Neither McDonald's Nor Starbucks, This Fast Food Chain Has The Most Locations In The World

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If you were asked to name the fast food chain with the most locations in the world, McDonald's or Starbucks might come to mind first because it feels like you can spot one on almost every corner. But neither of these is correct. You may have never heard of the true global leader: Mixue. This Chinese ice cream and tea chain currently has 46,000 locations around the world and is aggressively expanding outside of Asia.

For comparison, Starbucks states on its website that it has over 40,000 around the world, and McDonald's, a close second, reports 44,000. You see the iconic golden arches and the green siren logo everywhere, but the reason you're likely unfamiliar with Mixue's snowman mascot (called the Snow King) is that most of its locations are in China. It first opened in China in 1997, and only 4,700 stores, or 10%, can be found outside of the country. It remains predominantly an Asian brand, found throughout countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, with a presence in Australia as well.

Its menu offerings don't exactly make it a direct competitor to McDonald's or Starbucks — even though the coffee giant did add boba to the menu one summer. Instead of fast food burgers and fries and pricey coffee drinks, Mixue offers milk teas, boba tea drinks, and ice cream sundaes. They do have a small coffee selection, but it only includes iced drinks like an ice cream latte. Solid food, however, is not on the menu.

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Boba tea fans can get excited because Mixue has already started its expansion into the United States. The first location to open stateside was in Los Angeles at the end of 2025, and in January 2026, it opened another store in New York City.

If you're tired of paying $5 to $8 for a coffee or tea drink, Mixue could bring some relief: Many of its drinks are priced at $2.49 to $3.99. Its basic soft-serve comes at what seems like an impossibly low price of $1.19. But if you're a newbie and need some suggestions when ordering boba tea, we got you covered. Check out our ranking of the best boba flavors.

Continued rapid expansion seems to be the future for Mixue. Its IPO on the Hong Kong stock market allowed the company to raise $444 million, providing the capital for international expansion. It operates as a franchise (where individuals run the store, rather than the parent company), and this model typically allows for more rapid growth because franchisees take on the financial and operational responsibility. Europe could also be on the horizon for Mixue, and if all goes well, more locations throughout the United States.