? There is certainly one place that comes to mind. The United States has been synonymous with fast food for so long that it has become an integral part of its cultural identity, known across the globe for huge household names such as
. This reputation as the king of fast food is not unfounded, with the
all originating in the United States.
How big is the U.S. fast food market?
With well-established services like
online food delivery, contactless ordering, and drive-thru pickup, fast food restaurants in the U.S. weathered the storm of the pandemic significantly better than their
full service restaurant counterparts. As a result,
sales of quick service restaurants in the U.S. have seen almost consistent annual growth for three decades, peaking in 2024 at over 509 billion U.S. dollars. A similar trend can be seen when looking at the
number of QSR franchises in the U.S., which also saw its highest figure that year.
What is the biggest U.S. fast food brand?
While the U.S. fast food landscape has been inundated by new concepts over the past decade, the older, more well-established QSR brands continue to dominate the industry. For example, in 2024, McDonald's had the
highest sales of any U.S. fast food chain at over 53 billion U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, coffee shop chain
Starbucks followed in second place. While McDonald’s may have recorded higher U.S. sales, Starbucks had higher levels of
American customer satisfaction, coming joint-second in a 2025 survey with a score of 80 out of 100. Comparatively, McDonald’s had the lowest customer satisfaction of any QSR.
What are U.S. consumers favorite types of fast food?
When picturing fast food, many will see a burger and fries. Incidentally, according to a 2024 survey, French fries and hamburgers both ranked in the top three of the
most popular American dishes of U.S. consumers. Another popular fast food option in the U.S. is pizza. Different U.S. states even have their own distinct pizza culture, from the hand-tossed thin-crust pizza sold by the slice in New York to the heartier Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. In 2024,
U.S. consumer spending at quick service pizza restaurants reached over 42 billion U.S. dollars. Whether it is burgers or pizza, fast food is not only something U.S. consumers enjoy, but also part of the country’s national identity. With its growing sales and units, the appetite for fast food does not look to be declining any time soon.
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.
