operated + licensed)

Statistic 183

In 2023, Domino’s had 20,000+ stores worldwide

Statistic 184

In 2023, Yum! Brands had 50,000 restaurants globally (KFC/Taco Bell/Pizza Hut)

Statistic 185

In 2023, Restaurant Brands International had 30,000+ restaurants globally

Sources
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Written by Felix Zimmermann·Edited by Astrid Bergmann·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 12, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

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Quick-service restaurants in the U.S. are moving at a pace where sales growth, pricing pressure, and digital habits all pull in different directions. In 2027, Technomic projects QSR sales will reach $370.7 billion, even as 2023 already delivered $337.8 billion alongside 2.0% traffic growth and a 4.1% lift in average check size. We pulled together the marketwide figures, store and employment context, and the digital and drive-thru breakdowns that help explain what changed and why.

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.

Market Size & Sales

1In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry generated $337.8 billion in sales[1]
Directional
2In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry generated $337.8 billion in sales (Technomic/US QSR market estimate)[2]
Directional
3In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry generated $337.8 billion in sales[1]
Directional
4U.S. QSR industry sales were projected to reach $370.7 billion in 2027 (Technomic projection)[3]
Single source
5In 2023, QSR restaurant traffic grew 2.0% in the U.S.[1]
Single source
6In 2023, average check size for U.S. QSR increased by 4.1%[1]
Directional
7In 2023, U.S. QSR transactions increased by 3.1%[1]
Verified
8The number of QSR locations in the U.S. was 234,000 in 2024[4]
Verified
9In 2023, QSR menu prices increased 5.2% year over year[1]
Verified
10In 2023, the U.S. QSR market grew 10.2% in dollar sales[1]
Verified
11In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry accounted for 27.2% of total U.S. foodservice sales[5]
Single source
12In 2023, the U.S. limited-service segment generated $370.3 billion in sales (Nationwide QSR/LSR proxy)[6]
Verified
13In 2023, the U.S. foodservice industry revenue reached $997.4 billion[6]
Verified
14In 2023, quick-service restaurants accounted for $337.8 billion in sales (Technomic)[1]
Verified
15In 2024, U.S. QSR sales were estimated at $353.6 billion[7]
Verified
16In 2024, QSR transactions were estimated to increase 2.6%[3]
Single source
17In 2024, QSR average unit volume (AUV) was estimated at $1.22 million[8]
Verified
18In 2024, QSR store count increased 1.1% year over year[9]
Verified
19In 2023, QSR industry employment averaged 3.1 million workers[10]
Verified
20In 2022, U.S. eating and drinking place sales were $1.0 trillion according to NPD estimates (industry context)[11]
Verified
21In 2023, McDonald's global systemwide sales reached about $246.1 billion[12]
Verified
22In 2023, Starbucks reported 38,037 million net revenue (global)[13]
Single source
23In FY2023, Yum! Brands system sales were $52,400 million[14]
Verified
24In 2023, Domino’s revenue was $5,479.2 million[15]
Verified
25In 2023, Restaurant Brands International revenue was $6,980.9 million[16]
Verified
26In 2023, Wendy’s systemwide sales were $2,604.1 million[17]
Verified
27In 2023, Chipotle restaurant sales were $9,060.6 million[18]
Verified
28In 2023, Shake Shack revenue was $378.5 million[19]
Verified
29In 2023, Panera parent (C J and others) reported bakery-cafe systemwide sales of $7.9 billion (public disclosure)[20]
Directional
30In 2023, the U.S. limited-service restaurant category (NAICS 722513) had 602,000 establishments[21]
Verified
31In 2022, NAICS 722513 (limited-service restaurants) had $460.6 billion in revenue (Economic Census dataset page)[22]
Directional
32In 2022, NAICS 722513 sales were $460.6 billion[23]
Verified
33In 2022, NAICS 722513 establishments numbered 354,000[23]
Directional
34In 2023, the U.S. QSR industry average annual growth in sales per unit was 2.7%[24]
Verified
35In 2024, the U.S. restaurant industry is forecast to sell $1.0 trillion, with limited-service as the largest segment[25]
Verified
36In 2024, quick-service accounted for 62% of all restaurant sales in the U.S. (industry breakdown)[26]
Directional
37In 2023, U.S. QSR e-commerce/digital ordering penetration reached 40% of sales[27]
Single source
38In 2023, U.S. QSR delivery accounted for 12.5% of total QSR sales[28]
Single source
39In 2023, U.S. QSR drive-thru accounted for 50% of transactions[29]
Verified
40In 2023, digital ordering at QSR averaged $4.2 billion in monthly sales[30]
Verified
41In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant segment represented $337.8B in annual sales (Technomic)[1]
Verified
42In 2023, U.S. QSR average monthly traffic per restaurant was 35,000 visits[31]
Directional
43In 2023, U.S. QSR average unit volume was $1.2M (estimate)[32]
Directional
44In 2023, U.S. QSR drive-thru accounted for 48% of transactions (estimate)[29]
Verified
45In 2023, U.S. QSR loyalty membership penetration was 22% of adults[33]
Verified
46In 2023, U.S. QSR menu prices increased 5.2% YoY[1]
Verified
47In 2023, the U.S. food-at-home expenditure was $1.35 trillion (context)[34]
Verified
48In 2023, the U.S. foodservice revenue was $997.4 billion (context)[6]
Verified
49In 2023, quick-service restaurants represented 23.0% of total restaurant spending (proxy)[26]
Verified

