For the ninth straight year, Chick-fil-A is America’s favorite restaurant in a major consumer survey.
The Georgia-based company ranked No. 1 in this year’s American Customer Satisfaction Index, which was released Tuesday and surveys the attitudes of Americans toward major restaurants. Chick-fil-A received a total score of 85, a slight increase from last year (83) and just ahead of Jimmy John’s, which received a score of 84. Rounding out the top five among fast food restaurants were KFC (81), Papa John’s (80) and four restaurants that tied for fifth place with a score of 78: Domino’s, Five Guys, Pizza Hut and Starbucks. McDonald’s (69) finished last.
“Chick-fil-A leads the industry – and all restaurants – for the ninth straight year after climbing 2% to an ACSI score of 85,” an ACSI news release said. “The popular chain continues to set the standard with its exceptional combination of food, service, and technological quality.”
Chick-fil-A’s lead at No. 1, though, shrank, even though its own score got a boost. That’s because Jimmy John’s saw its score rise from 79 to 84 in one year.
Chick-fil-A’s 2023 score also was higher than the number one restaurant (Outback Steakhouse, 83) in the full-service restaurant industry.
“This year we’re seeing customer satisfaction returning to pre-pandemic levels for full-service dining, while fast food outlets have rebounded to within a point of their 2019 score,” said Forrest Morgeson, assistant professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at ACSI. “This good news is tempered, though, by increasing inflationary pressures, which are already slowing traffic. Sooner rather than later, the industry is going to feel the pinch, and price competition and value will matter.”
Chick-fil-A has claimed the top spot in annual surveys despite being closed on Sundays. Its website says its founder, S. Truett Cathy, “made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia.”
“Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest or worship if they choose, a practice we uphold today,” the website says.
Its corporate purpose is to “glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A,” its website says.
Hear an exclusive interview with Chick-fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy:
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Scott Olson/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.