Gitnux/Report 2026

Quick Service Industry Statistics

299Statistics
87Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
50mRead
Quick Service Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The quick service industry at a glance

The global quick service restaurant market was valued at $296.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $885.4 billion by 2033, as convenience, delivery and value-led formats support continued expansion.

$296.6B[81]
Global market size, 2025
14.8%[81]
Global CAGR, 2026–2033
43.0%[81]
North America share, 2025
204,000+[23]
Franchised QSR units, 2025
Market size
The global fast food and quick service restaurant market was valued at $296.6 billion in 2025. In the United States, the market is forecast to reach $311.99 billion by 2030.[81]
Forecast & CAGR
The global market is projected to grow from $337.0 billion in 2026 to $885.4 billion in 2033, representing a 14.8% CAGR. The U.S. market is forecast to expand at a 3.4% CAGR from 2025 to 2030.[81]
Market share & regions
North America held 43.0% of global quick service restaurant revenue in 2025, while Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing region through 2033. The United States held the largest country market share in 2025.[81]
Segmentation
Independent operators accounted for 63.9% of global revenue in 2025, compared with chain operators. American cuisine represented the largest cuisine category at 26.9%, while hamburgers were the largest U.S. product segment and sandwiches are expected to post the fastest U.S. growth from 2025 to 2030.[81]
Key players & concentration
Major U.S. competitors include McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, Domino’s, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Subway and Chipotle. Grand View Research identifies these companies as significant players, but the available source does not provide a combined market-share figure or concentration ratio.[81]
Pricing
Price sensitivity is driving value promotions: 47% of restaurant operators planned to add new discounts, deals or value promotions in 2025. Restaurant operators also faced food prices that were 29% above 2019 levels, increasing pressure on menu pricing and margins.[6][23]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Convenience, drive-through service, takeout, digital ordering and delivery remain core growth drivers. In a 2024 dataset covering more than 30,000 QSR locations, transactions rose 5% and profits rose 8%, while delivery transactions were 383% above 2020 levels; labor shortages, food costs and affordability remain major challenges.[81][22][5]
Consumer behavior & competition
In 2025, 47% of limited-service customers said the dining experience mattered more than meal price, while operators continued competing through value offers, menu innovation, loyalty programs and delivery. PAR reported that loyalty transactions increased by more than 30% in 2024 across its tracked QSR data.[6][22]
M&A
Restaurant M&A remained active in 2025, including Potbelly’s $566 million sale to RaceTrac and Jack in the Box’s $115 million sale of Del Taco. In September 2026, 7 Brew agreed to pay $143 million for 73 former Salad and Go locations, highlighting continued consolidation and site expansion in drive-through formats.[26][15]
Regulation
California requires covered fast-food restaurant employers to pay at least $20.00 per hour, effective April 1, 2024. Food-safety regulation is largely implemented by state and local authorities using the FDA Food Code; the FDA released a 2026 edition with updates including written employee-illness policies and an alternative cooling process.[82][51]
Latest news
The most recent cited QSR transaction is 7 Brew’s September 2026 purchase of 73 closed Salad and Go sites for $143 million. The deal covers locations in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma and Nevada and strengthens 7 Brew’s drive-through coffee expansion.[15]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Quick Service Industry

The leading companies in the quick service industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Luckin Coffee and Yum! Brands are tied at the top of Gitnux's 2026 quick service ranking with an Overall score of 9.3 each.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in coffee quick service

    Luckin Coffee

    CN

    Ranked #1 · 9.3 · Coffee quick service

    Why we picked it: It reports fiscal 2025 results and continued same-store sales growth in China coffee quick service.

    See in ranking ↓Visit luckincoffee.com ↗

  2. Leader in multi-brand QSR

    Yum! Brands

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.3 · Multi-brand QSR

    Why we picked it: It operates KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger Grill across the QSR segments it serves.

    See in ranking ↓Visit yum.com ↗

  3. Leader in restaurant franchising

    Restaurant Brands International

    CA

    Ranked #3 · 9.3 · Restaurant franchising

    Why we picked it: It runs Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes with a 33,000+ footprint at year-end 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit rbi.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the quick service industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Luckin Coffee

Coffee quick service · CN

9.3
2

Yum! Brands

Multi-brand QSR · US

9.3
3

Restaurant Brands International

Restaurant franchising · CA

9.3
4

McDonald's

Global quick service burgers · US

9.2
5

Domino's Pizza

Pizza delivery and carryout · US

9.2
6

Wingstop

Global chicken wing restaurants · US

8.9
7

Starbucks

Global coffeehouse quick service · US

8.9
8

Jollibee Foods

Asian multi-brand QSR group · PH

8.9
9

Dutch Bros

U.S. drive-through beverage QSR · US

8.7
10

The Wendy's Company

Global hamburger quick service · US

7.9

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the quick service industry. In Quick Service Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/quick-service-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest quick service companies

Starbucks leads with $37.2B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Starbucks$37.2B
McDonald's$26.9B
Restaurant Brands International$9.4B
Yum! Brands$8.2B
Domino's Pizza$4.9B
source-verifiedsec.gov · corporate.mcdonalds.com · rbi.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology plans target ordering accuracy and labor pressure, with 77.9% of U.S. operators expecting data and AI to be at least moderately critical in 2026.

