With COVID reshuffling the deck, several of the U.S.' biggest quick-service chains have found opportunity to increase their long-term unit goals.
One of the best examples is Wingstop, which now wants to open 7,000 restaurants across the world, up from 6,000. That 1,000-unit bump is all because of American whitespace. Then there's KFC, which achieved U.S. net unit growth last year—the first time it's done so in 17 years.
Even with the less-than-stellar macroeconomic environment, franchisees aren't deterred.
“As they look at the P&L today, as they look at the cash flow they’re generating, it’s creating a lot of excitement,” Wingstop CEO Michael Skipworth told analysts in late July. “A lot of excitement for development.”
Each year, the QSR 50 takes a look at several stats in the fast-food segment, one of them being overall unit count. The following slideshow ranks how the 50 biggest U.S. chains stack up in terms of domestic footprint at the end of 2021.
CHECK OUT PAST RESULTS:
2021
2020
2019
2018
Click here for a free download of the entire QSR 50 and brand-by-brand breakdown.
Note: The unit counts are by U.S. restaurants as of 2021 year end.
If viewing on desktop, click arrows in picture to see the next slide. * Indicates estimate by QSR.
