Study: Smoothie King, In-N-Out among QSR customer experience leaders
Several quick-serve restaurant chains are excelling when it comes to customer experience and loyalty.
Smoothie King climbed from sixth place last year to first place overall in Market Force Information’s 2025 Quick-Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry Study. The chain's rise was driven by “improvements in speed, beverage quality and cleanliness," the study noted.
In another metric, In-N-Out topped the overall Customer Loyalty Index (CLI) in 2025, and reclaimed leadership in the burger category with strong brand trust and consistently high experience scores.
Chick-fil-A remained a customer favorite in the chicken category, holding a top position for the second year in a row with continued excellence in friendliness, cleanliness and overall operational execution. This year, Slim Chickens made a standout debut, tying with Chick-fil-A in CX Metrics rankings.
In the pizza segment, Blaze Pizza emerged as a clear leader, topping both the CLI and CX Metrics rankings. The brand's year-over-year gains across speed, food quality, and cleanliness highlight the “growing consumer demand for customer experience excellence,” according to Market Force.
At the other end of the spectrum, traditional value players like Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, and Sbarro continue to underperform in key customer experience categories.
Other findings from the report include the following:
- Culver's and Five Guys were recognized as America's most-trusted burger brands.
- Peet's, Caribou and Einstein Bros. outperformed industry giants like Starbucks and Dunkin' in the bakery and coffee segment.
- In the sandwich category, Schlotzsky's and Potbelly led the field, while Subway landed in the bottom tier.
- Qdoba and Pollo Tropical were bright spots in the Mexican segment, showing growing loyalty and quality perception
[READ MORE: Survey: Three-quarters of restaurant meals consumed off-premises]
"Customer experience has always been the backbone of brand growth," said David Murray, senior director of customer experience strategy at Market Force and a 16-year industry veteran. "This year's rankings simply reinforce what strong operators already know: when you get the fundamentals right – speed, cleanliness and operational consistency – loyalty follows. The brands that know and stay focused on what matters most to their guests are the ones that win."
