Focus Trends ~ Quick Service Restaurants

FOCUS TRENDS is a monthly retail strategies article on a specific retail category highlighting growth and contraction within the market. For more information, please see our WEBINAR on QSR's.

As full-service restaurants have struggled and limited-service restaurants have been volatile, quick-service restaurants have chugged along. The fast-food giants have forged ahead with innovations to keep up with modern trends.

The National Restaurant Association projected that quick-service restaurants would double the growth of full-service restaurants in 2017, and burger QSRs have already recorded a strong year based on same-store sales. One reason why is because Starbucks, McDonald’s and other national chains have begun implementing mobile ordering, curbside pickup, and home delivery.

The Numbers

For the foreseeable future, the national QSR chains will remain in expansion mode with closures few and far between. Many restaurants in stronger markets will look to expand their footprint or relocate to better site.

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The Numbers

 

Retailer Name	Existing Stores 2016	New Stores	Closures 2016
Subway	27294	390	658
Burger King	7037	169	150
Taco Bell	6841	269	138
Wendy’s	5873	344	109
Dairy Queen Grill & Chill	4527	90	98
KFC	4229	13	122
Sonic	3528	78	11
Arby’s	3206	72	69
Chick-Fil-A	2019	112	16
Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s	1817	73	23
Panda Express	1777	127	37
Firehouse Subs	1015	171	12
Zaxby’s	765	85	0
Bojangles’	692	89	45