The world’s 11 biggest fast food chains: As fast-paced as life is right now, fast food is the fastest, cheapest, and most convenient way to get your food. Fast food is a vital source of nutrition at times that is also an essential source of energy. The fast food industry continues to thrive in spite of the high demand generated by younger generations. Today, we are going to share with you some of The world’s 11 biggest fast food chains.
Contents
The importance of fast food in today’s society

As all of us are aware, fast food has a negative effect on our health in the long term due to its excessive cholesterol and calorie content mixed with sugar, which can lead to obesity in the long term. Still, eating this food alternatively when you are in a hurry and you are not interested in spending money on food has become the norm as well. There is no doubt that fast food has become an important part of culture over the past few decades. It has become a convenient food source for both working people and young people alike. Some of the factors behind this trend can be seen below.
It is important that people know they can get the number of calories they need at reasonable prices without hurting their pockets, so they can maintain healthy diets.
There is no need for low income households to sleep empty stomached, since fast food is affordable for these households.
There is no more convenient option for the job-oriented individuals in today’s world. The benefit of it is that they will be able to get a portion that is delivered in only a few minutes which will help them save a lot of time and energy.
As you know, fast food does not only refer to burgers and fries, but also to much more. As an alternative to these higher calorie foods, you can find many other alternatives, such as getting a sub (complete with salad and fresh veggies) from Subway for a mere 400 calories; or getting a grilled chicken wrap from Taco Bell for only 350 calories. The alternative to traditional fast food is to choose healthier options that are categorized under junk food, but do not contain as many calories.
A standard characteristic of The world’s 11 biggest fast food chains throughout the world is their ability to deliver the same level of consistency in taste, quality, and customer experience regardless of where they are located throughout the world.
Also Read: LIVE CRICKET COMMENTARY IS NOW AVAILABLE ON ALEXA, SCORES, AND MORE WITH ALEXA
The world’s 11 biggest fast food chains
The following list of fast food chains provides you with a brief overview of where each company is and how we can watch out for them. Lets go through each one individually as you must have heard or seen at least one of them due to their popularity and demand throughout the world.
1. McDonald’s
I think it is fair to say that McDonald’s represents the quick service restaurant industry in terms of what it is represented by. Doesn’t that make sense? In fact, McDonald’s is a great example of the quick service restaurant industry, doesn’t it?
It was in 1940 that American brothers Richard McDonald and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald’s store in California, which is now the headquarters of the chain, which is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. As the company developed from a local chain of hamburger restaurants in 1948, under the leadership of a genius named Ray Kroc, it was transformed into a global leader in innovative global branding, mainly focusing on hamburgers and fries at that time.
The business model of McDonald’s became a symbol of globalization as it developed into the world’s most famous fast food brand. It began offering wraps, beverages, chicken and sandwiches, happy meals, desserts and drinks, as well as much more.
Despite its massive success, McDonald’s maintained consistency, speedy service, moderate growth, and diversified its menu listings to maintain a moderate level of growth. This has made the company one of the largest employers in the world today. It is currently present in over 120 countries and employs over 500,000 people.
2. Starbucks
Currently, Starbucks operates more than 32000 stores across the globe, generating a revenue of over $24 billion. Starbucks is a dominant coffee-shop-themed chain that has generated more than $24 billion in sales over the past five years. This famous brand is currently operating more than 32000 stores and is known for selling special beverages like coffee, tea, and fresh foodstuffs.
This prestigious American chain was founded by three friends; Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl. The company was founded in 1971 in Seattle. As a result, this coffee house gained an incredible amount of profit in the early 1980’s. The founders later sold their company to former CEO Howard Schultz in 1987.
A few years after Schultz took over, the coffee chain was able to rapidly expand its operations across the United States, and soon after a few years, across the globe. He was responsible for revolutionizing the coffee industry as well as the coffee drinking culture by doing so. In addition to coffee and other refreshing beverages, Starbucks has an extensive line of Pumpkin Spice Lattes as well.
3. Subway
There is no doubt that Subway is one of the largest fast food chains in the world. It is owned by a private company, and it is one of The world’s 11 biggest fast food chains in the world. However, the best part is that in comparison to all of its competitors, it offers nutrient-dense, healthy, and fast food. It is a renowned brand based in Milford, United States, and operated by Doctors Associates Inc. The company does not own any stores, but rather takes 8% of the revenue from every franchise.
Subway, a fast food chain well known for its customer-friendly sub sandwiches (subs), and salads, has begun a tradition of allowing its customers to customize the sandwiches according to their own tastes. For instance, the user who enjoys olives more might ask the executive to put more on the sub.