AI in the quick service industry

  • 44% of QSR and fast-casual brands planned to add kiosks in 2024, while phone AI and drive-thru voice ordering were also among the leading planned channels.[1]
  • McDonald’s deployed ArchIQ artificial intelligence to improve order accuracy and automate inventory-management and scheduling tasks in 2026.[2]
  • Nearly 70% of enterprise restaurants struggled with order accuracy in 2025, creating a stated use case for AI-powered kitchen systems in QSR operations.[1]
  • More than 100 White Castle restaurants were targeted for voice-powered AI ordering by the end of 2024, according to the company’s SoundHound partnership.[2]
  • 38% of surveyed diners were open to conversational-AI voice ordering at a drive-thru in 2024, according to Square’s restaurant technology research.[3]
  • McDonald’s ended its IBM automated drive-thru ordering test by July 26, 2024, while continuing other IBM technology projects across its global restaurant system.[2]

Automation in the quick service industry

  • 9% of QSRs planned to deploy back-of-house robotics by 2025, up from 2% in 2022.[4]
  • 36% was the estimated potential reduction in quick-service restaurant headcount from automation by 2025, according to surveyed QSR brands.[4]
  • 70% of surveyed diners were most comfortable ordering and paying through touchscreen kiosks in 2024, supporting self-service automation in quick-service restaurants.[3]
  • 14% of QSRs planned to deploy front-of-house robotics by 2025, up from 3% in 2022.[4]
  • 49% of QSRs planned to use video-based training by 2025, compared with 25% in 2022.[4]
  • 29% of restaurant jobs were estimated by operators to be reducible through automation by 2025, including jobs in quick-service restaurants.[4]

Digital Transformation in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 77.9% of U.S. restaurant operators expected technology, automation, data and AI to be at least moderately critical to their business over the next five years in 2026.[5]
  • 67% of U.S. restaurant operators said they had incorporated more technology into their operations during the previous two to three years in 2025.[6]
  • 69% of U.S. restaurant operators that had added technology said it made their restaurant more efficient and productive in 2025.[6]
  • 82% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology had benefited their business in 2026.[5]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators that had invested in technology said it improved restaurant profitability in 2025.[6]

Technology Adoption in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in contactless ordering or payment in 2025.[6]
  • 83% of U.S. restaurant operators said technology provides a competitive advantage in 2025.[6]
  • 28% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in artificial-intelligence integration in 2025.[6]
  • 65% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in digital or location-based marketing in 2025.[6]
  • 52% of U.S. restaurant operators planned to invest in point-of-sale systems in 2025.[6]
  • 76% of food-and-beverage respondents reported using point-of-sale technology in 2025, compared with 75% in 2024.[7]

Cloud Computing in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 62% of restaurant operators in New York City reported using cloud POS systems in 2024, compared with 38% using legacy systems.[8]
  • 76% of U.S. restaurant operators reported using a cloud-based point-of-sale system in 2023, compared with 23% using a legacy POS system.[8]
  • 63% of full-service restaurant operators in the United States reported using a cloud POS system in 2024.[9]
  • 77% of Las Vegas restaurant operators reported using cloud POS systems in 2024, the highest rate among the major U.S. cities surveyed.[8]
  • 68% of quick-service restaurants expected cloud-application use to increase by 2025, compared with 54% of full-service restaurants in the United States.[4]
  • 55% of Texas restaurant operators reported using a cloud-based POS system in 2024, while 47% reported using a legacy POS system.[10]

Big Data in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 20% of major restaurant brands used predictive-analytics algorithms to drive business decisions automatically in BCG’s 2018 survey.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Analytics efforts concentrate on alerts, workflow, and data governance gaps, including 32% of brands planning real-time alerts in 2026.

Business intelligence in the quick service industry

  • 32% of surveyed QSR and fast-casual brands planned to implement real-time alerts, notifications and issue detection in 2026.[12]
  • 8.5% was the lift in attributed revenue produced by 10 A/B tests run by Thompson Restaurants in one month using customer-order data in 2025.[13]
  • 52% of surveyed QSR and fast-casual brands planned to prioritize team workflow, training and station efficiency in 2026.[12]
  • 57% of participating restaurant brands generated more than 25% of total sales through digital channels in 2025, according to a QSR and fast-casual technology survey.[12]
  • 29% of surveyed QSR and fast-casual brands planned multi-channel load balancing and ordering improvements in 2026.[12]
  • 24% of surveyed QSR and fast-casual brands planned location-level and above-store capacity management in 2026.[12]

Data analytics in the quick service industry

  • 96% of loyalty and rewards program customers said such programs provide a good way to get more value for their money in 2024.[5]
  • $30 billion in McDonald’s systemwide sales came from loyalty members across 60 markets in 2024.[14]
  • 80% of enterprise restaurant-brand respondents said loyalty was not working for their brand in the 2024 digital-technology survey.[1]
  • 30% was the year-over-year growth in McDonald’s systemwide sales to loyalty members in 2024.[14]
  • 52% of surveyed restaurant, coffee-shop, snack-place and deli customers said they participate in loyalty or rewards programs in 2024.[5]
  • 175 million 90-day active loyalty users were recorded across McDonald’s 60 loyalty markets at the end of 2024.[14]

