Last updated on Jan 13, 2023 bymason shari
In June 2022, America is fastThe food industry was worth about $331.4 billion, just over ⅓ of the global fast food market.
Unsurprisingly, the US was ranked as the most fast-food obsessed country in the world in 2022.
Fast food statistics and trends can help you prepare for the future and stay on top this year.
By understanding the current state of the fast food industry and analyzing key data points, you can make informed decisions and better predict what the future holds.
Our team spent several hours interviewing dozens of fast food franchise owners.Get the latest industry statistics. Keep reading.
The most important results of fast food statistics
- TikTok is developing rapidlythe app of choice for many fast food operators.
- Plant-based meals expected to grow by 7.7%of the global protein market will be worth more than US$162 billion by 2030, up from US$29.4 billion in 2020.
- it was more than onebillion views on YouTubeJunk food videos.
- 43% of preschool-age childrenthey ate restaurant products they saw in television commercials.
- As of 2022 there are197,163 fast food restaurants in the US, growing at an average of 0.6% per year in the five years between 2017 and 2022. And the expectation is to grow until 2023.
- According to trend experts and data scientistsnostalgic menu items will be huge in 2023.
- this is from mcdonald'sremains the most profitable fast food restaurantworldwide with domestic sales of US$46.0 billion.
- 67% of fast food restaurant sales come from digital orders, which has increased by 23% since its implementation and is expected to triple by 2023.
- on a random day50 million Americans eat fast food.
- The global fast food market isexpected to reach US$ 931.7 billion by 2027, which will increase at a CAGR of 4.6% between 2020 and 2027.
Top 40 facts and statistics about fast food consumption
1. McDonald's is America's favorite fast food.
With domestic sales of approximately $46 billion in 2021, McDonald's remains Uncle Sam, king of fast food.
This giant supermarket chain serves approximately 13,500 locations across the US, 118 countries and 40,000 stores worldwide.
Fun Fact:McDonald's serves 69 million people every day, more than the populations of Thailand and the United Kingdom. [1]
The 5 Most Popular Fast Food Chains in the US
| fast food chain | national sales | rang |
| mc donalds | $46.0 billion | 1 |
| starbucks | $24.3 billion | 2 |
| Chick-fil-A | $16.7 billion | 3 |
| taco Bell | $12.6 billion | 4 |
| wendys | $11.1 billion | 5 |
2. Subway has the most restaurants by state in the US.
On December 14, 2022,Subway has 20,799 locations across the United States, swindlerCalifornia has 2,041 stores, about 10% of all underground stores in the US.
McDonald's may be the king of fast food chains in terms of revenue, but Subway is the ultimate king in terms of number of locations.
3. There are around 200,000 fast food restaurants in the United States alone.
In 2022, there were 197,163 fast food restaurants in the US, growing by an average of 0.6% per year over the five years between 2017 and 2022. [2]
In 2021, the US market size was approximately $296.6 billion.but is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% through 2027.ButWhat was the first fast food restaurant in history??
4. Chicken sandwich menu offerings are likely to increase as chicken breast prices are down 70%.
According to a National Restaurant Association survey of more than 500 food industry professionals,Fried chicken sandwiches and their new variants will be one of the big trends of the new year.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that US chicken breast prices are down 70% from their June 2021 peak, along with chicken wings and drumsticks.
However, chicken prices are still up 15% from October 2021, according to the BLS.
5. Americans spend over $1,200 on fast food each year.
On average, Americans spend more than $1,200 (36.6% [3]) for fast food annually, $100 per month, $13.15 per week, or $3.39 per day.
The average American family reportedly spends 10% of their daily income on fast food.
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Furthermore, the average American family is reported to spend 10% of their daily income, up to about $110 billion a year.
6. Fast food consumption decreases with age.
According to a CDC.gov report, theThe overall percentage of adults who consume fast food has declined with age..
The 2013-2016 report also found that the overall percentage of adults consuming fast food increased even as their incomes increased.
As most reports have already shown that people with higher incomes tend to eat more fast food, this trend will likely continue to increase into 2023.
7. People aged 20-39 eat the most fast food on any given day.
According to a CDC report, Americans ages 20 to 39 (44.9% of Americans) eat fast food every day.
Then come those aged 40 to 59 years (37.7%) and those aged 60 and over with about 24.1% [4].
