María José Gutierrez Chavez

Wed, May 14, 2025, 12:51 PM2 min read

America’s love of chicken might only be matched by its love of celebrities. Now, this unexpected combination is turning out to be key for restaurant chains hoping to win over loyal customers.

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Leading consumer behavior and market research company Circana recently released its annual “Definitive U.S. Restaurant Ranking,” which provides insights on the 50 largest restaurant chains in the country.

The report revealed that a collective $1 million was spent by consumers in restaurants every minute, with 2024 marking the fourth consecutive year of growth in consumer restaurant spending. It comes as more recent data shows a troubling start to 2025 for some chains. McDonald’s, for instance, recently reported its biggest decrease in same-store U.S. sales since the COVID pandemic.

McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Chick-fil-A, took the top three spots in terms of consumer spending, according to Circana’s estimates. The report also measured sales growth, location count and change, annual buyer penetration, annual purchase frequency, and more.

While the top three chains have a wide margin in consumer spending—setting them apart from those lower on the list—a surprising group of smaller chains is quickly rising in the ranks.

Quick-service restaurants with a focus on chicken showed strong growth last year. Raising Cane’s (No. 16) and Wingstop (No. 21) moved up nine and eight spots, respectively, from the previous year.

Circana’s report suggests that, in addition to the country’s growing chicken consumption, rising brands also had a strong social media presence and celebrity collaborations.

For instance, Wingstop has increased its popularity through diverse content strategies and by becoming the NBA’s official “chicken partner.” Competitor Raising Cane’s caught social media attention through its partnership with rapper Post Malone, who designed a series of storefronts for the brand.

For both of these brands, the measured consumer spend change increased, with Wingstop changing by 41% and Raising Cane’s changing by 31%, far above the zero percent change for the top-ranked restaurants. Fast-growing coffee chain Dutch Bros is also on the rise, appearing in the top 50 for the first time this year.