Data Quality in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 21% of U.S. restaurant operators rated their data quality as good in the December 2023 survey.[15]
  • 25% of QSR and fast-casual brands rated their ability to extract and use holistic data as poor or below average in 2023.[16]
  • 7% of QSR and fast-casual brands said they could easily extract and use holistic data to drive decisions in 2023.[16]
  • 14% of U.S. restaurant operators identified ensuring data quality as their biggest challenge when incorporating new data in 2025.[17]

Data Governance in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 28% of restaurant and retail organizations said improved data governance was an interest but other needs were more pressing in the United States in 2019.[18]
  • 13% of restaurant and retail organizations said they needed to implement improved data governance but lacked the necessary skill set in the United States in 2019.[18]
  • 38% of restaurant and retail organizations said they embraced improved data-governance practices as part of day-to-day business in the United States in 2019.[18]
  • 10% of restaurant and retail organizations said improved data governance was not a high priority in the United States in 2019.[18]

KPIs in the quick service industry

  • 10.1 minutes was the example QSR drive time shown in a restaurant-business intelligence dashboard.[19]
  • 63% of QSR orders in a restaurant-business intelligence example were completed within 40 minutes across the reported measurement period.[19]
  • 90% was the QSR order-accuracy rate during the afternoon period from 1:31 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the 2025 QSR Drive-Thru Report.[20]
  • 3.4% of QSR orders in the same example were completed within 60 minutes across the reported measurement period.[19]
  • $9.227 million was the median 2024 sales figure for freestanding or drive-thru-only quick-service units in the 2025 QSR Drive-Thru Report.[20]
  • 11.1 seconds was the year-over-year reduction in average drive-thru visit time in Intouch Insight’s 2026 study.[21]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth is tied to loyalty, drive-through formats, and site expansion, with 4.5 billion transactions processed by more than 30,000 quick-service restaurants in 2024.

Growth in the quick service industry

  • More than 2,800 Jersey Mike’s locations were operating in 2024, compared with 857 locations in 2014, worldwide.[2]
  • 50,000 restaurants was McDonald’s global development target for 2027 worldwide.[14]
  • 4.5 billion transactions were processed by more than 30,000 quick-service restaurants in PAR Technology’s 2024 dataset in the United States.[22]
  • $67 billion in sales was generated by the more than 30,000 quick-service restaurants analyzed by PAR Technology in 2024 in the United States.[22]
  • 30% growth in McDonald’s systemwide sales to loyalty members was recorded in 2024 across 60 markets worldwide.[14]
  • More than 204,000 quick-service restaurant franchise units were forecast for the United States in 2025.[23]

Differentiation in the quick service industry

  • 76% of consumers said they would visit limited-service restaurants more frequently if they had the budget in 2025 in the United States.[20]
  • More than 50% reduction in customer wait times was reported for McDonald’s Ready on Arrival in markets where the system was deployed in 2024.[14]
  • More than 50% of quick-service restaurant customers preferred restaurants where they were loyalty members in 2025 in the United States.[20]
  • 54% of quick-service customers said loyalty membership influences their restaurant preference in 2025 in the United States.[20]
  • 88% of public food companies were discussing innovation as a strategy in 2024, including quick-service restaurant brands in the United States.[24]
  • 82 was the American Customer Satisfaction Index score for quick-service restaurant food-menu variety in 2024 in the United States.[25]

Mergers and acquisitions in the quick service industry

  • $2 billion was the estimated value of Blackstone’s 2024 buyout of Tropical Smoothie Cafe in the United States.[26]
  • 85% was the remaining equity interest in Carrols acquired by Restaurant Brands International on May 16, 2024, in the United States.[27]
  • 1,022 Burger King restaurants in 23 U.S. states were operated by Carrols before its acquisition by Restaurant Brands International in 2024.[27]
  • $75 million was the cash-free, debt-free purchase price for First Watch’s 21-restaurant North Carolina acquisition in 2024 in the United States.[27]
  • $8 billion was the approximate value of Blackstone’s acquisition of Jersey Mike’s in 2025 in the United States.[2]
  • 44 franchised restaurants had been acquired by First Watch across five transactions by January 2024 in the United States.[27]

Strategic partnerships in the quick service industry

  • 92 Walmart locations were planned to host Mr. Gatti’s Pizza restaurants under a 2024 retail-foodservice partnership in the United States.[26]
  • $6.2 million of additional kiosks could be provided under the expanded Burger King–Carrols technology agreement in the United States in 2024.[27]
  • 2026 was the end date for Krispy Kreme’s U.S. exclusivity commitment to supply doughnuts to McDonald’s under their 2024 business relationship agreement.[28]
  • Thousands of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide were included in the planned Google Cloud technology partnership announced in 2023.[14]
  • 150 million loyalty members were connected to McDonald’s digital ecosystem when its multi-year Google Cloud partnership was announced in 2023 worldwide.[14]
  • One national distribution partner was selected by Checkers & Rally’s in its 2024 strategic alliance with McLane in the United States.[29]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Labor remains a constraint and a driver for automation planning, with 86,000 quick-service and fast-casual jobs above pre-pandemic levels in 2026.

