Selected U.S. fast-casual restaurant chains with the most units 2021

Chipotle Mexican Grill had 2,926 store locations in the United States in 2021 which was the most of all fast-casual restaurant chains across the country. Jimmy John’s and Panda Express ranked second and third, respectively.

Do Jimmy John’s and Subway operate in the same market?

With bread baked every day in each of its stores and fresh ingredients purchased from local providers, Jimmy John’s has developed into one of the favorite sandwich chains of consumers in the United States. The company’s dedication to making gourmet sandwiches sets it apart from many of its competitors. Subway is the leading sandwich chain in the United States, generating more than nine billion U.S. dollars from restaurant sales in 2021. However, the company operates in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) sector because of factors relating to produce and store design – Subway had more stores than any other QSR chain in the U.S. in 2020.

Is fast casual the new fast food?

The two primary types of limited-service restaurants are quick service and fast casual. The more familiar of the two will be quick-service establishments, also known as fast-food restaurants – McDonald’s is the leading QSR brand worldwide, with a company value of nearly 155 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward fast-casual restaurants. The two are very similar: both require food to be ordered at a counter and paid for in advance, but the meals available in fast-casual restaurants are higher in quality, and food may be brought to your table by the waitstaff.