The first fast-food restaurant was White Castle in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. There are now about 207,827 fast food restaurants in the U.S. as of 2023. There are 542,006 globally. McDonald’s is the biggest fast food chain in the world as far as sales go. Subway has the largest number of locations in the U.S. than any chain with more than 20,000. However, McDonald’s is the biggest globally with stores across over 100 countries. Too see the most popular fast food chains in Saucon, we got responses from 173 teachers and students across all grades of the high school.
- Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A comes in first place with 109 votes. Chick-fil-A was founded in 1946 in Hapeville, Georgia. The restaurant was founded by S. Truett Cathy. He later on passed the store to his son Dan, who passed the restaurant off to his son Andrew, who is the current CEO. Over the years Chick-fil-A has only gotten more popular with 3,164 locations. Chick-fil-A’s most popular food item is the chicken sandwiches, which just contain the chicken filet and two pickles.
- Wawa
Wawa is second place with 63 votes. Wawa was founded in 1902 in Folsom, Pennsylvania. George Woods founded Wawa. It was originally a dairy shop; it later expanded to selling hamburgers, fried chicken, sandwiches, etc. Wawa has 1,081 locations as of 2025. Their most popular food item is the “built to order” hoagies.
- Chipotle
Chipotle is third place with 62 votes. Chipotle was founded in 1993 in Denver, Colorado. The restaurant was founded by Steve Ells when he was inspired by taquerias and burritos shops in San Francisco. There are almost 3,500 locations of Chipotle in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Chipotle is most popular for their burrito bowls.
- McDonald’s
McDonald’s is fourth place with 52 votes. McDonald’s first opened their restaurant in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. McDonald’s was founded by two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald. McDonald’s has over 40,000 locations worldwide with plans to open 1,500 more by the end of 2025. The most popular food item is the Big Mac. It’s two beef patties, chopped onions, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, and lettuce.
- Starbucks
Starbucks got fifth place with 46 votes. Starbucks was founded in 1972 in Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington. Starbucks was founded by Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl. There are 40,199 locations of Starbucks worldwide as of December 2024. The most popular drink is the Caramel Macchiato.
- Taco Bell
Taco Bell got sixth place with 41 votes. Taco Bell was founded in 1962 in Downey, California. Taco Bell was founded by Glen Bell. There are over 7,000 locations and 350 franchises worldwide. Taco Bell’s most popular items are the Baja Blast and the Crunchwrap Supreme. The Crunchwrap Supreme is seasoned beef, nacho cheese, a tostada shell, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Baja Blast is a tropical lime-flavored soft drink.
- Texas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse got seventh place with 40 votes. Texas Roadhouse was founded in 1993 in Clarksville, Indiana. Texas Roadhouse was founded by Kent Taylor. There are 772 restaurants over 49 states and one U.S. territory. Texas Roadhouse’s steaks and rolls are the most popular. The rolls are made fresh every 5 minutes and served with a side of honey cinnamon butter.
- Panera Bread
Panera Bread got eighth place with 38 votes. Panera Bread was founded in 1987 in San Francisco, California. Panera Bread was founded by Ken Rosenthal. There are 2,230 locations across the U.S. plus some in Canada as well. Panera is famous for all their different soups and especially their bread bowls. They have lots of different offerings for every season. The menu always has new and changing items on it that people love.
- Jersey Mikes
Jersey Mikes got ninth place with 35 votes. Jersey Mikes of course started at the Jersey Shore in 1956. It was founded by Peter Cancro. There are about 3,500 locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. California has the most locations, with 395. The most famous item is sandwiches served Mike’s Way, which means with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and spices.
- Red Robin’s
Red Robin got tenth place with 29 votes. Red Robin was founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington. It was opened by Gerry Kingen, who was a Seattle restaurant entrepreneur. There are 506 Red Robin restaurants across the United States and Canada. The most popular dish there are their high-quality burgers served with bottomless fries. Their burgers are big with lots of toppings. It is unique that they offer unlimited fries with every burger, and they aren’t just regular fries, they have lots of flavors.