This fast-food chain is not only the world’s largest but it is also growing at a rapid pace, with over 110 locations in more than 110 countries across the world, as well as over 25,000 locations in the United States alone, which makes it the fastest growing chain in the world today.
As part of its efforts to reduce the impact of the pandemic and to avoid the risks caused by COVID-19, Subways also offer curbside pickup. Subway has a wide range of products that include subs, salads, wraps, sides, drinks, and much more. The company has opened more than 43,000 restaurants by the year 2022 and will be the largest restaurant operator in the world by that time.
4. KFC
It is one of the most popular fast food chains in the world, well known for its fried chicken and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. It is part of the Yum! Brands family of restaurants and operates in more than 123 countries around the world.
I am sure you are aware of the story behind the establishment of this massively successful restaurant chain. The company was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders, a entrepreneur who began selling fried chicken at a roadside restaurant in Corbin. After a while, the demand for KFC began to grow, which led to the establishment of KFC as a brand.
In the 1990s, this renowned chain expanded its menu and started to offer products such as French fries, burgers, wraps, coleslaw, soft drinks, and desserts to its customers.
5. Pizza Hut
A subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., Pizza Hut operates over 18,000 restaurants around the world. They have their headquarters in Plano, Texas, United States, where they have their first restaurant opened in 1958.
There are many fast food chains around the world, however Pizza Hut is the fifth largest of them all with a reputation for expanding substantially throughout the United States and around the world after 1977. The Carney Brothers sold the Pizza Hut chain to PepsiCo in 1980, which boosted the brand’s international presence with great success.
Even today, it has the reputation as the world’s largest and largest producer of pizza. Moreover, the reputed American chain has been delivering pizza to the international space station since the first space station spacecraft was launched by the Soyuz rocket. Due to its huge clientele, it is estimated that almost every branch of Pizza Hut consumes more than 350 gallons of milk and 290 million pounds of cheese each year.
6. Burger King
Burger King, one of the foremost fast-food companies in the USA, specializes in producing delicious hamburgers. With more than 12000 stores across 79 countries, it is witnessing significant growth, in particular after 2021 when the company is anticipated to double its sales.
There are more than 1 million customers at Burger King restaurants around the world, making it the third largest burger chain in the United States. Additionally, they are estimated to serve about 1 million customers a day. The signature product of Burger King is the Whopper Sandwich and Burger, introduced in 1957. There is a reputed fast food chain that boasts of sales of more than 1.9 million whopper burgers in a single day.
A huge portion of Burger King’s global sales are attributed to Restaurant Brands International, which owns and manages Burger King. Restaurant Brands International has a global presence not only through Burger King, but also through other brands like Popeyes and Tim Hortons. As with McDonald’s and other big fast-food chains, most of this chain’s outlets are franchised, just like McDonald’s does.
7. Yum China
Through the period from January to June 2019, the company has seen a significant rise in their revenue YoY. However, due to the pandemic in 2020, the company observed a 5.85% decline in its revenue. Approximately 9% of the company’s revenue was generated by franchise fees, income, and revenues from franchisee-based outlets as well as affiliates.
In 2016, Yum! Brands spun off KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell from Yum! Brands (the company that owns exclusive rights to KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell) to create one of the fastest-growing fast food chains in the world.
Yum China was founded in Shanghai, China, and is recognized around the world as the 7th largest fast food chain as of 2021, generating more than $8.4 billion in sales. The Chinese restaurant is incorporated in the United States and is based in Shanghai, China.
More than 10,000 outlets are found worldwide, and the restaurant is known for being able to prepare mouth-watering Chinese delicacies, sea food, rice dishes, congee, soups, desserts, and a wide variety of other dishes.
8. Domino’s
This is a list of the world’s largest fast food chains, with Domino’s ranking 8th in the world. It generated over 3.6 billion dollars in revenue last year, which is more than three times the amount it generated in 2021. Domino’s was founded in 1960, and they have been famous for their world-famous pizzas since then, including their thin crust, their wheat base, their cheese burst, and so on.
There are also several American dishes and side dishes served at Domino’s, ranging from pasta bread bowls to oven-baked sandwiches, that are popular among the public. In spite of the fact that the menu may vary from state to state and country to country, Domino’s has over 18,000 outlets around the world now, and its menu may vary from state to state.
9. Darden Restaurants Inc
The world’s 11 biggest fast food chains; however, Darden Restaurants Inc is one of the largest fast food chains. Its headquarters are in Florida, and the company operates many brands of food including LongHorn, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Steakhouse, and Yard House.
