Updated October 24, 2012
The equivalent of the Fortune 500 list which focuses exclusively on the U.S. restaurant industry is published by QSR magazine each year. Called the "QSR 50," this annual ranking list reveals the 50 largest quick service and fast casual restaurant chains in terms of total annual U.S. domestic revenue.
This multi-year comparison of the QSR 50 list reveals that the largest restaurant chains in the U.S. are also the largest restaurant chains in the world and the restaurant chains ranked at the top of the QSR 50 list in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 aren't going to lose their revenue dominance to any up and coming restaurant chains any time soon. There’s not a lot of movement that happens on the QSR list from year to year because the largest U.S. restaurant chains are all pretty steady in their growth and revenue figures, although there were a few exceptions to that in the 2012 QSR 50 ranking list.
Ice cream is out and donuts are in with U.S. diners, judging by the fact that Krispy Kreme joined the QSR Top 50 this year, and Cold Stone Creamery lost its position on the list. Other than that one deletion and addition, the restaurant chains just swapped places a bit on the list. A new restaurant rocketed past Sonic to land in the top 10, Burger King tumbled off its throne, and Baskin Robbins’ position melted away in 2012.
What follows are the domestic revenue rankings for the largest U.S. quick service and fast casual retail restaurants. The numbers next to the date indicate the ranking position of the restaurant chain, out of 50 chains included in the list. This aggregated list is arranged alphabetically by restaurant name.
QSR 50 Multi-year Comparison - Largest U.S. Quick Service and Fast Casual Restaurants According to Revenue 2008 - 2012:
Arbys
2012 - 14
2011 - 14
2010 - 11
2009 - 11
2008 - 11
Baskin- Robbins
2012 - 45
2011 - 37
2010 - 36
2009 - 39
2008 - 32
Blimpie
2007 - 50
Bojangles'
2012 - 31
2011 - 31
2010 - 31
2009 - 34
2008 - 34
Boston Market
2012 - 40
2011 - 41
2010 - 39
2009 - 31
2008 - 29
Buffalo Wild Wings
2007- 24
Burger King
2012 - 5
2011 - 3
2010 - 3
2009 - 3
2008 - 2
2007 - 2
Captain D's
2012 - 48
2011 - 47
2010 - 43
2009 - 42
2008 - 42
Carl's Jr.
2012 - 22
2011 - 23
2010 - 22
2009 - 21
2008 - 21
Checkers/Rally’s
2012 - 34
2011 - 34
2010 - 30
2009 - 30
2008 - 30
Chick-fil-A
2012 - 10
2011 - 11
2010 - 12
2009 - 14
2008 - 14
2007 - 14
Chipotle
2012 - 17
2011 - 18
2010 - 21
2009 - 22
2008 - 24
2007 - 25
Church's Chicken
2012 - 28
2011 - 26
2010 - 26
2009 - 25
2008 - 26
Cici's Pizza
2012 - 43
2011 - 39
2010 - 38
2009 - 36
2008 - 33
Cold Stone Creamery
2011 - 49
2010 - 47
2009 - 46
2008 - 41
2006 - 43
2005 - 50
Culver's
2012 - 32
2011 - 33
2010 - 32
2009 - 32
2008 - 31
Dairy Queen
2012 - 16
2011 - 16
2010 - 16
2009 - 16
2008 - 15
Del Taco
2012 - 37
2011 - 36
2010 - 37
2009 - 38
2008 - 36
Domino's Pizza
2012 - 12
2011 - 12
2010 - 14
2009 - 13
2008 - 12
Dunkin Donuts
2012 - 7
2011 - 7
2010 - 7
2009 - 8
2008 - 9
Einsterin Bros. Bagels
2012 - 47
2011 - 48
2010 - 50
2009 - 49
2008 - 47
El Pollo Loco
2012 - 38
2011 - 38
2010 - 35
2009 - 33
2008 - 38
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
2012 - 25
2011 - 30
2010 - 45
Fuddruckers
2008 _ 50
Hardee's
2012 - 19
2011 - 19
2010 - 19
2009 - 18
2008 - 19
In-N-Out
2012 - 44
2011 - 45
2010 - 44
2009 - 48
2008 _ 48
Jack in the Box
2012 - 15
2011 - 15
2010 - 13
2009 - 12
2008 - 13
Jamba Juice
2009 - 45
2008 - 43
2007 - 47
Jason's Deli
2012 - 39
2011 - 42
2010 - 42
2009 - 43
2008 - 46
Jimmy John's
2012 - 27
2011 - 29
2010 - 34
2009 - 41
2008 - 45
KFC
2012 - 9
2011 - 9
2010 - 9
2009 - 9
2008 - 8
Krispy Kreme
2012 - 41
Krystal
2012 - 50
2011 - 50
2010 - 48
2009 - 47
2008 - 44
Little Caesars
2012 - 23
2011 - 24
2010 - 25
2009 - 26
2008 - 25
Long John Silver's
2012 - 35
2011 - 32
2010 - 29
2009 - 27
2008 - 27
McDonald's
2012 - 1
2011 - 1
2010 - 1
2009 - 1
2008 - 1
2007 - 1
Panda Express
2012 - 21
2011 - 22
2010 - 23
2009 - 23
2008 - 23
Panera Bread
2012 - 13
2011 - 13
2010 - 15
2009 - 15
2008 - 16
Papa John's
2012 - 18
2011 - 17
2010 - 17
2009 - 17
2008 - 17
Papa Murphy's
2012 - 33
2011 - 35
2010 - 33
2009 - 35
2008 - 40
Pizza Hut
2012 - 8
2011 - 8
2010 - 8
2009 - 7
2008 - 7
2007 - 8
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
2012 - 20
2011 - 20
2010 - 20
2009 - 20
2008 - 20
Qdoba
2012 - 42
2011 - 44
2010 - 46
2009 - 44
2008 - 49
Quiznos
2012 - 26
2011 - 21
2010 - 18
2009 - 19
2008 - 18
Sbarro
2012 - 49
2011 - 43
2010 - 41
2009 - 40
2008 - 39
Sonic
2012 - 11
2011 - 10
2010 - 10
2009 - 10
2008 - 10
Starbucks
2012 - 3
2011 - 5
2010 - 5
2009 _ 4
2008 - 5
2007 - 6
Steak 'n Shake
2012 - 30
2011 - 27
2010 - 27
2009 - 28
2008 - 28
Subway
2012 - 2
2011 - 2
2010 - 2
2009 - 2
2008 - 3
2007 - 4
Taco Bell
2012 - 6
2011 - 6
2010 - 6
2009 - 6
2008 - 6
2007 - 5
Tim Hortons
2012 - 46
2011 - 46
2010 - 49
2009 - 50
Wendy's
2012 - 4
2011 - 4
2010 - 4
2009 - 5
2008 - 4
2007 - 3
Whataburger
2012 - 24
2011 - 25
2010 - 24
2009 - 24
2008 - 22
White Castle
2012 - 36
2011 - 40
2010 - 40
2009 - 37
2008 - 37
Zaxby's
2012 - 29
2011 - 28
2010 - 28
2009 - 29
2008 - 35
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