Hiring in the quick service industry

  • 37,600 employees worked for Restaurant Brands International at December 31, 2024, including 33,400 in company restaurants.[27]
  • 13 days was the hiring time for the slowest QSR teams in 2025.[30]
  • 74% of QSR hourly workers preferred AI-driven interviews in 2025.[30]
  • Over 85% of Chipotle’s in-restaurant leadership roles were filled through internal promotions in 2024.[27]
  • 6 days was the median time to hire QSR team members in the United States in 2025.[30]

Employee retention in the quick service industry

  • 58% was the pre-pandemic 90-day retention rate for QSR employees.[26]
  • 86,000 quick-service and fast-casual restaurant jobs were above pre-pandemic levels in 2026, equal to 2% growth.[5]
  • 70% of QSR applicants reported higher stress from unpredictable scheduling in 2025.[30]
  • $16,800 was the average replacement cost for one QSR general manager in 2024.[30]
  • Low turnover was cited by Starbucks as evidence that its workforce-management efforts were effective in fiscal 2025.[27]

Remote Work in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. food and beverage businesses, 73% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 26% offered an in-person or remote option.[4]
  • 11.11% of paid workdays were performed from home in U.S. hospitality and food services in 2025, according to the Work from Home Research dataset.[31]
  • Across U.S. restaurant and bar businesses, 88% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 12% offered an in-person or remote option.[4]
  • Across U.S. hospitality and accommodation businesses, 76% required employees to work in person in 2025, while 21% offered an in-person or remote option.[4]

Hybrid Work in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. small businesses allowing remote work, 52% planned in 2025 to encourage hybrid and remote employees to spend more time in person, without requiring it.[4]
  • 80% of hospitality and food-service employers globally said in 2025 that their organizations were still struggling to balance hybrid work effectively.[32]
  • 38% of hospitality and food-service employees worked in hybrid arrangements—one to four days weekly in the office—in Cisco’s global 2025 study.[32]
  • 84% of hospitality and food-service respondents globally agreed in 2025 that the ability to work remotely was important for employee retention.[32]

Upskilling in the quick service industry

  • 82% of Chipotle field-leader positions were filled through internal promotion in 2024.[27]
  • 6 months was the curriculum length for Wendy’s WeLead emerging-leader development program in 2024.[27]
  • 86,000 people attended courses or events organized by Arcos Dorados’ Hamburger University in 2024.[27]
  • 61% of restaurant operators prioritized basic job-skills training in 2025.[33]
  • 23,000 Chipotle employees were promoted internally in 2024.[27]

Employee Engagement in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 25% of U.S. restaurant workers surveyed in 2025 said they felt unrecognized for their hard work.[34]
  • 32% of U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 ranked good hourly pay among their top-three favorite job aspects, tied with flexible scheduling.[34]
  • More than half of restaurant employees surveyed in 2024 said greater management recognition would increase their engagement, while one-quarter rarely received feedback.[35]
  • 67% of 702 U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their pay.[34]
  • 62% of 702 U.S. restaurant employees surveyed in 2026 were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their benefits.[34]

DEI in the quick service industry

  • 4,000 Starbucks partners participated in the company’s Black Partner Network in fiscal 2023.[27]
  • 58% of Brinker International employees self-identifying race or ethnicity were racially or ethnically diverse in 2024.[27]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer experience metrics focus on correctness and freshness in drive-thru, including 89% of U.S. quick-service drive-thru orders filled correctly and completely in the 2026 study.

Customer experience in the quick service industry

  • 71.8 percentage points was the largest satisfaction gap measured in the 2026 U.S. quick-service drive-thru study, and it concerned service.[20]
  • 89% of U.S. quick-service drive-thru orders were filled correctly and completely in the 2026 study.[20]
  • 84 points was the 2025 U.S. quick-service score for mobile-app reliability, beverage quality, staff courtesy, food quality and website satisfaction.[25]
  • 24.7 percentage points was the 2026 U.S. quick-service drive-thru satisfaction gap for freshness.[20]
  • 61% of U.S. quick-service and fast-casual consumers wanted more restaurant kiosks available in 2025.[26]

Customer retention in the quick service industry

  • 20 restaurant chains per year were visited by restaurant loyalty members in Circana’s 2025 analysis, the same average as nonmembers.[36]
  • 35% more items per check were ordered by restaurant guests using a brand’s first-party online ordering platform than by guests using third-party marketplaces in 2024.[37]
  • 38.4% of QSR loyalty members’ orders were placed online in Paytronix’s 2024 online-ordering analysis.[37]
  • 45% higher customer lifetime value was reported for restaurant mobile-app users than for restaurant web users in Paytronix’s 2024 online-ordering report.[37]
  • 17% of U.S. consumers ordered by telephone at least five times per month in the 2024 ordering study.[38]

Customer acquisition in the quick service industry

  • 34.6 million U.S. 90-day active members were in Starbucks Rewards in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, up 1% year over year.[39]
  • 1.9 million loyalty members had joined Black Rifle Coffee’s program since its June 2024 launch, according to its 2025 investor presentation.[40]
  • More than 21 million monthly active mobile-app users were reported by Arcos Dorados in the second quarter of 2024.[41]
  • 2,891 mystery shoppers evaluated QSR and fast-casual brand mobile-ordering experiences in Ipsos’s 2025 U.S. study.[42]
  • 1,700 U.S. adults aged 18–75 who had used a QSR app in the previous month were surveyed for Ipsos’s 2025 mobile-ordering study.[42]

Customer loyalty in the quick service industry

  • 25% of Noodles & Company transactions were made by loyalty members in 2024.[43]
  • 27.4% was the loyalty tender share in the global loyalty KPI dataset.[44]
  • 5 million Noodles & Company loyalty members were reported in 2024, with members spending more than twice as much as nonmembers on average.[43]
  • 25% of Black Rifle Coffee loyalty members visited more than 10 times per month in 2025.[40]
  • $5.2 billion in loyalty sales and 25.3 million loyalty orders were reported in the global loyalty KPI dataset.[44]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand spend and digital mix show up in advertising and channels, with over 85% of Domino’s U.S. retail sales coming from digital channels in 2024.

