America names favorite fast food chain and it’s humiliation for McDonald’s for second straight year

Chick-fil-A has been named America’s favorite fast food chain, while McDonald’s has suffered a humiliating defeat for the second year in a row.

The Georgia-based chicken chain came first in a study analyzing customer satisfaction at more than 20 quick-service restaurants.

McDonald’s, meanwhile, came in last place for the second straight year.

Chick-fil-A scored 83 out of 100 in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which takes into account factors such as food quality, order accuracy, and helpfulness of staff.

Beaten also by fast food empires like Arby’s and Starbucks, McDonald’s scored just 70 out of 100.

The nation’s largest fast-food chain, which has over 14,000 locations worldwide, was also dead last on the 2024 ranking with a score of 71.

It comes as McDonald’s is facing a sales slump as inflation-weary Americans pull back on spending.

It’s also in the process of shuttering all CosMc’s restaurants just 18 months after launching.

Unlike McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A has been dominating financially, surpassing $22 billion in annual revenue last year.

Panda Express added three points to its satisfaction index, jumping up to a second-place tie with Starbucks, the coffee chain that’s undergone massive changes to recover from a dip in sales.

Like Starbucks, McDonald’s has been changing policies and adding to menu items with hopes of making a financial comeback.

A dip in sales at McDonald’s hit in 2020 during the pandemic, and performance has been up and down at the chain ever since.

An E. Coli outbreak connected to Quarter Pounders, which resulted in one death and dozens of ill customers, hit stocks hard last year.

Customer frustration at higher prices also hasn’t made the chain’s situation any better.

Its latest blow was the decision to end its partnership with Krispy Kreme after pausing its donut rollout in May.

However, the chain is continuing to look for ways to improve customer satisfaction and traffic, including its highly anticipated return of snack wraps.

McDonald’s has also extended its operating hours at select locations and plans to open 900 new restaurants by the end of 2027.

‘By expanding their workforce, the corporation will be driving investment and setting the standard for industry growth, whether as a launch pad for a different career or as a ladder for internal achievements,’ President Donald Trump’s Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said earlier this year.

Other restaurant chains that ranked above McDonald’s on this year’s index have also suffered setbacks in the last several years.

Burger King landed in 12th place with 77 points despite a recent North American sales drop and major franchisee’s Consolidated Burger Holdings bankruptcy filing.

Chipotle’s number 15 ranking came after suffering its first sales slump in five years, tying with Subway, a popular sandwich chain that closed over 1,645 locations in two years.

Rounding up the top 20 is Jack in the Box, the burger chain that’s looking to sell Del Taco and close up to 200 restaurants amid financial problems.

Brands on the list that are still going strong in the US include Culvers, Dunkin’, Popeyes, and Taco Bell, ranking 9th, 11th, 18th, and 22nd, respectively.