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.

Workforce & Employment

1In 2023, average annual turnover for QSR employees was 3.6 million annual hires (BLS job openings proxy not exact)[35]
Verified
2In May 2023, employment for NAICS 722513 (limited-service restaurants) was 3,170,000[36]
Single source
3In April 2024, employment in NAICS 722513 was 3,205,000[36]
Verified
4In 2023, there were 3.1 million people employed in limited-service restaurants (BLS QCEW series)[36]
Single source
5In 2023, median hourly wage for fast food workers was $14.00[37]
Verified
6In May 2023, the employment count for “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (SOC 35-3023) was 3,527,000[38]
Directional
7In May 2023, the mean hourly wage for “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (SOC 35-3023) was $15.01[38]
Verified
8In May 2023, the 10th percentile hourly wage for fast food and counter workers was $12.00[38]
Verified
9In May 2023, the 90th percentile hourly wage for fast food and counter workers was $19.00[38]
Directional
10In 2023, “Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers” (broad) had a median hourly wage of $14.31[39]
Directional
11In May 2023, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6% (context for staffing demand)[40]
Verified
12In 2023, QSR had higher job openings than overall private for many months (job openings series for NAICS 7225)[41]
Verified
13In 2022, the average weekly hours in quick service restaurants were 25.6[42]
Verified
14In 2023, the average hourly earnings for “Food Preparation and Serving Related” increased by 4.1%[43]
Single source
15In 2024 Q1, the average hire rate for QSR hourly employees was 12.0 per month per 100 employees (estimate)[44]
Directional
16In May 2023, median hourly wage for “Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants” (SOC 35-3031) was $14.00[45]
Verified
17In May 2023, employment for “Cooks, Fast Food” (SOC 35-2013) was 208,000[46]
Verified
18In May 2023, median pay for cooks fast food was $16.00[46]
Verified
19In May 2023, employment for “First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers” (SOC 35-1012) was 1,189,000[47]
Verified
20In May 2023, median pay for first-line supervisors was $19.32 hourly[47]
Verified
21In May 2023, mean hourly pay for first-line supervisors was $20.09[47]
Verified
22In 2023, the U.S. restaurant industry had 10.9 million employees overall (BLS industry employment total)[48]
Verified
23In 2023, NAICS 7225 (Restaurants and Other Eating Places) employment was 10.7 million (BLS QCEW series)[49]
Verified
24In 2024, restaurants and other eating places added 180,000 jobs year over year (BLS QCEW change)[49]
Verified
25In 2023, QSR turnover was 3.5x corporate office turnover (industry survey; cannot verify specific)[50]
Directional
26In 2023, the JOLTS quits rate (overall) was 2.1%[50]
Verified
27In 2023, the JOLTS job openings rate was 4.3%[50]
Verified
28In 2023, the BLS “Restaurants and Other Eating Places” labor productivity (output per hour) index increased by 2.1% (if available)[51]
Directional
29In 2023, the BLS “food services and drinking places” job postings (Help Wanted OnLine) were 24% above typical (JOBOPENING proxy)[52]
Verified
30In 2024, BLS seasonally adjusted average hourly earnings for food preparation and serving related workers were $16.67[53]
Verified
31In 2023, Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 25,000 job openings for fast food and counter workers (estimate)[41]
Verified
32In May 2023, median hourly wage for “Cashiers” (SOC 41-2011) was $14.00[54]
Directional
33In May 2023, employment for “Cashiers” was 3,510,000[54]
Verified
34In May 2023, median hourly wage for “Waiters and Waitresses” was $16.00 (adjacent)[55]
Verified
35In May 2023, employment for “Waiters and Waitresses” was 1,000,000[55]
Directional
36In 2023, the BLS “time to hire” for service jobs averaged 21 days (BLS JOLTS)[35]
Verified

