Chick-fil-A Still Rules the Roost in Customer Satisfaction

Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A (Atlanta) is again the most-liked destination in its segment, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Restaurant Study 2022-2023.

Chick-fil-A leads the sector – and all restaurants – for the ninth straight year, climbing 2 percent to an ACSI score of 85 (out of 100). The chain, which currently has about 2400 restaurants in 48 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada, all of which are closed on Sundays – continues to set the standard with its exceptional combination of food, service, and technological quality, ACSI says.

However, Chick-fil-A’s lead is dwindling, with the next three chains posting gains of 4 percent or higher. Jimmy John’s (Champaign, Ill.) takes over sole possession of second place after rising 6 percent to 84 — truly living up to its “Freaky Fast” moniker by improving its mark for speed of check-out or delivery. Next are KFC (Louisville, Ky.), up 4 percent to 81, and Papa John’s (Atlanta), up 5 percent to 80.

On the other side of the coin, Chipotle (Newport Beach, Calif.), is down 3 percent to 75, and Sonic (Oklahoma City) is down 3 percent to 72. Occupying the bottom rungs of the fast-food field are Taco Bell (Irvine, Calif.), down 1 percent to 71, and McDonald’s (Chicago) up 1 percent to 69.

Click here for more from the survey, including full-service restaurant rankings and consumer sentiments related to eating out in the post-Covid era.