Popular Fast Food

Top U.S. Restaurant Chains

According to Technomic, the burger may no longer be king in the chain restaurant world. The food industry research and consulting firm’s 2011 Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report places Starbucks as the No. 3 chain in the U.S., behind McDonald’s and Subway and just ahead of Burger King and Wendy’s. It wasn’t long ago that Starbucks was closing locations nationwide, but Technomic reports the caffeine powerhouse owns more than a 57% share in the coffee and other beverage market, overall moving up two spots from No. 5 last year. Among the fastest growing restaurant chains, Five Guys Burgers and Fries ranked No. 1 with sales estimated at $625 million, up 38% in 2010.