From McDonald’s Golden Arches to KFC’s Colonel Sanders, some of the most iconic restaurant brands in the world were founded in the United States. In 2024, the top three
were all U.S.-based. McDonald’s topped the ranking, with a market value of over 196 billion U.S. dollars. These big players are mainly quick service restaurants (QSRs); however, the U.S. also has a thriving
.
How big is the U.S. restaurant industry?
In 2024,
U.S. food service and drinking place sales reached a whopping 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars. Supporting this industry were as many as 13.6 million
U.S. restaurant employees. While many consumers sit down and dine at restaurants, there is also a booming takeout and delivery market in the United States. In recent years, this market has moved increasingly online. Some of the biggest players in the
U.S. online food delivery industry include
DoorDash, Grubhub, and
Uber Eats. In 2024, the
leading reason for ordering takeout or delivery in the U.S. was that it is enjoyable to eat at home.
What is the biggest restaurant chain in the U.S.?
Not only was McDonald’s the most valuable restaurant worldwide in 2024, but it was also the
most well-known U.S. restaurant chain. Despite this, McDonald’s received the lowest
American Customer Satisfaction Index score when compared to its fellow fast food chains in 2025, with a rating of 70 out of 100, notably lower than the QSR average. While fast food restaurants remain the leaders of the restaurant industry, full service restaurant chains still reach billions in revenue. In 2024, the
FSR with the highest sales in the U.S. was Texas Roadhouse, generating around 5.5 billion U.S. dollars.
Consumer dining behavior in the U.S.
In 2025, almost 50 percent of U.S. adults said that they were
not dining out at restaurants as often as they would like. This figure was slightly lower when it came to ordering delivery and takeout. Meanwhile, for those that did dine out, the
most common amount spent per person in the U.S. was between 11 and 20 U.S. dollars in 2024. Moreover, the
leading type of dine-in restaurants in the U.S. that year were casual dining establishments, some well-known examples of which are Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, and Applebee’s. In short, while many Americans may wish they dined out more often, the appetite for dining out is clearly not lost.
This text provides general information. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ assumes no
liability for the information given being complete or correct.
Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.
