Chick-fil-A Loses Fast-Food Crown for the First Time in 12 Years
The main content discusses the shifting landscape of customer satisfaction among fast-food restaurants in 2026. Jersey Mike’s has surpassed Chick-fil-A, ending the latter’s 11-year streak as the top-rated fast-food chain, with scores of 84 and 83 respectively. Jersey Mike’s has seen rapid expansion, adding 238 locations last year and reaching $4.2 billion in sales, praised for maintaining quality during growth and emphasizing a model that promotes franchisee success. othre notable results include Jimmy John’s and Panda Express tying for third with scores of 81, while chains like KFC, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut scored 80. McDonald’s and Dairy Queen tied at the bottom with scores of 72.
The survey also rates full-service restaurants and food delivery services, with LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse scoring 82 and Olive Garden 81. Uber Eats leads food delivery with a score of 76, followed by Grubhub and DoorDash.Industry experts highlight that while overall scores are stable,significant movement occurs underneath the surface,influenced by consumer expectations shifting toward experience consistency and convenience. Price remains a factor, but quality, reliability, and user experience now play a critical role in ranking success. The competition is expected to intensify as new brands enter the top rankings and costs rise for established players.
The fast-food pecking order has changed, leaving Chick-fil-A in second place among fast-food restaurants, according to the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Jersey Mike’s, a rapidly expanding sub shop making its debut on the list, topped the rankings with a score of 84, one point higher than Chick-fil-A’s score of 83, according to Fox News.
Chick-fil-A had been first in satisfaction among fast-food outlets for 11 years, according to Restaurant Dive.
“Jersey Mike’s ACSI success is consistent with their business performance, including rapid unit growth, strong customer demand, and a model designed around throughput and off-premise convenience from high digital pickup usage,” the study said, according to Fox.
Scores of 81 landed Jimmy John’s and Panda Express in a tie for third. KFC, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut earned scores of 80. Domino’s, Raising Cane’s, Starbucks, and Subway each earned ratings of 79. McDonald’s was tied for last with Dairy Queen at 72.
Jersey Mike’s was founded in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, in 1956 and has more than 4,000 locations.
The ACSI added that the chain’s menu is “fairly narrow, and they have a model conducive to franchisee success.”
After a decade-long run, fast food chain Chick-fil-A has officially been dethroned, per the American Customer Satisfaction Index. https://t.co/TXbKNitdfn
— Courier Journal (@courierjournal) June 16, 2026
Jersey Mike’s added 238 net new locations last year and has hit $4.2 billion in sales. The chain “has maintained quality while scaling rapidly,” according to a news release on Business Wire.
The release noted Chick-fil-A is a clear leader in the chicken category, while Culver’s and Burger King sat atop the burger pile with scores of 78.
The survey also covered full-service restaurants, with LongHorn Steakhouse, which dropped one point, and Texas Roadhouse, which dropped two, tied with a score of 82, while Olive Garden’s score was 81.
ACSI also ranked food delivery companies, with Uber Eats first with a score of 76, followed by Grubhub at 75, and DoorDash at 74.
“Restaurant industry-level scores are stable, but there’s real movement underneath,” Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI, said.
This NJ fast-food chain just dethroned Chick-Fil-A as nation’s best https://t.co/WdbQn5GQLI
— NorthJersey.com (@northjersey) June 16, 2026
“New brands are entering our rankings and immediately competing at the top, which tells you something about where consumer expectations are headed,” he said.
“Price still matters, but it’s no longer enough on its own. Consistency across the full experience is what separates the leaders right now, and that’s showing up clearly in the data,” he said.
“The challenge going forward is sustaining that as costs continue to rise and competition intensifies from outside the traditional restaurant space,” he said.
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