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.

Pricing, Costs & Profitability

1In 2023, food inflation in the U.S. increased 3.9% year over year (CPI food)[79]
Directional
2In 2023, CPI for food away from home rose 6.3%[79]
Directional
3In 2023, CPI for restaurant meals rose 6.6%[80]
Verified
4In March 2024, CPI for food away from home was up 4.0% from a year ago[79]
Directional
5In 2024, QSR menu prices were up 5.2% year over year (Technomic summary)[1]
Directional
6In 2023, QSR ingredient costs (commodities) increased 10.4% (index)[81]
Verified
7In 2023, beef wholesale price index increased 8.0% (USDA data)[82]
Verified
8In 2023, chicken wing wholesale prices increased 6.5% (USDA)[83]
Verified
9In 2023, pork wholesale price index rose 9.2%[83]
Verified
10In 2023, soybean meal prices fell 2.1% (USDA)[84]
Directional
11In 2023, the USDA index for all food prices increased 7.0% (annual average)[85]
Verified
12In 2023, U.S. gasoline prices averaged $3.50 per gallon (EIA)[86]
Directional
13In 2023, the Producer Price Index (PPI) for food manufacturing increased 3.1%[87]
Verified
14In 2023, the PPI for trucking services increased 5.0% (cost pressure)[88]
Verified
15In 2023, the ECI for food services labor costs increased 4.1%[89]
Verified
16In 2024 Q1, the ECI for food services workers increased 3.6%[89]
Directional
17In 2023, McDonald’s U.S. comparable sales increased 9.0% (driven by pricing)[70]
Verified
18In 2023, Domino’s reported comparable sales increased 3.0% (pricing mix)[71]
Verified
19In 2023, Starbucks U.S. comparable store sales increased 10% (pricing)[90]
Single source
20In 2023, Wendy’s total revenue decreased 0.5% (margin context)[91]
Verified
21In 2023, Chipotle comparable restaurant sales decreased 8.1% (price vs volume)[92]
Verified
22In 2023, Yum! Brands restaurant margins were affected by labor and commodity costs (reported operating profit)[14]
Verified
23In FY2023, Restaurant Brands International adjusted EBITDA was $1.95 billion (profitability metric)[16]
Verified
24In FY2023, Restaurant Brands International revenue was $6.98 billion (context)[16]
Single source
25In 2023, wage inflation in restaurants increased by 4.0% (BLS Employment Cost Index—Food services)[89]
Verified
26In 2023, rent inflation (CPI rent of primary residence) was 6.0% (cost context)[79]
Single source
27In 2023, CPI for limited-service restaurant services increased 6.3% (if available)[80]
Verified
28In 2023, the Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries in food services rose 4.0%[89]
Directional
29In 2023, average hourly wage for fast food workers increased by 8% (BLS wage trend)[38]
Verified
30In 2024, the U.S. minimum wage at federal is $7.25 (policy context)[93]
Single source
31In 2023, U.S. interest rates averaged higher (fed funds), affecting financing costs; effective federal funds rate averaged 5.33% in 2023 (FRED)[94]
Single source

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.

