QSR Magazine announced the 2009 Top 50 Quick Service Restaurant Rankings, Burger King and Wendy’s are replaced by Subway and Starbucks as top quick-serve brands in the country, according to industry ranking.
Two of the nation’s biggest burger chains fell in this year’s ranking of the country’s top quick-serve brands. Both Burger King and Wendy’s slipped one spot making way for Subway and Starbucks to climb higher on this year’s QSR 50, an annual ranking produced by the business-to-business publication QSR.
While McDonald’s still holds the No. 1 spot with more than $30 billion in sales, Subway moved up for the second year in a row(earning $9.6 billion in sales), this time bumping Burger King from No. 2 to No. 3 quick-serve brand in the nation. Wendy’s slipped one place for the second year in a row, allowing Starbucks with $8.75 billion in sales to move up one spot from last year to No. 4 quick-serve.
“When people think about fast-food they think of McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s,” says QSR’s editor, Blair Chancey. “But that’s no longer accurate. The top brands are being broken up by a sandwich company and a coffee shop. That says a lot about the changing tastes of American consumers.”
Other shake ups in the top 10 brands include KFC’s fall from No. 8 to No. 9, being replaced by Dunkin’ Donuts.
“Today’s consumers have more mature tastes than ever before,” Chancey says. “When they want a fast, easy meal, they don’t feel limited to burger and fries anymore. They’re choosing brands like Subway with healthier options, and the moves by Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks mean Americans might finally be catching up with the rest of the world in terms of embracing cafe culture.”
The top-ten quick-serve brands are as follows:
1. McDonald’s
2. Subway
3. Burger King
4. Starbucks
5. Wendy’s
6. Taco Bell
7. Pizza Hut
8. Dunkin’ Donuts
9. KFC
10. Sonic Drive-In
The QSR 50 is ranked according to sales from the previous fiscal year.
