Eating out is as American as apple pie or at least it seems that way. While fine-dining establishments continue to attract loyal customers and serve up exquisite meals, most of us take in one or more fast food establishments, at least on a regular basis. You can probably guess which franchise is the largest, but the spots after perennial No. 1 McDonald's may be murky at best. Read on and we'll look at the top five as shared by Business Insider and what makes each one so special to its customers.
No. 1. McDonald's
With sales exceeding $34 billion last year, McDonald's is three times as busy as the No. 2 chain. The company, however, refuses to rest on it laurels, and is a frequent menu changer to help it stay on top. McD is still known for its burgers, fries and shakes, but it is also visited by customers that enjoy its frappes, wraps and salads. Stores are generally clean and customers know that what is served in Sausalito is the same in San Antonio, Seattle and San Juan.
No. 2. Subway
You can find a Subway nearly anywhere. Indeed, the franchise has more locations globally than McDonald's, but its sales come in at $11.4 billion, or one-third that of the market king. Still, its hoagie-dominated menu continues to attract crowds to a shop that puts the emphasis on lean meats and sandwiches. Its $5 foot-longs are a huge draw and the company is making some headway with its catering. If Subway doesn't serve up the healthiest fast food, it may come darn close to it.
No. 3. Starbucks
America's coffee addiction is best observed by driving past any Starbucks location. With sales approaching $10 billion annually, Starbucks is well ahead of Dunkin' Donuts and Panera Bread, other eateries with a coffee emphasis. Starbucks is expanding its menu to feature bistro boxes to reach a lunch-time crowd. You can always find various coffee flavors to sample. The company's pro-employee emphasis and environmental focus seem to be big hits with customers too.
No. 4. Wendy's
The red-headed child in this mix is Wendy's now the second largest "burger joint" in the mix with sales of $8.5 billion in 2011 and surpassing Burger King for the first time. Wendy's has done it by updating its marketing efforts, upgrading its stores and tweaking its menu. Burgers, chicken, potatoes and salads draw customer in and, yes, quality still seems to be part of its recipe for success. Desserts have not been a Wendy's staple, but the company has been making changes to its Frosty dessert in a bid to vary its menu.
No. 5. Burger King
Don't count out Burger King, at least not yet. It was overtaken by Wendy's in 2011, but the company claims that it will push forward again in 2012. Still, the burger chain was always a solid No. 2 behind McDonald's and finishing behind Wendy's has been a corporate embarrassment. To move forward, Burger King hopes that its new chicken menu featuring sandwiches and wraps will be a hit with customers. Seasonal smoothies and an expanded breakfast menu can't hurt either, but then taking on the coffee purveyors more forcefully will prove a challenge.
The Rest
Business Insider looked at the top 15 fast food restaurants with Taco Bell, Dunkin' Donuts, Pizza Hut, KFC and Chick-Fil-A rounding out the sixth through tenth spots. KFC may be the largest chicken restaurant out there, but it will likely be passed by CFA this year.
Spots 11 through 15 are held by Sonic, Domino's Pizza, Panera Bread, Arby's and Jack in the Box. Of these last five, Panera Bread may be the strongest as its healthy menu, good coffee and more upscale ambience continues to attract a loyal following.
In all, the top 15 chains pulled in a combined $115 billion in sales in 2011, demonstrating that our epicurean focus is often on what can be served up just minutes after we place our orders.
Source:
Business Insider: RANKED: The Most Popular Fast Food Restaurants In America --
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-fast-food-restaurants-in-america-2012-7?op=1
Kelly Watson is a professional blogger that writes on a variety of topics including Restaurants in Atlanta. She writes for Restaurants.com, a leading directory of places to eat.
No. 1. McDonald's
With sales exceeding $34 billion last year, McDonald's is three times as busy as the No. 2 chain. The company, however, refuses to rest on it laurels, and is a frequent menu changer to help it stay on top. McD is still known for its burgers, fries and shakes, but it is also visited by customers that enjoy its frappes, wraps and salads. Stores are generally clean and customers know that what is served in Sausalito is the same in San Antonio, Seattle and San Juan.
No. 2. Subway
You can find a Subway nearly anywhere. Indeed, the franchise has more locations globally than McDonald's, but its sales come in at $11.4 billion, or one-third that of the market king. Still, its hoagie-dominated menu continues to attract crowds to a shop that puts the emphasis on lean meats and sandwiches. Its $5 foot-longs are a huge draw and the company is making some headway with its catering. If Subway doesn't serve up the healthiest fast food, it may come darn close to it.
No. 3. Starbucks
America's coffee addiction is best observed by driving past any Starbucks location. With sales approaching $10 billion annually, Starbucks is well ahead of Dunkin' Donuts and Panera Bread, other eateries with a coffee emphasis. Starbucks is expanding its menu to feature bistro boxes to reach a lunch-time crowd. You can always find various coffee flavors to sample. The company's pro-employee emphasis and environmental focus seem to be big hits with customers too.
No. 4. Wendy's
The red-headed child in this mix is Wendy's now the second largest "burger joint" in the mix with sales of $8.5 billion in 2011 and surpassing Burger King for the first time. Wendy's has done it by updating its marketing efforts, upgrading its stores and tweaking its menu. Burgers, chicken, potatoes and salads draw customer in and, yes, quality still seems to be part of its recipe for success. Desserts have not been a Wendy's staple, but the company has been making changes to its Frosty dessert in a bid to vary its menu.
No. 5. Burger King
Don't count out Burger King, at least not yet. It was overtaken by Wendy's in 2011, but the company claims that it will push forward again in 2012. Still, the burger chain was always a solid No. 2 behind McDonald's and finishing behind Wendy's has been a corporate embarrassment. To move forward, Burger King hopes that its new chicken menu featuring sandwiches and wraps will be a hit with customers. Seasonal smoothies and an expanded breakfast menu can't hurt either, but then taking on the coffee purveyors more forcefully will prove a challenge.
The Rest
Business Insider looked at the top 15 fast food restaurants with Taco Bell, Dunkin' Donuts, Pizza Hut, KFC and Chick-Fil-A rounding out the sixth through tenth spots. KFC may be the largest chicken restaurant out there, but it will likely be passed by CFA this year.
Spots 11 through 15 are held by Sonic, Domino's Pizza, Panera Bread, Arby's and Jack in the Box. Of these last five, Panera Bread may be the strongest as its healthy menu, good coffee and more upscale ambience continues to attract a loyal following.
In all, the top 15 chains pulled in a combined $115 billion in sales in 2011, demonstrating that our epicurean focus is often on what can be served up just minutes after we place our orders.
Source:
Business Insider: RANKED: The Most Popular Fast Food Restaurants In America --
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-fast-food-restaurants-in-america-2012-7?op=1
Kelly Watson is a professional blogger that writes on a variety of topics including Restaurants in Atlanta. She writes for Restaurants.com, a leading directory of places to eat.
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