8. Men eat more fast food than women.
Men, especially young men, eat more than women at fast food restaurants.
According to reports, at least 38% of men consume fast food on a given day, 2.6% more than women (35.4%) [5].
Men between 20 and 39 years old (46.5%) eat fast food compared to 43.3% of women in the same age group.
9. Nostalgic menu items will be big news in 2023, according to trend experts and data scientists.
Nostalgic brands and menu items will be big in 2023, according to Yelp predictions from data scientists and trend experts. [6]
Fast food chains like McDonald's tend to bring back nostalgic menus and characters to attract old and (of course) new customers.
Fast food giants like McDonald's are eager to bring nostalgic menus back.
Business Insider
This marketing strategy aims to attract adults who will remember the brand's original promotions, introducing it to a new generation of consumers.
10. Regular consumption of fast food increases by 2.2% each year.
Despite the government's attempt to divert young consumers' attention from fast food advertisements [7], habitual consumption of fast food increased by 2.2% per year.
11. 34% of kids eat fast food, especially hamburgers, on any given day.
According to reports, one in three children in the United States eats fast food, especially hamburgers, on any given day.
Researchers found thatTeens and children get an average of 12.4% of their daily calories from fast food.
Children aged 12 to 19 ate twice as many calories at fast food restaurants as children aged 2 to 11.
Overall, nearly 34% of children and teens ages 2-19 ate fast food on any given day. [8]
12. Over 40% of a fast food restaurant's revenue comes from digital orders.
Reportedly, 67% of fast food restaurant sales come from digital orders, while 28% come from phone orders.
It has also been reported that aggregators generate 16% of average sales and mobile orders only 14%.
13 Wendy's is currently the most expensive fast food chain in the United States.
Wendy's won the title of the most expensive fast food chain of 2022, beating Burger King with a 35% price increase. [9]
Wendy's may have achieved the biggest overall price increase among its major competitors, but many of its individual menu items have gotten cheaper in 2022.
For example, Baconator was only $9.62, $2.51 less than its 2021 price of $12.13.
The spicy chicken sandwich was also 12 cents cheaper.
At this point, it's not easy to assume that the price of Wendy's could continue to rise into 2023.
Fast Food Chain Price Comparison
| fast food chain | average price per order |
| wendys | about $6.63 |
| king of burgers | about $5.14 |
| Chick-fil-A | About $4.65 |
| mc donalds | about $3.77 |
| taco Bell | about $3.37 |
14. Taco Bell is currently the cheapest fast food restaurant in the United States.
To date, Taco Bell is currently the cheapest fast food chain in the United States.
If you look closely at the chart above, you can see the $3.26 price difference between Taco Bell and Wendy's.
Some reports claim that the main reasons Taco Bell is so cheap is because it uses cheap basic ingredients and doesn't use the highest quality meat. [10]
15. Plant-based options are expected to grow to over $30 billion as more consumers go vegan and vegetarian.
As reported by Bloomberg Intelligence (BI), plant-based meal options are expected to grow to 7.7% of the global protein market by 2030, worth more than $162 billion, up from $29.4 billion in 2020.
Plant-based meals are expected to increase by up to 7.7%.
Bloomberg Secret Service(Video) 20 People you won't believe exist 😱
That's at least a fivefold increase!
16. People gravitate more towards fast food trucks.
People prefer drive-thru pickup because it is more convenient and time-saving for consumers.
Interestingly, reports state that people aged 18-44 (37%) prefer smooth traffic.
The National Restaurant Association also reported that about 5% of restaurant orders were placed digitally before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now increased to 20%.
17. About 30% of existing fast food restaurants focus on hamburgers.
As mentioned above, McDonald's is still America's favorite fast food restaurant, so it's not surprising to learn that Americans tend to gravitate towards hamburgers.
The US grocery market continues to be dominated by hamburger fast food outlets, which account for over 30% of industry sales.
Top 5 segments by market share
| Segment | market level |
| Burger-focused restaurants | 30%+ |
| pizzerias | 15% |
| snack bars | 12% |
| chicken restaurants | 8% |
| mexican restaurants | 7% |
18. Digital orders have increased by about 23% since they were first implemented and are expected to triple by 2023.
Digital ordering has been rigorously implemented during the pandemic, which has increased by about 23%.
