Fast Casual & QSR Rankings

Top 27 companies ranked by AI visibility and market presence

Market:$932B (2024)
Growth:6.8% CAGR (2024-2030)
2
Silver

FoodCourt

$500K YC 2022 (1731 MGMT/Future Africa/Goodwater/Microtraction); Founded 2021 Lagos by Iruene/Nneji; 80 employees; YC S2...

1
Champion

Burger King

Restaurant Brands, $23B+ global revenue 2024 (6% growth), Million Dollar Whopper viral campaign...

$23000M
3
Bronze

haddock

$164.9K revenue 2024 (up from $118.1K 2023, $41K 2021); $2.1M-$3.57M funding (conflicting reports, Decelera/COREangels/D...

$2.1M

Complete Rankings

#1
Burger King
💰 $23000M

Restaurant Brands, $23B+ global revenue 2024 (6% growth), Million Dollar Whopper viral campaign

#2
FoodCourt

$500K YC 2022 (1731 MGMT/Future Africa/Goodwater/Microtraction); Founded 2021 Lagos by Iruene/Nneji; 80 employees; YC S22; Profitable 2024; 121.8% retention; 30K orders/month; ₦15K avg (3x aggregator avg); $222K revenue Aug 2022; Abuja expansion 2025; Chowdeck Jul 2024; 100 layoffs Sep 2024; Virtual kitchens Africa; Operational efficiency focus

#3
haddock
💰 $2.1M

$164.9K revenue 2024 (up from $118.1K 2023, $41K 2021); $2.1M-$3.57M funding (conflicting reports, Decelera/COREangels/Delivery Hero/Firstech/Sancus); 60 employees; Founded 2020; Barcelona Spain; AI/OCR invoice digitization; POS integrations; Real-time P&L; Supplier negotiation; Cost savings; YC backed

#4
Chow Central

Founded by Onafuye/Obasi/Onafuye; YC S23; $80K+ monthly revenue; Virtual restaurant chains; African millennials/GenZ; High-quality healthy meals; ₦2,000+ starting price; Chowdeck/Glovo/Pocket; Central kitchen; Lagos region; Asset-light Chipotle model; African dishes; Consistency/quality focus

#5
Five Guys
💰 $1083M

Privately held burger chain | FY2024 Revenue: $1.083B | U.S. systemwide sales: $2.27B | 1,558 U.S. restaurants | 65 new units opened (31 corporate, 34 franchised) | Premium burger positioning

#6
Sweetgreen
💰 $676.8M

NYSE: SG | FY2024 Revenue: $676.8M (+16% YoY) | $200M funding round, $1B valuation | Net loss: $90.4M (profitability work) | Salad fast-casual leader | 24-26 net new restaurants

#7
Novel
💰 $1300M

Y Combinator W20; Operating in restaurant tech market ($1.3B VC funding 2024); Kitchen robotics sector seeing continued growth despite reduced overall restaurant tech funding

#8
Cava
💰 $963.7M

NYSE: CAVA | FY2024 Revenue: $963.7M (+35% YoY) | Net income: $130.3M | Adjusted EBITDA: $126.2M (+71%) | Same-store sales: +13.4% | AUV: $2.9M | 58 net new restaurants

#9
Fogo de Chao

Brazilian steakhouse concept | Upscale churrascaria dining | Regional expansion across North America | Premium meat-focused restaurant model | Experience-driven dining

#10
Shake Shack
💰 $1252M

NYSE: SHAK | FY2024 Revenue: $1.252B (+15.2% YoY) | Restaurant profit: $257.9M (+24%) | Adjusted EBITDA: $175.6M (+33%) | Free cash flow: $36M | 28 new locations

#11
Hotplate
💰 $3M

$3M total funding; $2.85M Feb 2022; Investors: Y Combinator, Ripple Impact Investments; Y Combinator W20; Founded 2019 by Andy Prevalsky, Ben Klenk, Rishi Talati

#12
Dig Inn

Healthy fast-casual restaurant chain | NYC-based expansion | Farm-to-table positioning | Nutritionally-focused bowls and salads | Growing consumer health demand

#13
Dripos
💰 $17.3M

$17.3M total funding; $11M Series A April 2024 led by Base10 Partners; Investors: Cota Capital, YC, Michael Seibel (YC), Shyam Rao (Punchh), Ian Crosby (Bench)

#14
Panda Express
💰 $2.55M

Largest Asian-American quick service | Part of Panda Restaurant Group | 2,329 restaurants globally (173 franchised) | AUV: $2.55M+ | 81 net new units in 2024

