Leading quick service restaurants in the U.S. ranked by index ranking 2018

In 2018, sandwich chain Subway was ranked as the leading quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand in the United States. The index rankings measured the strength of brands in the industry, evaluating key consumer segments such as brand quality, reputation, and customer satisfaction.

Subway still hungry for success

Subway received an index score of 30.5 in 2018, topping the rankings ahead of burger chain Wendy’s and pizza chain Pizza Hut. The company has grown into one of the most valuable QSR brands worldwide and operates around 41,600 stores. Subway opened its first store in Connecticut in 1965, selling 312 sandwiches on its first day. The company now dominates the QSR sandwich segment in the United States, with systemwide sales generating around 10.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2019.

The rise of the fast-food franchise

Consumer spending in the QSR industry increased each year in the U.S. from 2009 to 2018, but dropped by around 20 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. The industry includes both domestic company-owned restaurants and franchised stores. In 2019, there were an estimated 196,794 QSR franchise establishments across the country, and the franchise industry had an overall workforce of around 3.9 million employees.