Fast casual has stormed the QSR 50 in the last few years, with Panera Bread entering the top 10 and Chipotle close at its heels. That trend continued in 2015; Panera and Chipotle each padded their sales, with the latter leap-frogging both Sonic and KFC in the rankings. (Of course, Chipotle’s food-safety woes struck at the end of 2015, a sales hit that will likely be reflected in next year’s QSR 50). Elsewhere in fast casual, a pair of sandwich chains—Jersey Mike’s and Firehouse Subs—continued their incredible momentum up the list, while Wingstop similarly managed to jump multiple spots in the rankings.
Meanwhile, legacy quick-service chains were a mixed bag in 2015. McDonald’s finally found its footing after years of disappointing sales returns, and Taco Bell managed to jump Wendy’s and solidify a spot in the QSR 50’s top five. But KFC ceded more ground in the chicken wars, slipping to spot No. 14 overall—only six spots and just over $1 billion in sales ahead of Popeyes, which enjoyed a major boost in 2015.
| Segment Rank | QSR 50 Rank | Company | 2015 U.S. Systemwide Sales (millions) | 2015 U.S. Average Sales per Unit (thousands) | Number of Franchised Units in 2015 | Number of Company Units in 2015 | Total Units in 2015 | Total Change in Units from 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Chick-fil-A | $6,825.9 | $3,977.3 | 1,646 | 337 | 1,983 | 96 |
| 2 | 14 | KFC | $4,328.3 | $1,000.0 | 4,064 | 206 | 4,270 | -121 |
| 3 | 20 | Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen | $3,100.0 | $1,458.5 | 2,469 | 70 | 2,539 | 160 |
| 4 | 25 | Zaxby's*^1 | $1,576.4 | $2,174.3 | 602 | 123 | 725 | 65 |
| 5 | 28 | Bojangles' | $1,153.0 | $1,838.7 | 378 | 281 | 659 | 40 |
| 6 | 31 | Church's Chicken | $838.0 | $729.0 | 881 | 250 | 1,131 | -37 |
| 7 | 32 | Wingstop | $821.2 | $1,130.0 | 826 | 19 | 845 | 133 |
| 8 | 35 | El Pollo Loco | $753.4 | $1,798.0 | 247 | 186 | 433 | 18 |
| 9 | 44 | Boston Market | $617.9 | $1,364.0 | 5 | 453 | 458 | 2 |