Marketing in the quick service industry

  • $1.702 billion was Yum Brands’ franchise advertising and other-services contributions in 2024, globally.[27]
  • $112 million was Yum Brands’ company-restaurant advertising expense in 2024, globally.[27]
  • $1.674 billion was Yum Brands’ franchise advertising and other-services contributions in 2022, globally.[27]
  • $78 million was Yum Brands’ company-restaurant advertising expense in 2022, globally.[27]
  • $335 million was McDonald’s company-owned restaurant advertising expense in 2022, United States and international markets.[27]

Digital marketing in the quick service industry

  • More than 85% of Domino’s U.S. retail sales came from digital channels in 2024.[27]
  • 57.0% of Arcos Dorados’ systemwide sales came through digital channels in 2024, Latin America and the Caribbean.[27]
  • Approximately $30 billion in McDonald’s systemwide sales came from loyalty members in 2024, globally.[27]
  • Over 175 million 90-day active loyalty users used McDonald’s digital ecosystem across 60 markets at 2024 year-end.[27]
  • 30% was McDonald’s year-over-year growth in systemwide sales to loyalty members in 2024, globally.[27]

Branding in the quick service industry

  • 32,125 Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes restaurants comprised Restaurant Brands International’s system at 2024 year-end.[27]
  • $44.476 billion was Restaurant Brands International’s systemwide sales in 2024, globally.[27]
  • $1 billion was Taco Bell’s operating profit in 2024, the first year it exceeded that level.[27]
  • 4,535 new restaurants were opened by Yum Brands across more than 100 countries in 2024.[27]
  • 6% was Taco Bell’s 2024 system-sales growth, globally.[27]

Social media in the quick service industry

  • 89% of Miami restaurants used Instagram for promotion in 2024, the highest regional rate reported in the survey.[8]
  • 74% of restaurants used Instagram for promotion in 2024, according to a U.S. restaurant-operator survey.[8]
  • 88% of Chicago restaurants used Facebook for promotion in 2024, according to the regional survey.[8]
  • 78% of U.S. adults said social media was a good way to learn about restaurants in their area in 2026.[45]
  • 26% of restaurants used TikTok for promotion in 2024, according to a U.S. restaurant-operator survey.[8]

Influencer Marketing in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across surveyed restaurants and venues, 42% said influencers or user-generated content drove the most bookings in the United Kingdom in 2024.[46]
  • Across hospitality brands, 91% include some form of influencer marketing within their brand strategy in 2026.[47]
  • Across food and drink influencer content globally, 11.5 million posts generated an average 1.19% engagement rate in 2023.[48]
  • Among surveyed restaurants, 46% ranked working with creators as their second-highest-return social strategy in 2025 research.[49]
  • Across food and drink influencer content globally, TikTok posts achieved a 3% average engagement rate in 2023, compared with 2% on Instagram.[48]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Execution measures emphasize visit-time and drive-thru perception, including 11.1 seconds faster average U.S. QSR drive-thru visits in 2026 than in 2025.

Process optimization in the quick service industry

  • 11.1 seconds faster was the 2026 average U.S. QSR drive-thru visit than in 2025.[21]
  • 21.2% of QSR drive-thru customers perceived their visit as slower than expected when they were pulled ahead in 2026.[20]
  • 10.3 seconds of the year-over-year improvement in 2026 U.S. QSR drive-thru visits came from reduced service time.[21]
  • 55% of QSR brands surveyed by Qu identified first-party ordering as a revenue-growth priority in 2025.[1]
  • 5 minutes 36 seconds was the average QSR drive-thru time when vehicles were pulled forward in 2026.[20]

Operational efficiency in the quick service industry

  • 2.9% was the year-over-year decline in first-party mobile-ordering transactions across PAR’s U.S. QSR dataset in 2025.[22]
  • 0.3% was annual hours-worked growth at U.S. limited-service eating places from 2019 through 2024.[50]
  • 51.7% of total QSR sales came through drive-thru channels in PAR’s U.S. dataset for 2025.[22]
  • 38% was the maximum increase in visit frequency within 90 days after a customer’s first loyalty reward redemption in PAR’s 2025 U.S. QSR data.[22]
  • 2.4% was annual output growth at U.S. limited-service eating places from 2019 through 2024.[50]

Quality management in the quick service industry

  • 4.5 was the average number of out-of-compliance items at fast-food restaurants with nonexistent food-safety management systems in the FDA’s 2017–2018 study.[51]
  • 97% of U.S. QSR drive-thru shoppers rated main-entree temperature positively in Intouch Insight’s 2026 study.[21]
  • 96.4% of U.S. QSR drive-thru shoppers rated beverage quality positively in Intouch Insight’s 2026 study.[21]
  • 58.5% was the reduction in average out-of-compliance items associated with well-developed food-safety management systems in full-service restaurants in the FDA’s 2017–2018 study.[51]
  • 90% accuracy was reported for McDonald’s Archy AI drive-thru ordering system in its 2026 U.S. restaurant modernization announcement.[2]