According to a report by Square, two out of three customers would rather order food through a restaurant's mobile ordering platform than through third-party channels.
19. TikTok is quickly becoming the app of choice for many fast food operators.
2021,TikTok launched a new service that turned viral food videos into real foodthat people can order and enjoy in the TikTok kitchen.”
The app works with Grubhub and Virtual Dining Concepts and delivers to nearly 300 locations with over 1,000 partner restaurants. [11]
20. There have been over a billion views of YouTube videos featuring junk food.
A 2019 study found that 179 of 418 YouTube videos featuring influencers aged 3-14 consuming food or playing with toys showed them eating unhealthy junk food.
These YouTube videos have apparently been viewed over a billion times. [12]
21. 42.8% of the most popular YouTube videos created by child influencers promoted food and drink.
Influential kids created at least 42.8% of YouTube's most popular videos promoting unhealthy food and drinks and flagging unhealthy products like fast food toys, candy and soft drinks.
22. McDonald's is the most profitable fast food restaurant in the world.
For the quarter ended September 30, 2022, McDonald's gross profit was $3,446 million. That was an increase of around 0.43% year-over-year.
In 2019, Forbes announced that McDonald's remains the most profitable fast food restaurant in the world with sales of $40.6 billion. [13]
We see McDonald's as the undisputed leader in the fast food industry in 2023 as well.
Top 10 highest grossing fast food restaurants
| rang | restaurant | Billing (as of 2019) |
| 1 | mc donalds | $40.4 billion |
| 2 | starbucks | $21.3 billion |
| 3 | Chick-fil-A | $11.3 billion |
| 4 | taco Bell | $11.2 billion |
| 5 | king of burgers | $10.2 billion |
| 6 | underground | $10.2 billion |
| 7 | wendys | $9.7 billion |
| 8 | immersion | $9.2 billion |
| 9 | domino | 7 billion dollars |
| 10 | Bread crumbs | $5.8 billion |
23. ⅓ of Americans eat fast food every day.
One in three Americans eat fast food on any given day, particularly between the ages of 20 and 39 and 34% of children.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this rate is particularly high, despite warnings about the impact of eating fast food on consumer health and obesity. [14]
24. African-Americans consume 42.4% of fast food daily, compared to 30.6% of Asian-Americans.
According to the CDC, African Americans (42.4%) consume more fast food every day than Whites by just 37.6%, Asians by 30.6%, and Hispanics by 35.5%.
25. The Wendy's Fast Food brand ad aired over 4,000 times on television, while the Popeye ad aired over 3,000 times.
Introduced in 1984, "Where's the Beef?" by Wendy became a universal and iconic phrase that questioned the essence of an idea, event or product in the United States and Canada. [15]
Wendy's commercial has been broadcast over 4,000 times on television.
Popeyes also released an iconic brand ad set to New Orleans funk and jazz with the "Love That Chicken" jingle.
It has ads that have aired over 3000 times.
26. 83% of American households eat at fast food restaurants at least once a week.
Only about 17% of American households don't eat fast food at least once a week. On average, the remaining 83% walk at least 2½ or 2.4 times a week. [sixteen]
27Regular consumption of fast food increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression.
According to studies, eating fast food more than once a week can increase the risk of obesity.
Additionally, eating fast food more than twice a week is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and death from coronary artery disease. [17]
28. Lunchtime is the most popular time to eat fast food.
Most Americans prefer to eat fast food at lunchtime, followed by dinner, breakfast and snacks.
Breakdown of fast food consumption by time to eat
| time to eat | percentage |
| Lunch | 43,7% |
| cena | 42% |
| Breakfast | 22,7% |
| mouthpiece | 22,6% |
29. 43.7% of Americans eat fast food for lunch and 42% for dinner.
According to one study, 43.7% of Americans eat fast food for lunch and 42% for dinner. In particular, men (48.3%) prefer to eat them at lunch than women (39.1%).
30. McDonald's has over 39,000 stores.
In almost 70 yearsCurrently, McDonald's is represented in just over 39,000 locations in over 100 countries.from January 2022. [18]
Approximately 95% of these businesses worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners.
31. 30% of fast food restaurants offer healthier options on their children's menu.
