Food

Chick-fil-A dethroned as America’s favorite fast-food chain

Mary Dada

Mary Dada

— 2 min read
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Chick-fil-A dethroned as America’s favorite fast-food chain
For the first time in more than a decade, a chain other than Chick-fil-A leads the American Customer Satisfaction Index's fast-food rankings ©Image Credit: Wiki Commons / Tony Webster

For more than a decade, one name sat comfortably at the top of the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) fast-food satisfaction rankings. Not anymore. For the first time in over 10 years, Chick-fil-A has been knocked out of the No. 1 spot, ending one of the longest winning streaks in fast-food rankings. The new champion is Jersey Mike's.

According to the latest ACSI ranking, Jersey Mike's earned a score of 84 out of 100, narrowly beating Chick-fil-A's score of 83, which put the former champion in second place. The survey was based on more than 16,000 customer responses collected between April 2025 and March 2026.

The ACSI says this is the first time in more than a decade that a different chain has led the quick-service restaurant category.

The rest of the rankings

Behind Jersey Mike's and Chick-fil-A, several familiar names rounded out the top tier, with Jimmy John's and Panda Express each coming in at 81. KFC, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut each earned a score of 80.

Meanwhile, Domino’s, Starbucks, Subway, and Raising Cane’s each scored 79. And near the bottom, we have Burger King, Dunkin’, Little Caesars, and Panera Bread at 78. The lowest score among major chains was 72, which went to McDonald’s and Dairy Queen.

How Jersey Mike's pulled it off

Jersey Mike's has been growing fast. The sandwich chain now operates more than 4,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada, building a reputation around made-to-order subs and its signature "Mike's Way" toppings.

According to the ACSI, the company managed to expand aggressively without seeing customer satisfaction slip. The report highlighted strong customer demand, rapid store growth, and high digital pickup usage. 

Chick-fil-A isn't exactly losing

Before Chick-fil-A’s loyal customers start panicking, the chain is still performing extremely well. The ACSI noted that Chick-fil-A remains the clear leader in the chicken category.

After all, a one-point drop does not suddenly erase years of strong customer service, consistent food quality, and one of the most loyal customer bases in fast food.

Source: Fox News

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