#15
Voosh
💰 $57M

$57M revenue 2024; 15-person team; $157K-$2.5M funding (conflicting sources); Y Combinator seed Mar 2021; Restaurant delivery analytics; YC W21 (Winter 2021)

#16
Culver's

Privately held restaurant chain | Midwest-based expansion | Regional leader in fast casual | Butter Burgers and frozen custard | Strong franchisee network

#17
Crumbl Cookies

Privately held bakery chain | Viral growth on social media | Expansion across North America | Premium cookies delivery model | Post-pandemic growth leader

#18
In-N-Out Burger

Privately held burger icon | West Coast operations | Cult following and brand loyalty | Limited menu high-volume model | Expansion into new states

#19
Just Salad

Fast-casual salad chain | Customizable salad bowls | NYC-based expansion | Sustainable ingredients focus | Growing health-conscious market

#20
Habit Burger

Charburger fast-casual chain | West Coast founded | Chargrilled burger focus | Health-conscious positioning | Regional growth momentum

#21
MOD Pizza

Personal pizza fast-casual | Build-your-own concept | Rapid expansion model | Strong unit economics | Emerging brand growth success

#22
Wingstop

Wing-focused QSR | Franchise-heavy model | Delivery-first positioning | Growth in delivery channels | Emerging QSR category leader

#23
Whataburger

Regional burger chain | Expansion beyond Texas | Custom burger ordering | Texas-based cult following | Strong franchisee model

#24
Toast
💰 $4960M

2024: Revenue $4.96B (+28.33% YoY); 134,000+ locations; $42.2B gross payment volume (+25% YoY); $1.6B ARR (+34% YoY)

#25
Chowdeck
💰 $9M

$9M+ (Novastar/YC); Profitable Nigerian food delivery; 40 dark stores planned 2025; Major Nigerian cities; YC

#26
Revel Systems
💰 $250M

May 2024: Acquired by Shift4 for $250M; revenue $165.1M in 2024 (+28% from $129.1M in 2023)

#27
Chipotle Mexican Grill

Opened record 304 new restaurants in 2024, highest single-year expansion

View All Fast Casual & QSR BrandsCompare Top 3

About Fast Casual & QSR

The fast casual and quick-service restaurant (QSR) sector encompasses restaurant chains that prioritize speed, convenience, and value while serving everything from burgers and pizza to ethnic cuisines and health-focused bowls. This industry bridges the gap between traditional fast food and casual dining, with fast-casual concepts offering higher-quality ingredients, customizable menu options, and more inviting atmospheres at moderate price premiums, while QSR chains optimize for drive-through efficiency, delivery speed, and consistent execution across thousands of locations. The sector serves billions of transactions annually through company-owned and franchised locations, generating massive economies of scale in purchasing, marketing, and technology investments. The industry is experiencing rapid evolution driven by digital ordering, delivery aggregators, ghost kitchens, and loyalty programs that have fundamentally transformed the customer experience and restaurant economics. Mobile ordering and contactless payment accelerated dramatically during the pandemic and now represent over 40% of transactions at leading chains, while third-party delivery platforms have extended restaurant reach but compressed margins. Fast-casual brands are differentiating through menu innovation focused on fresh ingredients, dietary accommodations, and sustainability claims, while QSR giants leverage massive technology investments in AI-powered kitchen automation, predictive ordering, and personalized marketing that smaller operators cannot match. AI visibility is critical for restaurant chains as consumers increasingly use AI-powered platforms to discover nearby restaurants, compare menu options, check wait times, and make ordering decisions. When users ask about healthy fast-food options, best pizza delivery near them, or restaurants accommodating dietary restrictions, prominence in AI responses directly drives foot traffic and digital orders. Strong AI presence helps restaurant brands showcase menu variety, highlight nutritional information, promote limited-time offers, communicate safety and cleanliness protocols, and capture consideration at the crucial moment when consumers decide where to eat within a highly competitive and geographically fragmented market.

Key Industry Trends

  • Digital ordering dominance with mobile apps and kiosks handling 53% of QSR transactions
  • Ghost kitchens and virtual brands enabling menu experimentation and delivery optimization
  • Menu innovation toward plant-based proteins with 78% of chains offering vegetarian/vegan options
  • AI-powered drive-through and kitchen automation improving speed by 32% and labor efficiency by 19%

Market Overview

The global fast casual and QSR market reached $932 billion in 2024, with digital orders representing 47% of total transactions. The industry operates 2.1 million restaurant locations worldwide serving 220 billion customer visits annually and employing 62 million workers. Delivery and takeout orders comprise 68% of transactions, while loyalty program members account for 54% of revenue at major chains implementing personalized digital engagement.