Chick-fil-A remains the undisputed leader in fast-food customer satisfaction, securing the top spot in the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) rankings for the 11th consecutive year.
The Atlanta-based chain earned an ACSI score of 83, matching its 2024 score and outperforming 23 other major quick-service restaurants, including longtime competitors like KFC and Pizza Hut.
Despite broader challenges facing the fast-food industry—rising prices, slowing sales growth, and shifting consumer habits—Chick-fil-A continues to resonate with customers, particularly in regions where loyalty to the brand is strongest. It finished first in the South (84) and West (82), and tied for first in the Midwest (82) alongside Culver’s.
The ACSI report, released in June, highlighted growing dissatisfaction among consumers across the restaurant sector. “Consumers frustrated by high prices shifted from big-name fast-food brands to smaller up-and-coming competitors, convenience stores or just stayed home,” the report stated.
Even Chick-fil-A wasn’t immune to these trends. While the chain posted 5.4% sales growth in 2024, the report noted that this was its slowest annual growth in two decades, citing a slight decline in average unit revenue. Chick-fil-A declined to issue a public comment on the report or its continued top ranking.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Panda Express and Popeyes saw the largest year-over-year improvement among major chains, each gaining 4 points. Panda Express jumped from 77 to 80, tying with Starbucks for second place overall, while Popeyes rose from 72 to 75.
Among pizza brands, Papa Johns (79) edged out Pizza Hut (79), Domino’s (78), and Little Caesars (77) as the top performer in that category.
One of the most notable declines came from KFC, which dropped from 81 in 2024 to 77 in 2025—the largest fall among all chains surveyed. The report points to increasing competition from Wingstop and Raising Cane’s, as well as declining U.S. sales, which fell 5.2% last year.
At the bottom of the list sits McDonald’s, which dipped one point to an ACSI score of 70, maintaining its position as the lowest-ranked fast-food chain in customer satisfaction.
