This Is The Top Chicken-Selling Restaurant In America

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Despite the common stereotypes about Americans and our love of hamburgers, chicken is actually the most-consumed meat in the United States. Per Statista, Americans eat around 102 pounds of the poultry per capita each year, compared to just 59 pounds of beef. So in a fast food landscape filled with chicken chains, it takes quite the contender to blow the rest of its competition out of the water — or, should we say, chicken coop.

In terms of sales, that honor belongs to none other than Chick-fil-A. The southern chain beloved for its famous chicken sandwiches majorly outpaces industry norms, ending 2024 with an Average Unit Volume of $7.49 million, more than triple that of long-established rivals like Popeyes, KFC, and Church's Texas Chicken (per NRN). It's also the leading chicken chain by an incredibly high margin when it comes to market share. Per CNBC, it held a whopping 45.5% share in the fast food chicken sector in 2023, with the next leading chicken chain, Popeyes, holding an only 11.9% share.

And Chick-fil-A isn't just trumping its chicken competitors — it's also holding its own amongst general quick-service giants. Although there are significantly fewer Chick-fil-A locations in the country (3,354) compared to McDonald's (13,658) and Starbucks (17,286), the company's total systemwide sales rang in at over $22 billion in 2024, making it the third highest-grossing chain in the United States after the burger and coffee mega-corps, which raked in more than $53 billion and $30 billion, respectively (per QSR).

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Chick-fil-A has found itself steeped in controversy a number of times. But even in the face of bans, protests, and boycotts, the privately-owned company has found unprecedented success in the U.S. food market. Its rise to the top involves a number of factors, starting with a focus on providing exceptional customer service. One of the pillars of Chick-fil-A's employee training is a strategy known as the "Core Four," which involves making eye contact, smiling, speaking enthusiastically, and connecting with customers. And lest we forget the two-word phrase any Chick-fil-A regular would instantly recognize: "My pleasure."

The company's efforts have led to it becoming the highest-rated quick-service eatery for customer satisfaction multiple years in a row. But beyond that, Chick-fil-A excels in operational efficiency. From experimenting with restaurant layouts to finding new ways to keep its drive-thrus speedy, the chain makes it a priority to get guests their chicken orders as hot, fresh, and fast as possible. 

At the end of the day, though, Chick-fil-A's popularity can be credited to the quality of its food. The brand takes pride in sourcing "100% real, whole, boneless breast of chicken that has never been ground or separated, and that contains no fillers or added steroids or hormones." Its produce, too, is freshly sourced from American farms, and delivered to restaurants up to six days a week. It's really no mystery why Chick-fil-A has claimed the chicken throne.