Earlier this summer, the career site Zippia reported that there are 201,865 fast-food restaurants in the United States. World Population Review cracked into that information even further when they detailed the fast food business in each state, and in Massachusetts, the top-rated chain is relatively new to the region.
Zippia’s information states that Subway has the most locations, with 20,622 restaurants. That’s roughly 5,000 more than Starbucks. Furthermore, the report states, “The global fast food industry is worth $907 billion as of 2023.” That equates to 50 million people consuming fast food daily in America.
In Massachusetts, though there are Dunkin Donuts everywhere, that franchise is not the top-rated in the state. The actual top-rated fast food chain in the state has options for every meal. In fact, the first time this particular establishment opened in the Bay State was in 2014 in Chicopee (just north of Springfield). Then, eight years later, they opened in Boston.
We’re talking about Chick-fil-A
Unique breakfast items like the chicken biscuit and consistent lunch or dinner items like their traditional sandwich help make Chik-fil-A the top-rated fast food chain in Massachusetts. There are now 18 different locations scattered around the state (no, none of them are open on Sunday). Most of them include an efficient drive-thru process where it is common to see an employee outside taking orders with an iPad. In addition, there is outdoor seating on the patio. Zippia reported chicken has 8% of the fast food market share (burgers are 31%)
Though this popular chicken restaurant was the top-rated one, the fast-food chain that is most affiliated with Massachusetts also made an appearance on World Population Review’s list. Dunkin’ Donuts was named the best iconic brand from the state.
In addition to Massachusetts, 33 other states agreed that Chick-fil-A is the top-rated fast-food chain in America. They were joined by other popular establishments like In-N-Out, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, and Five Guys burgers. Raising Cane’s has opened in Boston recently. In-N-Out burgers remains primarily a west coast chain, however.
A 'Definitive' Ranking Of The 5 Fast-Food Restaurants
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) recently shared a study that details the top fast-food chains in the country based on customer satisfaction. While I agree with the top choice, the others are questionable. And hey, taste is subjective. I’m something of a fast-food restaurant connoisseur. Â So, here I will re-rank the country’s top five fast-food restaurant chains based on personal experience. (Hence, “Definitive” in quotes in the headline.)
First, let’s examine the numbers in this report, as there are certainly some valuable points to consider. It appears as if their customer satisfaction entails 11 important factors. These include areas such as the accuracy of food orders, staff courtesy, and cleanliness. Another important measurement these days is the efficiency of the chain’s app.
The ACSI report is based on 16,250 customers who were surveyed. Their top five looked like this:
- #1 Chick-fil-A
- #2 Jimmy Johns
- #3 KFC
- #4 Papa John
- #5 Domino’s
Technically “other” landed at number three, but for the sake of top brands, that is the top of the list.
Re-Ranking Methodology
While I do like the variety in cuisine displayed in ACSI’s list, I am surprised at many of the names I see there. To create this ranking, I did follow and considered the customer satisfaction criteria previously laid out in the survey. Though I am a drive-thru-first type of person, I will quickly peel out of the parking lot if I detect the joint doesn’t look like it takes cleanliness seriously. Regardless of how much I am craving that chicken sandwich. In other words, those scored questions are legit measurements.
It’s worth mentioning that I travel quite a bit as well. Whether taking my kids to a weekend lacrosse tournament or heading south to visit family, a fast-food meal is often all I have time for. Nonetheless, I don’t just stop for anything, and I do aim for the healthiest option possible (most of the time).
So, imagine I just pulled off a magical interstate exit where all of these fast food restaurants had an open establishment. I’m considering the criteria points ACSI has laid out, and looking for a quality meal. Here is my official re-ranking of the top five fast-food restaurant chains in the country.
*Side-note, the ACSI also includes statistic results on full-service chain restaurants. That is not applicable to my ranking, but Chili’s is the clear number one, with all the rest being second.
