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15 fast food chains that make the most money per location

The quest for value differs among individual locations, with some reporting annual sales exceeding $7 million

ByFrancisco Velasquez

In the fiercely competitive world of Big Food, a handful of restaurants stand out not just for their popularity, but for their impressive earnings.


Diners may be voicing their concerns over rising prices, but they continue to satisfy their cravings at some of America’s top fast food chains, as revealed in QSR Magazine’s annual ranking earlier this year.

Gathering sales data from various chains between March and May of this year, the publication found that McDonald’s (MCD), Starbucks (SBUX), and Chick-fil-A reign supreme in the quick service arena. However, the quest for value differs among individual locations, with some reporting annual sales exceeding $7 million.

Per QSR, these are the top 15 fast food chains that generate the most annual revenue per location, including average sales figures, and the total number of locations.

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15. Wendy’s

  • Average sales per location: $2 million
  • Store count: 6,030

3 / 16

14. Taco Bell

  • Average sales per location: $2.1 million
  • Store count: 7,405

4 / 16

13. El Pollo Loco

  • Average sales per location: $2.2 million
  • Store count: 495

5 / 16

12.Bojangles

  • Average sales per location: $2.3 million
  • Store count: 813

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11. Panda Express

  • Average sales per location: $2.5 million
  • Store count: 2,420

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10. Zaxby’s

  • Average sales per location: $2.7 million
  • Store count: 942

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9. Chipotle

  • Average sales per location: $3 million
  • Store count: 3,437

9 / 16

8. In-N-Out Burger

  • Average sales per location: $3.1 million
  • Store count: 398

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7. Panera Bread

  • Average sales per location: $3.3 million
  • Store count: 2,169

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6. Culver’s

  • Average sales per location: $3.5 million
  • Store count: 944

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5. Shake Shack

  • Average sales per location: $3.9 million
  • Store count: 334

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4. Whataburger

  • Average sales per location: $4 million
  • Store count: 997

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3. McDonald’s

  • Average sales per location: $4 million
  • Store count: 13,457

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2. Raising Cane’s

  • Average sales per location: $5.7 million
  • Store count: 727

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1. Chick-fil-A

  • Average sales per location: $7.5 million
  • Store count: 2,552