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 | 5 | Taco Bell | $8,820.2 | $1,460.0 | 5,227 | 894 | 6,121 | 170 |
2 | 12 | Chipotle* | $4,501.2 | $2,424.0 | 0 | 1,971 | 1,971 | 216 |
3 | 22 | Panda Express | $2,550.1 | $1,487.0 | 85 | 1,705 | 1,790 | 61 |
4 | 34 | Qdoba Mexican Eats | $753.7 | $1,169.0 | 339 | 322 | 661 | 23 |
5 | 37 | Del Taco | $700.2 | $1,376.6 | 247 | 297 | 544 | -3 |
6 | 43 | Moe's Southwest Grill | $638.1 | $1,163.0 | 633 | 5 | 638 | 57 |