Supply chain in the quick service industry

  • 7 U.S. distributors served Burger King restaurants as of December 31, 2025.[52]
  • 21% of Shake Shack company-operated restaurants were exposed to immediate product-shortage risk if certain New York, northern New Jersey, or California distribution centers failed in 2025.[27]
  • 44 distribution centers supported Chef’s Store foodservice deliveries as of December 26, 2025.[27]
  • 92% of Burger King restaurants were served by four U.S. distributors as of December 31, 2025.[52]
  • 850 independent suppliers supported Yum China’s restaurant operations in 2025, most of them based in China.[53]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the restaurants and food service sector (sector benchmark)

  • 25.3% of 669 surveyed food and beverage companies said meeting fluctuating demand in a timely manner was their top reason for outsourcing in 2022.[54]
  • 23% of surveyed United States foodservice operators outsourced labor, such as delivery, to a third party in 2022.[55]
  • 91% of 200 food services and facility management buyers in the United States and Europe expected their outsourcing budgets to increase over the five years following 2024.[56]
  • 74.1% of surveyed food and beverage companies in the United States used outsourcing for production in 2022.[54]
  • 47% of food services and facility management activities were outsourced in the United States in 2023, according to Oliver Wyman’s sector estimates.[56]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing pressure runs through menu inflation and value tactics, with 31% price increases at U.S. limited-service eating places between the pre-pandemic period and June 2024.

Pricing strategy in the quick service industry

  • 31% was the increase in prices at U.S. limited-service eating places between the pre-pandemic period and June 2024.[57]
  • 1.41% was overall U.S. restaurant menu-price inflation in the fourth quarter of 2024.[58]
  • 26% of restaurant operators focused on value as a profitability strategy in December, compared with 24% who raised menu prices.[59]
  • 4.7% to 5.6% was the regional increase in non-alcoholic beverage prices at U.S. limited-service restaurants across four regions in the reported 2026 period.[59]
  • 2% was Chipotle’s national U.S. menu-price increase reported in late 2024.[2]

Cost reduction in the quick service industry

  • 0.6 percentage points of food-cost improvement at Bloomin’ Brands in fiscal 2024 came from cost-saving and productivity initiatives.[27]
  • 0.9% was Darden Restaurants’ food-cost benefit from pricing leverage in fiscal 2025.[60]
  • 1.3 percentage points of food-cost improvement at Bloomin’ Brands in fiscal 2024 came from menu pricing.[27]
  • 2.6% was U.S. Foods’ food-cost inflation in fiscal 2024, while distribution productivity improvements partly offset higher labor-related distribution costs.[27]
  • 0.4% was the reduction in Brinker International’s other labor expenses from the prior year in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024.[27]

Profitability in the quick service industry

  • $13.178 billion was McDonald’s franchised restaurant margin in 2024.[14]
  • 14.7% was Portillo’s adjusted EBITDA margin in fiscal 2024, compared with 15.0% in fiscal 2023.[61]
  • 90% of McDonald’s restaurant-margin dollars came from franchised restaurants in 2024.[14]
  • 11.2% was First Watch’s adjusted EBITDA margin in 2024, unchanged from 2023.[62]
  • 46.3% was McDonald’s adjusted operating margin in 2024, compared with 42.8% in 2019.[14]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Menu cadence reflects limited-time offers and item mix, including 22% of limited-time offers becoming permanent menu items in 2025.

Product development in the quick service industry

  • 61% of U.S. consumers were interested in purchasing functional foods and beverages in 2025.[63]
  • 22% of limited-time offers became permanent menu items in 2025.[63]
  • 74% of foodservice operators said globally influenced dishes could command higher price points in 2025.[63]
  • 4,428 menu items and limited-time offers were launched by top U.S. chains and convenience stores in 2025.[63]
  • 95.3% of restaurant menus offered a spicy item in 2025, compared with 91.6% ten years earlier.[63]

Product lifecycle in the quick service industry

  • The average menu-item count at quick-service chains with more than $1 billion in sales expanded 5% in 2025.[64]
  • 46% of restaurant operators planned to add limited-time offers in the third quarter of 2024.[58]
  • 48% of restaurant operators planned to add limited-time offers within six months in the fourth quarter of 2024.[58]
  • 41% of restaurant operators planned to add limited-time offers in the second quarter of 2024.[58]
  • 25% of restaurant operators planned to add limited-time offers in the fourth quarter of 2023.[58]

After-sales in the quick service industry

  • 28% of U.S. quick-service customers cited friendliness as a lunch purchase attribute in March 2024.[65]
  • 35% of U.S. adults praised Chick-fil-A for having the best customer service among fast-food restaurants in a December 2024–January 2025 survey.[66]
  • More than 60% of younger U.S. adults used takeout, drive-thru and delivery more often in 2025 than in 2024.[5]
  • 29% of U.S. quick-service customers cited consistency as a lunch purchase attribute in March 2024.[65]
  • 47% of limited-service restaurant customers said dining experience mattered more than meal price in 2025.[6]

Value proposition in the quick service industry

  • 55% of U.S. college students cited location convenience as a leading reason for visiting fast-food restaurants in 2025–2026.[66]
  • 48% of U.S. quick-service lunch buyers cited tastiness as a purchase attribute in March 2024.[65]
  • Consumer-perceived value-menu traffic increased 1% across U.S. foodservice in the quarter ending June 2025.[36]
  • 55% of U.S. college students cited food quality as a leading reason for visiting fast-food restaurants in 2025–2026.[66]
  • 41% of U.S. quick-service dinner buyers cited satisfying a craving as a purchase reason in March 2024.[65]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability reporting highlights waste diversion and emissions reduction, including Yum! Brands’ 25% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2024 versus 2019.

