QSR 50: McDonald's Tops List as Established Brands Dominate
The annual QSR 50 ranking of limited-service restaurant companies has been released, and McDonald's takes the top spot for the second year in a row. The burger chain generated $55 billion in US system-wide sales in 2025, with an average sale per unit of $614,000.
Other top performers include Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and Taco Bell, which all made it into the top five. The top 10 spots are dominated by established brands, but there is some movement further down the list. Burger King fell from sixth to tenth place in 2025, while Domino's Pizza rose from 14th to 11th.
The QSR 50 ranking is based on data submitted directly from restaurant companies between March and May of this year. The rankings are calculated by total system-wide sales, with estimated figures used for companies that did not submit their own numbers.