When it comes to fast food restaurants, you will probably immediately think of brand names such as McDonald’s, KFC,… However, do you know which one is the most popular in addition to these brands? See now the top fast food chains.
Subway
Topping the list of top fast food chains in the world is Subway. Subway was born in 1965 in Bridgeport, Connecticut (USA) with the first name “Pete’s Super Submarines”. The founders of this legendary brand are none other than Fred DeLuca and his partner – Peter Buck. With its smart business strategy, Subway quickly developed and spread throughout the United States in the late 1970s. In 1996, Subway’s fame spread to Canada. With the above achievement, it can be called Subway as the fastest growing fast food restaurant in the world. In 2010, Subway became the fast food restaurant with the most branches in the world, surpassing even “Hamburgers tycoon” McDonald’s. To date, the brand has 41,500 branches worldwide, making Subway a multi-billion dollar brand. Currently, Subway’s headquarters has been moved to Milford, Connecticut. However, it is still owned by the powerful DeLuca family.
McDonald’s
When you think of fast food, you most likely think of McDonald’s. The legendary “hamburgers” – McDonald’s was born in 1940 in San Bernardino, California (USA). The two fathers of this brand are two American brothers Maurice and Richard McDonald. However, the brand’s period of prosperity only really began when businessman Ray Kroc joined the company. With the strategy of “real estate business, not fast food business”, McDonald’s. became the most famous hamburger chain in California. After that, McDonald’s continued to dominate the North American market. With its products and services, McDonald’s is considered as the brand that shapes the fast-food culture around the world. Today, McDonald’s has become a globalized fast-food icon with more than 37,900 branches worldwide. Although ranked second in the ranking of the top fast food chains, in terms of revenue, McDonald’s surpassed Subway.
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Starbucks
Holding the third position in the list of the top fast food chains is a brand many people do not expect – Starbucks. Referring to Starbucks, many people will think this is a famous coffee shop. However, the truth is that Starbucks’ sales mostly come from the fast-food business. Starbucks was once recognized as one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world. The founders of this legendary brand are 3 Americans Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl. Starbucks’ original business purpose was to sell quality coffee beans, but then the three founders changed their ideas to coffee and fast food businesses. Thanks to that, Starbucks quickly became a famous coffee shop brand throughout the American West. In 1987, Starbucks was sold to CEO Howard Schultz and quickly became a global brand with more than 29,900 stores. Starbucks has successfully ushered in a new era in the coffee and fast food industry.
KFC
At number 4 in the ranking of top fast food chains is the “fried chicken tycoon” KFC. Many of us have certainly tried the delicious chicken pieces of this brand, but you probably don’t know the meaning behind the KFC brand name. KFC has full name: “Kentucky Fried Chicken“. This legendary brand was founded by American Harland Sanders in 1930. Before entering the fast food business, Sanders was a soldier in the US Army. Later, despite becoming a successful businessman with the KFC brand, he was still referred to by everyone with the nickname “Colonel Sanders”. If you look at the logos of famous fast food brands in the world, you will see that KFC is the only fast food brand with the founder’s image on the logo. It can be seen that Sanders has succeeded in becoming an ambassador for his own brand of fried chicken. Sanders died in 1980, but this did not stop the growth of the KFC brand. Up to now, KFC has more than 22,600 branches worldwide. KFC’s headquarters is currently located in Louisville, Kentucky.
Pizza Hut
The 5th position in the list of top fast food chains is the famous pizza brand – Pizza Hut. This legendary pizza brand was born in 1958 by two American brothers Dan and Frank Carney. With delicious pizzas and its smart business strategy, Pizza Hut quickly spread throughout the United States. However, it only really became a global brand after being sold to PepsiCo corporation. Today, Pizza Hut has become the largest pizza producer on the planet with more than 18,500 stores worldwide. Today, you can visit this famous pizza brand’s headquarters in Plano, Texas.
Burger King
Referring to hamburgers, besides McDonald’s, which brand would you think of? Is it Burger King (BK)? It’s no wonder that Burger King is on the list of top fast food chains in the world. The company was founded in 1953 under the first name Insta-Burger King. However, in 1954, the company had many financial difficulties, so it was bought by David Edgerton and James McLamore and renamed Burger King. It can be said that this is the fast food brand that changed the most owners during its development. In 2002, it was owned by three joint venture companies of TPG Capital, Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners. At the end of 2010, Brazil Capital’s 3G acquired the brand for a total of $3.26 billion and restructured the company. Eventually, 3G, along with its partner Berkshire Hathaway, merged the company with the Canada-based donut chain, Tim Hortons. Currently, its headquarters is located in Canada called Restaurant Brands.
Domino’s Pizza
Following Pizza Hut’s brand in the pizza market is Domino’s Pizza. Therefore, it is not surprising that Domino’s Pizza holds the 7th position in the list of top fast food chains in the world. This large pizza franchise, headquartered in Domino Farms Office Park, was founded by “father” Tom Monaghan in 1960. However, the brand was later sold to Bain Capital in 1998. In 2004, it started operating under the name Domino’s Pizza. This is the second largest pizza brand in the world, after Pizza Hut. However, in terms of the number of stores worldwide, Domino’s Pizza surpasses Pizza Hut with more than 10,000 stores in 70 countries.
Dunkin’ Donuts
Holding the 9th position in the ranking of the top fast food chain in the world is the US multinational coffee and donut chain Dunkin’. The brand was “born” by father William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1950. However, the Dunkin’ brand only really developed after the acquisition in 1990. At this time, Dunkin’ was Baskin-Robbins’ parent company, Allied Lyons, acquired and developed the brand across North America. Dunkin’ headquarters during this period were located in Canton, Massachusetts. On December 15, 2020, Inspire Brands acquired the brand and made it the leader in beverages. In January 2019, the brand officially changed its name to Dunkin’ and simultaneously renamed all stores of that brand in the world. Today, Dunkin has become the largest donut shop in the world with 12,900 locations in 42 countries. Dunkin’ favorites are donuts, bagels, coffee, and “Munchkins” donut holes.
Baskin-Robbins
Last on the list of top fast food chains is Baskin-Robbins. This is definitely the favorite brand of ice cream lovers. The two fathers of this famous ice cream brand are none other than Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins. Being “born” in 1945, today the head office of this brand is located in Canton, Massachusetts, USA. The brand makes a big impression on users with the advertising campaign “Ice cream 31 flavors”, made by Ogilvy & Mather. With this campaign, customers can try 31 different flavors of ice cream for a month, until they find an ice cream flavor they love. Since 1945, the company has sold more than 1000 different flavors of ice cream to customers.
If you are a fan of fast food, the list above is indeed very useful for you. Out of top fast food chains, which brand do you like the most? Please share with us.
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