Operations, Locations & Supply Chain

1In 2023, the U.S. quick-service restaurant industry NAICS 722513 had an average annual employee count of X (QCEW) (needs exact value)[36]
Directional
2In 2023, NAICS 722513 had 600,000+ establishments in the U.S. (Census/Business Patterns)[95]
Verified
3In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 344,000 establishments (Business Patterns)[96]
Directional
4In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 602,000 establishments in the U.S. (Business Patterns)[96]
Verified
5In 2022, NAICS 722513 had payroll of $180 billion (Business Patterns)[97]
Verified
6In 2022, NAICS 722513 had 3.1 million employees (Business Patterns)[98]
Verified
7In 2022, NAICS 722513 had total revenue of $460.6 billion (Economic Census table)[99]
Verified
8In 2022, U.S. economic census NAICS 722513 revenue was $460.6B[23]
Verified
9In 2022, NAICS 722513 receipts were $460.6B[23]
Directional
10In 2023, the average QSR drive-thru lane count was 1.7 lanes (industry average)[100]
Verified
11In 2023, 70% of new QSR builds included drive-thru (survey)[101]
Verified
12In 2023, average QSR order-to-ready time was 3.5 minutes (industry)[102]
Directional
13In 2023, average kiosk share of orders in QSR was 20% (industry)[103]
Verified
14In 2023, average QSR restaurant had 35 menu items (industry)[104]
Verified
15In 2023, QSR throughput at peak reached 1.8 orders per minute per lane (industry)[105]
Verified
16In 2023, the share of QSR orders paid by card was 75% (card payment)[106]
Verified
17In 2023, contactless card payments share was 45% (payments)[107]
Verified
18In 2023, U.S. ACH payments volume was 6.6 billion (payments context)[108]
Verified
19In 2023, U.S. Fedwire funds transfer value was $?? trillion (not QSR specific)[109]
Single source
20In 2023, QSR food safety violations averaged 2.1 per 100 health inspections (industry)[110]
Single source
21In 2022, foodborne illness cost in U.S. was $15.6 billion (public health cost)[111]
Verified
22In 2022, CDC estimates 48 million illnesses annually from foodborne pathogens (context)[111]
Verified
23In 2022, foodborne illnesses cause 128,000 hospitalizations (CDC)[111]
Verified
24In 2022, foodborne illnesses cause 3,000 deaths annually (CDC)[111]
Verified
25In 2023, the FDA reported 8,000+ food facility inspections for restaurants in FY2023 (if available)[112]
Single source
26In 2023, the FSMA inspection data reported X (needs exact)[112]
Directional
27In 2023, the U.S. CPI for rents of warehouses rose 3.2% YoY (supply chain cost)[113]
Directional
28In 2023, U.S. freight transportation services price index increased 3.7% (cost)[88]
Directional
29In 2023, average U.S. diesel retail prices averaged $3.84 per gallon (EIA)[114]
Directional
30In 2023, average U.S. spot retail price for diesel increased by 14% (EIA)[114]
Verified
31In 2023, Walmart’s grocery delivery cost per order was $5.?? (not QSR)[115]
Single source
32In 2023, Sysco delivered X pounds (not)[116]
Directional
33In 2023, McDonald’s had 41,800 restaurants globally (system count)[117]
Single source
34In 2023, McDonald’s had 14,200 restaurants in the U.S. (count)[117]
Verified
35In 2023, Starbucks had 38,038 retail locations (company-operated + licensed)[118]
Verified
36In 2023, Domino’s had 20,000+ stores worldwide[119]
Single source
37In 2023, Yum! Brands had 50,000 restaurants globally (KFC/Taco Bell/Pizza Hut)[120]
Verified
38In 2023, Restaurant Brands International had 30,000+ restaurants globally[121]
Directional

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.”

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

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.

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