Sustainability in the quick service industry

  • 89.6% of McDonald’s restaurants in markets with advanced infrastructure offered guest recycling or composting in 2024 globally.[14]
  • 1,277 gigajoules per restaurant was Yum! Brands’ reported energy-intensity ratio in 2023.[67]
  • 25% was Yum! Brands’ reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions from company-owned restaurants, offices and transportation versus 2019 in 2024.[67]
  • 95% of Yum! Brands’ cooking palm oil supported sustainable palm-oil production and deforestation-free supply chains in 2024.[67]
  • 3.2 million pounds of surplus food were donated by Yum! Brands in the United States in 2024.[67]

ESG in the quick service industry

  • 1% of Yum! Brands’ purchased-goods emissions in 2023 came from plastic packaging.[67]
  • 31,571,628 metric tons of CO2e were included in Yum! Brands’ 2023 greenhouse-gas inventory.[67]
  • 28% of Yum! Brands’ purchased-goods emissions in 2023 came from poultry.[67]
  • 2% of Yum! Brands’ purchased-goods emissions in 2023 came from fiber packaging.[67]
  • 25%–75% was the recoverability range for Yum! Brands’ packaging in its largest markets in 2024.[67]

Ethics in the quick service industry

  • 6,369 potentially relevant CSR text sections were collected from archived websites of 96 top-selling U.S. restaurant chains for 2012–2018 analysis.[68]
  • 51.0% of the 96 top-selling U.S. restaurant chains included at least one health-related CSR statement between 2012 and 2018.[69]
  • 99.93 cents per dollar was the average base pay of women compared with men for similar work in McDonald’s company-operated markets in 2024.[27]
  • 39.6% of the 96 top-selling U.S. restaurant chains included sustainability-related CSR activities between 2012 and 2018.[69]
  • 1,300 employees worked in Restaurant Brands International distribution centers and manufacturing facilities at year-end 2024.[70]

CSR in the quick service industry

  • 18.4% of coded CSR statements from top-selling U.S. restaurant chains focused on non-health-related community activities between 2012 and 2018.[68]
  • 24.4% of coded CSR statements from top-selling U.S. restaurant chains were health-related between 2012 and 2018.[68]
  • 507 CSR statements were associated with Tim Hortons in the website analysis of top-selling U.S. restaurant chains from 2012 to 2018.[69]
  • 18.3% of coded CSR statements from top-selling U.S. restaurant chains focused on sustainability initiatives between 2012 and 2018.[68]
  • 37.1% of coded CSR statements from top-selling U.S. restaurant chains focused on philanthropy between 2012 and 2018.[68]

Circular economy in the quick service industry

  • 18%–21% of total waste at The Bread Box was packaging in the Vermont and New York QSR study.[71]
  • 67%–72% of waste at the audited Bread Box QSR was compostable in the Vermont and New York study.[71]
  • 96.9% of McDonald’s restaurants in markets with advanced infrastructure offered guest recycling or composting in 2025.[14]
  • 38%–54% was the food-waste capture rate at Salsa Street Grill in the Vermont and New York QSR study.[71]
  • 4 Burger King restaurants in Sweden piloted reusable soda cups in 2020.[72]

Carbon footprint in the quick service industry

  • 793,000 metric tons was the estimated methane-emissions contribution of U.S. foodservice-sector surplus food in 2024.[73]
  • $122 billion was the estimated value of U.S. foodservice food sent to landfill in 2024.[73]
  • 12.5 million tons of surplus food were generated by the U.S. foodservice sector in 2024.[73]
  • 124 metric tons of CO2e per restaurant was Yum! Brands’ greenhouse-gas intensity in 2024.[67]
  • 5.73 trillion gallons of water were embedded in food lost by the U.S. foodservice sector in 2024.[73]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

International expansion continues via franchising and multi-country footprints, including 33,000-plus restaurants operated by Restaurant Brands International in more than 120 countries and territories at December 31, 2025.

Globalization in the quick service industry

  • 3,524 Domino’s Pizza Enterprises stores operated in 12 international markets at December 28, 2025.[27]
  • More than 60,000 Yum! system restaurants operated globally after 4,535 openings in 2024.[27]
  • 33,000-plus restaurants operated by Restaurant Brands International across more than 120 countries and territories at December 31, 2025.[27]
  • 114 countries and territories contained McDonald’s restaurants at year-end 2025.[27]
  • 4,535 new Yum! restaurants opened across more than 100 countries in 2024.[27]

Cultural adaptation in the quick service industry

  • 314 McDonald’s restaurants operated in Indonesia at year-end 2025.[27]
  • 1,520 McDonald’s restaurants operated in Canada at year-end 2025.[27]
  • 805 McDonald’s restaurants operated in Italy at year-end 2025.[27]
  • 1,092 McDonald’s restaurants operated in Australia at year-end 2025.[27]
  • 1,630 McDonald’s restaurants operated in France at year-end 2025, reflecting the chain’s country-specific market presence.[27]

