Chain restaurants as we know them today probably started with the ABC (Aerated Bread Company) and Lyons teashops that popped up in London and elsewhere around the U.K. in the mid- to late-19th century.
The oldest restaurant chain in America was either A&W or White Castle. The dispute comes in because A&W started life as a roadside root beer stand in Lodi, California, in 1919, but didn’t open its first actual restaurant until 1923. In the meantime, a sparkling clean burger place called White Castle had opened in Wichita, Kansas, spawning a second Kansas location the following year and growing from there. (These are the 30 oldest restaurant chains in America.)
It’s hard to determine exactly how many restaurant chains operate in the United States today because there’s no firm definition of what constitutes a chain – and even defining what constitutes a restaurant can be tricky. Does a popular local establishment that opens a couple of additional branches in other parts of town count as a chain? Do you need five units to achieve chain status? Ten? And do take-out food counters with a few seats or stools count as restaurants – and if so, then what about the 7-ll or the Wawa, where you can also buy food to go and sometimes might be able to find a place to perch?
The multi-industry research and data site IBISWorld says that there were 340 chain restaurant businesses in the U.S. as of September 8 of this year. But in July, the top food service industry trade publication Nation’s Restaurant News published its annual report on the 500 biggest restaurant chains in America – that “biggest” implying that there are smaller ones that didn’t make the cut. (If you’d like to see what kind of food dollars the big chains are pulling in, here’s a list of the most successful restaurant chains in America.)
NRN is actually ranking restaurants not by number of units but by sales in 2022 – but for the record, the smallest chain on the list in terms of locations is a Southern California-based restaurant and bakery chain called Polly’s Pies, with 13 places.
To compile a list of the 25 biggest restaurant chains in America in terms of locations, 24/7 Tempo reviewed NRN’s 2023 Top 500, ordering the restaurants listed by number of units rather than by sales. (NRN sources data on annual sales, number of locations, and other metrics through a partnership with the food industry research and data company Datassential.)
Does the seemingly ubiquitous McDonald’s boast the most outlets? No. In fact, it’s only No. 3, after first-place Subway and second-place Starbucks. In total on the list, you’ll find three pizza chains, three specializing in chicken, and five whose focus is burgers (though curiously NRN categorizes McDonald’s as “Bakery-Café” – the same as Panera Bread).
One thing is sure: Whatever your tastes in fast food, the chances are pretty good that there are plenty of chain options near you.
25. Waffle House
> Category: Midscale
> Units (U.S. only): 1,954
> Sales (2022): $1.4 billion
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24. Panera Bread
> Category: Bakery-Café
> Units (U.S. only): 2,132
> Sales (2022): $6.3 billion
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23. Jack in the Box
> Category: Burger
> Units (U.S. only): 2,180
> Sales (2022): $4.1 billion
22. Baskin-Robbins
> Category: Dessert / Snack
> Units (U.S. only): 2,253
> Sales (2022): $684.6 million
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21. Panda Express
> Category: Chinese
> Units (U.S. only): 2,374
> Sales (2022): $5.1 billion
20. Jersey Mike’s
> Category: Sandwich / Deli
> Units (U.S. only): 2,397
> Sales (2022): $2.7 billion
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19. Jimmy John’s
> Category: Sandwich / Deli
> Units (U.S. only): 2,637
> Sales (2022): $2.4 billion
18. Chick-fil-A
> Category: Chicken
> Units (U.S. only): 2,806
> Sales (2022): $18.8 billion
17. Popeyes
> Category: Chicken
> Units (U.S. only): 2,921
> Sales (2022): $4.9 billion
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16. Chipotle
> Category: Mexican
> Units (U.S. only): 3,006
> Sales (2022): $8.6 billion
15. Papa Johns
> Category: Pizza
> Units (U.S. only): 3,180
> Sales (2022): $3.7 billion
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14. Arby’s
> Category: Sandwich / Deli
> Units (U.S. only): 3,415
> Sales (2022): $4.5 billion
13. Sonic Drive-In
> Category: Burger
> Units (U.S. only): 3,546
> Sales (2022): $5.5 billion
12. KFC
> Category: Chicken
> Units (U.S. only): 3,918
> Sales (2022): $4.7 billion
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11. Little Caesars
> Category: Pizza
> Units (U.S. only): 4,173
> Sales (2022): $4.7 billion
10. Dairy Queen
> Category: Dessert / Snack
> Units (U.S. only): 4,307
> Sales (2022): $4.6 billion
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9. Wendy’s
> Category: Burger
> Units (U.S. only): 5,994
> Sales (2022): $11.7 billion
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8. Pizza Hut
> Category: Pizza
> Units (U.S. only): 6,536
> Sales (2022): $5.3 billion
7. Domino’s Pizza
> Category: Pizza
> Units (U.S. only): 6,618
> Sales (2022): $8.6 billion
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6. Burger King
> Category: Burger
> Units (U.S. only): 7,043
> Sales (2022): $10.3 billion
5. Taco Bell
> Category: Mexican
> Units (U.S. only): 7,198
> Sales (2022): $12.9 billion
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4. Dunkin’
> Category: Coffee
> Units (U.S. only): 9,370
> Sales (2022): $11.3 billion
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3. McDonald’s
> Category: Bakery-Café
> Units (U.S. only): 13,455
> Sales (2022): $48.7 billion
2. Starbucks
> Category: Coffee
> Units (U.S. only): 15,396
> Sales (2022): $27.5 billion
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1. Subway
> Category: Sandwich / Deli
> Units (U.S. only): 20,576
> Sales (2022): $9.2 billion
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