Of the 20 fast food outlets surveyed, 30% offered healthier options as a standard option on their food packaging for 2015, reports the American Journal of Public Health. [19]
32. One fast food account for 37% of your daily calories.
According to 2013 data from the National Center for Health Statistics, between 2007 and 2010, American adults consumed an average of 11.3% of their total daily calories from fast food.
33. 5,065,599 people worked in the fast food industry in 2022.
In 2022, 5,065,599 people were employed in the fast food industry in the United States.
Statistically, the number of people employed in the industry increased by an average of 2.5% from 3,450,120 employees (2020) in the five years between 2017 and 2022. [20]
34. Every day, 50 million Americans eat fast food.
36,6%(50 million) US adults said they ate fast food in the last 24 hours, based on interviews conducted between 2013 and 2016 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Survey.
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35. The global fast food market is estimated at US$931.7 billion.
According to the report, the global fast food market is expected to reach $931.7 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 4.6% between 2020 and 2027.
The size of the fast food market was estimated at $647.7 billion in 2019, and it isestimated at $931.7 billion by 2027, which will grow at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period. [21]
ExperienceHow much do restaurants here earn per day?.
36. Once a month, 80% of Americans visit a fast food restaurant.
A 2013 survey found that more than 8,000 adults, nearly 80%, go to fast food restaurants at least once a month. [22]
37. Fast food is consumed once a week by 20% of the population.
According to a 2018 study, the majority of American families (83% of them) eat fast food at least once a week, 20% of them even in the car.
38. Fast food is consumed daily by 34% of children between 2 and 19 years old.
The National Center for Preventive Health Statistics and the US Centers for Disease Control published a study of 2011-2012 data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES).
The researchers found that nearly 34% of children and teens ages 2 to 19 ate fast food on any given day. [23]
39. 43% of preschoolers ate restaurant items they saw in TV commercials.
Researchers conducted a nine-month study in southern New Hampshire that found that 43% of preschool-age children (average age 4.4 years) ate restaurant products they saw in television advertisements and 41% had seen commercials. of TV. [24]
40. McDonald's sells 75 hamburgers per second, or 4,500 per minute, or 270,000 hamburgers per hour.
McDonald's sells more than 75 hamburgers per second, approximately 4,500 hamburgers per minute, 270,000 per hour, 6.48 million per day and 2.36 billion per year.[25] What aType of pickles used by McDonald's?
common questions
What percentage of fast food restaurants are unhealthy?
According to surveys, around 70% of fast foods are unhealthy or have low nutritional quality.
Why do most people prefer fast food?
According to surveys, most people (about 32%) prefer fast food because it is cheap and convenient. Science ABC also claims that fast food contains ingredients for wellness, such as calories, sugar, saturated fat and trans fat.
How big is the fast food industry in the United States?
According to the research, the size of the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) market in the United States will be approximately $331.4 billion in 2022, which grew by an average of 2.8% per year between 2017 and 2022.
in the summer
The fast food industry has grown rapidly over the last few decades, with many large multinational companies operating fast food chains around the world.
The industry is highly competitive and companies often run aggressive marketing campaigns to attract customers.
One thing is certain: fast food will continue to be a major player in the global food industry, and many people around the world continue to enjoy fast food as a convenient and affordable dining option.