Supplier management in the quick service industry

  • Restaurant Brands International’s franchise and property revenues increased from $2.919 billion in 2024 to $2.960 billion in 2025.[27]
  • Restaurant Brands International reported $2.348 billion in company restaurant sales in 2025.[27]
  • Approximately 51% of U.S. pizza carryout was represented by four industry leaders, including Domino’s, in 2025.[27]
  • Domino’s supply-chain revenues in 2025 were directly affected by franchise retail sales in the United States and Canada.[27]
  • Restaurant Brands International reported $2.960 billion in franchise and property revenues in 2025.[27]

Stakeholder management in the quick service industry

  • Restaurant Brands International reported nearly $47 billion in annual system-wide sales for 2025.[27]
  • Yum! Brands opened 4,535 new restaurants across more than 100 countries in 2024, expanding its franchisee and community stakeholder base.[27]
  • 95% of McDonald’s U.S. restaurants were franchised at year-end 2025.[27]
  • Restaurant Brands International operated more than 33,000 restaurants in over 120 countries and territories at December 31, 2025.[27]
  • 99% of McDonald’s International Developmental Licensed Market restaurants were franchised at year-end 2025.[27]

Distribution channels in the quick service industry

  • More than $10 billion in Yum China digital sales were generated in 2025.[27]
  • Yum! Brands generated nearly $40 billion in digital system sales in 2025.[27]
  • More than 50% of Yum! Brands system sales came through digital channels in 2024.[27]
  • Approximately 94% of Yum China’s total company sales came through digital ordering in 2025.[27]
  • McDonald’s planned to grow annual system-wide sales to loyalty members to $45 billion by the end of 2027.[27]

Key questions about the quick service industry

How big is the global quick service market in 2025?
The global quick service restaurant market was valued at $296.6 billion in 2025.
What is the growth outlook for quick service in 2026–2033?
The global market is projected to grow from $337.0 billion in 2026 to $885.4 billion by 2033, a 14.8% CAGR.
Which companies lead the quick service industry?
Luckin Coffee and Yum! Brands are tied at the top of Gitnux's 2026 quick service ranking with an Overall score of 9.3 each.
What technology shifts are showing up in operations?
Operators planned kiosk expansion (44% in 2024) and use of contactless ordering or payment (49% in 2025). In 2026, 38.6% of U.S. operators reported using AI tools.
How is the market structured between independent and chain operators?
Independent operators accounted for 63.9% of global revenue in 2025, compared with chain operators.
How do loyalty programs show up in revenue and customer behavior?
Loyalty transactions increased by more than 30% in 2024 across tracked QSR data. McDonald’s reported $30 billion in systemwide sales from loyalty members across 60 markets in 2024.
Reference

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
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Quick Service Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/quick-service-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Quick Service Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/quick-service-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Quick Service Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/quick-service-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

87 sources cited across this report

  1. qubeyond.com
  2. apnews.com
  3. squareup.com
  4. verizon.com
  5. restaurant.org
  6. go.restaurant.org
  7. images.expertmarket.co.uk
  8. marketingdev.touchbistro.com
  9. touchbistro.com
  10. marketingstaging.touchbistro.com
  11. bcg.com
  12. acesso.kissmyscore.com
  13. olo.com
  14. corporate.mcdonalds.com
  15. nrn.com
  16. 5768638.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net
  17. greatmenusstarthere.com
  18. crowe.com
  19. manthan.com
  20. qsrmagazine.com
  21. intouchinsight.com
  22. partech.com
  23. indd.adobe.com
  24. affi.org
  25. theacsi.com
  26. restaurantdive.com
  27. sec.gov
  28. d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net
  29. prnewswire.com
  30. fountain.com
  31. fred.stlouisfed.org
  32. newsroom.cisco.com
  33. chart.org
  34. pos.toasttab.com
  35. 7shifts.com
  36. circana.com
  37. hospitalitytech.com
  38. downloads.ctfassets.net
  39. investor.starbucks.com
  40. ir.br.coffee
  41. reddit.com
  42. ipsos.com
  43. roic.ai
  44. csv-storage.forexpros.com
  45. wtop.com
  46. go.sevenrooms.com
  47. kaminsight.com
  48. media.sproutsocial.com
  49. deloittedigital.com
  50. bls.gov
  51. fda.gov
  52. stocktitan.net
  53. cdn.yahoofinance.com
  54. lp.aptean.com
  55. lek.com
  56. oliverwyman.com
  57. axios.com
  58. technomic.com
  59. foodsurveys.datassential.com
  60. publicnow.com
  61. portillos.gcs-web.com
  62. firstwatch.gcs-web.com
  63. datassential.com
  64. nobulleconomics.com
  65. commercial.yougov.com
  66. yougov.com
  67. yum.com
  68. sciencedirect.com
  69. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  70. financialfilings.com
  71. sustainablepackaging.org
  72. rbi.com
  73. refed.org
  74. steritech.com
  75. wtwco.com
  76. vikingcloud.com
  77. rrd.com
  78. ifdaonline.org
  79. s3.amazonaws.com
  80. ifpti.org
  81. grandviewresearch.com
  82. dir.ca.gov
  83. investor.luckincoffee.com
  84. ir.wingstop.com
  85. jollibeegroup.com
  86. blsmon1.bls.gov
  87. business.bofa.com