Discover how scarcity and regional loyalty drive America’s favorite fast-food brands.

Americans love fast food, but how can we know which offerings are really the most popular? At dataplor, we know it’s the numbers that unlock deep insights. We recently put this to the test by analyzing foot traffic trends among America’s most popular fast-food chains, as part of the launch of our new mobility product. 

Combining extensive point-of-interest (POI) data with footfall counts, our location intelligence product equips businesses with deep insights into consumer interactions with specific locations. The mobility product gives businesses information to help optimize their decision-making using its foundation of 3.9 trillion movement data points.

Our analysis was centered on three questions: 

• Based on how often a restaurant is ranked in the “Top 5” in foot traffic in a given state, which brands seem to be the most popular?
• Based on how often a restaurant is ranked in the “Top 5” for the total number of stores in a given state, which brands are the most ubiquitous?
• Based on how often the restaurant is ranked first for foot traffic in a given state, which brands are the most well-loved?

The results showcased surprising results, answering the question, “Do more locations always equal greater customer loyalty and increased foot traffic?”

Nationwide, Bigger Does Not Always Mean Better

On the national scale, Wendy’s led as the most popular chain in terms of foot traffic, followed by Raising Cane’s, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, and McDonald’s. McDonald’s and Subway tied as the most widespread chains overall, with Burger King, Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, and Sonic Drive-In rounding out the list. Only two of those most common restaurants (Wendy’s and McDonald’s) are also present in the top five for most foot traffic, suggesting that being everywhere doesn’t mean you’re going to be everyone’s top choice.

So, which brands are winning hearts and stomachs across the nation?

Scarcity may make the stomach grow hungrier. Wendy’s and Raising Cane’s took the top two spots for “most likely to be ranked first for foot traffic in a state” nationwide, followed by In-N-Out Burger, a tie between Chick-fil-A and Culver’s for fourth, and Five Guys in fifth. Yet looking at those brands that rank first in foot traffic in at least one state, only Wendy’s is in the top five nationally for the most locations.

Regional Favorites Roundup

Southeast

Mirroring national trends, Wendy’s led in foot traffic in the Southeast, followed by McDonald’s, Raising Cane’s, Chick-fil-A, and then a tie between Five Guys and Culver’s. And once again, being ubiquitous doesn’t necessarily translate to popularity, with Subway, Burger King, Sonic, and Dairy Queen all appearing on the list for most common stores, yet absent from the top foot traffic rankings.

West

Perhaps unsurprisingly, regional favorite In-N-Out Burger secured a number-one ranking in five Western states for having the highest foot traffic—despite not cracking the top five for total number of stores in any state in the region. Taking a broader view of brands that achieved a top five ranking for foot traffic in at least one Western state, In-N-Out ties for fourth place with fellow burger joint Five Guys, with the top spots belonging to Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, and Raising Cane’s.

Southwest

Maintaining its western dominance, In-N-Out also stood out as a beloved chain in the Southwest region. It once again achieved the most first-place rankings for foot traffic in a given state, taking the top honor in two of the four states in the region. Interestingly, the list of brands to make the top five for foot traffic in at least one state in the Southwest were: Wendy’s, Raising Cane’s, McDonald’s, Five Guys, In-n-Out, Culver’s, Chick-fil-A, and Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers; yet of these, only Wendy’s and McDonald’s ever make the top five for total number of stores in at least one state.

Northeast

Five Guys, founded in Washington, D.C., and Jersey Mikes, native to the Jersey Shore, demonstrated a strong presence in the area close to their origins, ranking second and third in the region in terms of the number of times they crack the top five for total number of stores in a given state. When it comes to overall popularity, Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, and Five Guys took the top three spots for stores most likely to rank in the top five for foot traffic. But Raising Cane’s emerged as perhaps the most well-loved restaurant, taking the top spot for foot traffic in a whopping six states in the Northeast.

Midwest

Wisconsin-born Culver’s excelled in its home region, showing up in the top five for both number of locations and foot traffic. It’s the second-most likely brand, behind Wendy’s, to be in the top five for foot traffic for states in the region, snagging the number one overall spot for popularity in one state (Ohio).

How Mobility Insights Can Drive Smarter Business Decisions

The fast-food study uncovered compelling patterns regarding consumer behavior that highlight what genuinely resonates with customers.

• The Scarcity Factor: Chains like Raising Cane’s and In-N-Out demonstrate how there’s not always a correlation between a restaurant’s footprint and popularity. Even with a smaller geographic footprint, these restaurants showcased high foot traffic, suggesting strong customer loyalty.
• The Power of Regional Loyalty: Local favorites took hold in their home regions. Culver’s, rooted in the Midwest, Five Guys, with origins in the Northeast, and In-n-Out in the West all indicate how regional ties help brands outperform more prominent competitors.
• Popularity Isn’t Always About Numbers: A larger presence doesn’t always translate to greater popularity. Consumers often prioritize regional connection and brand identity over convenience or location count.

dataplor’s mobility product offers actionable data for businesses across industries. This fast-food analysis revealed how businesses can use location intelligence to optimize marketing strategies with tailored campaigns for regional preferences, identify gaps in high-loyalty regions to explore new markets, and understand consumer behavior to inform store placement and product offerings.

Learn more about our mobility product and how your business could benefit from these insights in our mobility release announcement.