References:
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/articles/here-are-the-most-popular-fast-food-brands-in-america/#
- https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/number-of-businesses/fast-food-restaurants-united-states/
- https://www.zippia.com/advice/größte-fast-food-ketten/
- https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db322.htm#
- https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/who-eats-fast-food-according-cdc
- https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-trends-2023-chicken-sandwiches-nostalgia-value-menus-2022-12
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3483979/
- https://time.com/4035490/comida-rapida-niños/
- https://www.eatthis.com/wendys-teuerstes-fastfood/
- https://www.thedailymeal.com/1047756/der-grund-taco-bell-ist-so-billig/
- https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/17/tiktok-is-launching-delivery-only-restaurants-across-the-u-s-in-march/
- https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/26/health/youtube-influencers-junk-food-wellness/index.html
- https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/chick-fil-a-lands-behind-mcdonalds-as-two-highest-brutting-fast-food-chain
- https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2018/fast-food-daily-habit.html
- https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/06/14/world-s-best-ads-ever-91-wendy-s-inadvertently-coins-lasting-phrase-with-fluffy-bun
- https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/03/health/fast-food-consumption-cdc-study/index.html
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/sneaking-a-little-junk-food-doesnt-mean-all-is-lost/2018/02/26/828b75fa-1b36-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story. html
- https://www.yahoo.com/video/posee-mas-terrenos-bill-gates-132113385.html
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-restaurants-kids/u-s-fast-food-chains-offering-more-healthy-options-for-kids-idUSKCN1P325B
- https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/employment/fast-food-restaurants-united-states/
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-fast-food-market-worth-931-billion-by-2027—industry-assessment-featuring-auntie-annes-dominos-pizza-dunkin-brands- group-mcdonalds-yum-brands-and-more-301096058.html
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6140449/
- https://time.com/4035490/comida-rapida-niños/#
- https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/news/2017/dartmouth-research-finds-link-between-fast-food-ads-and-fast-food-conquisition-among-pre-school-children/
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2013/11/19/cinco-cosas-sobre-mcdonalds/3643557/#
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hello I amShari! After over a decade in the hospitality industry, I decided to share my experience with you online here. To know moreabout us hereor you can contact me directly[Email protected].
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FAQs
What are some statistics about fast food popularity? ›
⅓ of Americans are eating fast food on any given day. People ages 20-39 years old eat the most fast food on any given day. Men consume more fast food than women. 83% of American families eat at fast food restaurants at least once a week.
What is a shocking fact about fast food? ›On average, a fast food meal is worth 37% of your daily calorie intake. It makes up 42.6% of your carb intake for the day, 33.6% of daily fat, and 15.4% of daily protein. That's roughly 3 chicken tenders at KFC and maybe a sip of soda if you're lucky.
What age group eats the most fast food? ›People ages 20-39 years old eat the most fast food on any given day. Men consume more fast food than women. 83% of American families eat at fast food restaurants at least once a week. The average American household spends 10% of their annual income on fast food.
Has fast food become worse for our health in the past 30 years? ›“Despite the vast number of choices offered at fast-food restaurants, some of which are healthier than others, the calories, portion sizes, and sodium content overall have worsened (increased) over time and remain high.” Megan McCrory, Ph. D.
Who consumes the most fast food in the world? ›This shouldn't be much of a surprise, the United States is the biggest fast-food consumer in the world. The study carried out by CEOWORLD magazine revealed that the US ranks as the world's most fast-food-obsessed country.
Is the fast food industry growing or declining? ›The US fast food industry is growing at an average annual rate of 2.4% per year. Additionally the expected compound annual growth rate of the industry is 4.6% from 2020-2027.
What is the main danger of fast food? ›Fast food is often high in calories, fat, and sugar but low in nutrients and fiber. While eating fast food occasionally isn't a problem, consuming it frequently may raise your risk of obesity, heart attack, and other health issues.
What are 3 facts about fast food? ›- McDonald's is the world's largest toy distributor. ...
- There are almost 38 million Subway combos to choose from. ...
- KFC is the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Japan. ...
- Domino's once offered free sandwiches to Jareds of the world. ...
- The Cinnabon Classic contains an insane 890 calories.
Such risks include obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and various cardiovascular conditions. This is because most fast food is high in sugar, salt, saturated fat, trans fats, processed ingredients, and calories. It is also generally low in antioxidants, fiber, and many other nutrients.
What is the cause in popularity of fast food? ›One of the main reasons for fast food's popularity is the convenience factor. Instead of having to spend time in your kitchen and at a grocery store preparing a meal you can spend mere minutes at a fast food restaurant and get a full meal.
Why is fast food so popular? ›
Fast food is popular because the food is inexpensive, convenient, and tastes good. Fast food may include refined grains instead of whole grains, contain saturated fat, cholesterol, and added sugar, and it can be high in sodium (aka salt) which is used as a preservative and makes food more flavorful and satisfying.
What is effect for popularity of fast-food restaurants? ›Another serious effect of the popularity of fast food presences is the loss of the family tradition of eating together. The family used to eat together, and thus they had the opportunity to talk with each other for daily problems. Fast food also has an effect on the income of the family.
Is fast food increasing in popularity? ›In California, there was a 49% increase in fast food consumption in 2021. That ranks 10th out of the 50 states in the country. According to the study, California as a whole chose McDonald's as its most popular fast food restaurant.