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 | 2 | Starbucks | $13,300.0 | $1,062.2 | 4,962 | 7,559 | 12,521 | 303 |
| 2 | 7 | Dunkin' Donuts* | $7,620.0 | $903.8 | 8,392 | 39 | 8,431 | 349 |
| 3 | 17 | Dairy Queen* | $3,532.0 | $782.97 | 4,509 | 2 | 4,511 | -1 |
| 4 | 36 | Krispy Kreme* | $708.1 | $1,835.6 | 181 | 116 | 297 | 19 |
| 5 | 38 | Tim Hortons*^2 | $695.7 | $1,143.0 | 881 | 3 | 884 | 0 |
| 6 | 46 | Baskin-Robbins* | $584.0 | $233.3 | 2,493 | 10 | 2,503 | 19 |
| 7 | 49 | Auntie Anne's* | $529.2 | $500.1 | 1,238 | 14 | 1,252 | 59 |
| 8 | 50 | Jamba Juice* | $524.5 | $641.2 | 748 | 70 | 818 | 12 |
