In 2012, Chick-fil-A surpassed KFC to become the best-selling chicken chain, Jimmy John’s and Five Guys joined the billion-dollar-brands club, and fast-growing Wingstop and Moe’s Southwest Grill climbed into the limited-service industry’s upper echelon for the first time. McDonald’s, meanwhile, maintained its stranglehold on the No. 1 position, nearly tripling runner-up Subway’s domestic sales. Dig deep into the data driving the quick-service and fast-casual restaurant industries with this year’s QSR 50.
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| Rank | QSR 50 Rank | Segment | Chain | 2012 Sales | 2012 Average Sales | 2012 Franchise Units | 2012 Company Units | 2012 Total Units | 2011 Unit Change |
| 1 | 9 | chicken | Chick-fil-A | $4,621.1 | $3,158.0 | 1,391 | 292 | 1,683 | 77 |
| 2 | 10 | chicken | KFC | $4,459.0 | $957.0 | 4,319 | 237 | 4,556 | -162 |
| 3 | 19 | chicken | Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen | $2,253.0 | $1,242.0 | 1,634 | 45 | 1,679 | 69 |
| 4 | 27 | chicken | Zaxby's | $979.3 | $1,765.7 | 467 | 98 | 565 | 25 |
| 5 | 28 | chicken | Church's Chicken | $869.9 | $706.5 | 944 | 258 | 1,202 | 10 |
| 6 | 29 | chicken | Bojangles' | $864.5 | $1,717.5 | 325 | 211 | 536 | 30 |
| 7 | 41 | chicken | El Pollo Loco* | $563.0 | $1,475.0 | 232 | 165 | 397 | 3 |
| 8 | 42 | chicken | Boston Market | $559.0 | $1,184.0 | 0 | 469 | 469 | -12 |
| 9 | 49 | chicken | Wingstop | $450.9 | $902.0 | 510 | 23 | 533 | 45 |
*Includes figures estimated by Technomic Inc.
