ACSI: QSR chains with the highest customer satisfaction include...
Chick-fil-A is continuing its dominance in the quick-serve sector when it comes to customer satisfaction.
The chain has topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) Restaurant and Food Delivery Study for the 11th year in a row, with a steady score of 83 out of 100.
However, the list-topping performance comes as Chick-fil-A is experiencing slow growth amid increased competition. U.S. sales only grew 5.4% in 2024, providing openings for popular chicken brands like Raising Cane’s and Wingstop. KFC dropped 5% to 77 as it faces competitors who are adapting to shifting preferences more quickly. Popeyes was up 4% to 75.
Other notable score changes include Panda Express (up 4% to 80), which jumps into a second-place tie with Starbucks (unchanged). Little Caesars, up 3% to 77, improved its ratings for food and service quality.
Five Guys and Sonic both fell 4% to scores of 75 and 73, respectively, in the most recent ACSI report. Last-place McDonald’s dropped 1% to an ACSI score of 70.
As a whole, the customer experience for quick-service restaurants is similar to last year’s report, with every aspect receiving a score of 81 or higher. Accuracy of food order and quality of mobile app lead the way at 85, both down 1% year over year. Mobile app reliability is 1% lower at 84, matching beverage quality, staff courtesy and helpfulness, food quality and website satisfaction (the only metric to increase in 2025).
Additional insights from the Restaurant and Food Delivery Study include the following:
- Culver’s (78) leads burger chains (the largest category), followed closely by Burger King (77).
- Chick-fil-A (83) leads the chicken category by a wide margin.
- Papa Johns and Pizza Hut (both 79) share the pizza chain lead, just ahead of Domino’s (78).
- Starbucks (80) outperforms Panera Bread (79) and Dunkin’ (78) in the coffee/bakery-cafe chain category.
- Chick-fil-A leads outright in the South (84) and West (82).
- In the Midwest, Chick-fil-A and Culver’s are tied for the top spot at 82 apiece.
- Starbucks is a top-two performer in three of the four regions: first in the Northeast at 80, second in the South (tied with Pizza Hut at 82), and second in the West (81).
[READ MORE: Study: Smoothie King, In-N-Out among QSR customer experience leaders]
“Restaurants can't simply rely on their traditional playbooks anymore," says Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI. "Smaller, popular brands like Raising Cane's and Wingstop are proving that creative marketing, digital engagement, and focusing on core strengths can challenge even the most established chains. The brands that succeed will be the ones that adapt quickly to shifting tastes without compromising consistency or experience.”
The ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2025 is based on 16,381 completed surveys. Customers were chosen at random and contacted via email between April 2024 and March 2025.