Its TTM revenue for the year 2019 was $7.8 billion, with a huge market capitalization of $9.7 billion. As a consequence of negative same-restaurant sales of 11% in 2019, the company saw a steep drop of around 8% in revenue in 2019. As a result of the pandemic, sales were adversely affected even more. The company is now returning to business in the same way that many fast food chains and restaurants have in the past.
10. Chipotle Mexican Grill
There is a renowned Mexican chain that provides a sense of camaraderie and community, and that is best known for selling simple yet delicious Mexican cuisine. The Chipotle Mexican Grill is the place to satisfy your cravings for tacos, burritos, bowls, and similar meals if you wish to delight in these tastes.
There are 443 locations of Chipotle Mexican Grill in California, in the US, where the majority of Chipotle Mexican Grill outlets are located. They are located in a variety of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Germany. In addition to having a limited menu and a high degree of meal customization available, Chipotle Mexican Grill is a perfect restaurant for anyone who enjoys food.
11. Dunkin’ Donuts
As the parent company of this world’s top fast food chain, Dunkin Donuts, Inspire Brands has grown to become a leader in the fast food industry. It is the world’s largest fast food chain, Dunkin Donuts, specializing in producing mouthwatering donuts like powdered sugar donuts, Boston cream pie donuts, chocolate glazed donuts, Bavarian cream filled donuts, strawberries glazed donuts, etc. As well as this, you can also visit any Dunkin branch to pick up a cup of coffee, sandwiches, bagels, and much more.
With over 3200 international restaurants as of June 2022, the brand has been spread across 36 countries, with more than 3200 international restaurants as of 1950, when it was founded by William Rosenberg in Quincy, the United States. Although this massive restaurant chain has over 8500 outlets spread across 41 states across the nation, it has over 8500 outlets in the whole country.
The largest fast food chains by market capitalization are listed below
We have compiled a list of the twenty largest fast food chains based on their market cap. As a result, we can provide you with a better understanding of how large these companies actually are and how seriously they take their business.
Rank | Fast Food Chain | Market Capitalizations (USD) | Headquartered In (Country) | Estimated Number of Stores (Worldwide) |
1 | McDonald’s | 176.35 billion | United States of America | 31,000+ |
2 | Starbucks | 82.99 billion | United States of America | 32,900+ |
3 | Pizza Hut | 32.63 billion | Unites States of America / China | 18,000+ |
4 | Chipotle Mexican Grill | 29.83 billion | United States of America | 2900+ |
5 | Yum China | 19.31 billion | China / Unites States of America | 10,600+ |
6 | Domino’s | 15.03 billion | United States of America | 18,000+ |
7 | Subway | 10.2 billion | United States of America | 43,000+ |
8 | Darden Restaurants Inc. | 9.26 billion | United States of America | 1800+ |
9 | Dunkin’ Donuts | 5.27 billion | United States of America | 12,900+ |
10 | KFC | 3.17 billion | United States of America | 41,000+ |
11 | Burger King | 2.19 billion | United States of America | 12,000+ |
A number of fast food outlets in the United States have a market size of $972 billion in 2021, and that figure is forecast to reach $1467 billion by 2028. It is estimated that at least 50 million Americans consume fast food at one of these outlets every day. It is estimated that there are more than 2 million fast food restaurants in America.
A large portion of fast food sales are made up of hamburgers and pizza, with the latter making up 15%. According to estimates published by the Food and Beverage Association of the United States, the fast food industry was expected to earn more than $570 billion last year in 2021 and is expected to grow even more at a growth rate of 5.1% by 2026. Fast food chains that meet the minimum standards of quality ensure that the ingredients they use are fresh and have as few additives as possible.
What is the future of the fast food industry?
A major market in the restaurant industry, the fast food segment has been an industry landmark for almost more than 100 years, as it is regarded as a leader when it comes to quality ingredients, the speed with which meals are prepared, and the convenience of packing. It is one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the restaurant industry today.
As fast food chains around the world implement self-delivery options to meet customers’ expectations, many fast food chains are enabling their customers to order quickly and pick it up at their convenience. As an example, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and many other famous fast food brands provide their customers with the option of ordering fast food online and picking it up quickly.
Furthermore, customers are also able to place a self-order by their own means using their digital menu boards located on-site. As a result, if all of these methods are used, the fast food sector’s growth is expected to increase by an average of 2.4% annually.
Throughout the digital age, customers expect their products to be comfortable, convenient, flexible, and customizable. As a result of collaborating with third-party delivery companies such as Zomato, Uber Eats, and others, fast food chains are constantly improving the customer experience. Since these companies have been at the top of the market for so long, they have been able to adapt and understand the market as well as be able to provide a quality product.
avodart 0.5 mg