The evolution of the limited-service restaurant industry continued in 2014, as traditional powerhouses faltered while fast casuals and other rising concepts asserted themselves as forces to be reckoned with, according to QSR magazine’s annual survey regarding the top 50 brands in quick service and fast casual.
For the first time in the history of the QSR 50, a fast casual entered the top 10, as Panera Bread leapfrogged KFC to land a spot in the industry elite. Meanwhile, Subway ceded the number two spot to Starbucks after an $800 million sales tumble, Chick-fil-A grew by $700 million to become larger than every pizza brand in the country, and Wingstop claimed the biggest jump of the year, with an 11-spot leap.
| Segment Rank | QSR 50 Rank | Company/Chain Name | 2014 U.S. Systemwide Sales (Millions) | 2014 U.S. Average Sales Per Unit (Thousands) | Number of Franchised Units in 2014 2014 | Number of Company Units in 2014 | Total Units in 2014 | Total Change in Units From 2013 |
| 1 | 8 | Chick-fil-A | $5,782.2 | $3,064.2 | 1,837 | 50 | 1,887 | 112 |
| 2 | 11 | KFC 2 | $4,200.0 | $960.0 | 4,164 | 206 | 4,370 | -121 |
| 3 | 21 | Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen * | $2,433.6 | $1,340.0 | 2,314 | 65 | 2,379 | 154 |
| 4 | 25 | Zaxby’s | $1,257.5 | $2,030.0 | 546 | 114 | 660 | 63 |
| 5 | 28 | Bojangles’ | $1,033.2 | $1,774.0 | 365 | 254 | 619 | 45 |
| 6 | 30 | Church’s Chicken | $861.3 | $737.5 | 907 | 261 | 1,168 | -36 |
| 7 | 32 | El Pollo Loco | $723.0 | $1,700.0 | 243 | 172 | 415 | 14 |
| 8 | 34 | Wingstop | $678.8 | $1,073.0 | 652 | 41 | 693 | 78 |
| 9 | 41 | Boston Market | $602.0 | $1,314.0 | 3 | 453 | 456 | -4 |
