The long-dominant Chick-fil-A has been knocked from the top spot in fast-food customer satisfaction, as a rising sandwich chain captures first place in a new national survey.
According to Western Journal, the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) now ranks Jersey Mikes as the nations leading fast-food brand for customer satisfaction, edging out Chick-fil-A by a single point. Jersey Mikes, a rapidly expanding sub shop making its debut on the list, posted a score of 84, while Chick-fil-A recorded an 83, according to Fox News.
For more than a decade, Chick-fil-A had been the gold standard in the fast-food sector, holding the No. 1 satisfaction ranking for 11 straight years, according to Restaurant Dive. Its displacement underscores how quickly consumer loyalties can shift in a competitive marketplace, even for brands that have long embodied family-friendly service and traditional values.
The ACSI study credited Jersey Mikes with a business model that aligns closely with evolving consumer habits and expectations. Jersey Mikes ACSI success is consistent with their business performance, including rapid unit growth, strong customer demand, and a model designed around throughput and off-premise convenience from high digital pickup usage, the study said, according to Fox.
Other major players clustered just behind the leaders, with Jimmy Johns and Panda Express tying for third at 81. KFC, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut followed at 80, while Dominos, Raising Canes, Starbucks, and Subway each earned ratings of 79, leaving McDonalds and Dairy Queen tied for last at 72.
Jersey Mikes, founded in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, has grown from a local sub shop into a national powerhouse with more than 4,000 locations. The ACSI noted that the chains menu is fairly narrow, and they have a model conducive to franchisee success.
That streamlined approach appears to be paying off in hard numbers as well as survey scores. Jersey Mikes added 238 net new locations last year and has hit $4.2 billion in sales, and the chain has maintained quality while scaling rapidly, according to a news release on Business Wire.
Even with Jersey Mikes surge, Chick-fil-A remains the undisputed leader in the chicken category, reflecting its enduring appeal among customers who value consistent service and faith-friendly corporate culture. In the burger segment, the release noted that Culvers and Burger King shared the top position with scores of 78, signaling that competition remains fierce across every major food category.
The ACSI also evaluated full-service restaurants, where LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse each posted scores of 82 despite slight declines. Olive Garden followed closely with a score of 81, indicating that casual dining chains continue to hold their own even as fast-casual and delivery options proliferate.
Food delivery platforms were ranked as well, highlighting another front in the battle for consumer dollars and convenience. Uber Eats led the pack with a score of 76, followed by Grubhub at 75 and DoorDash at 74.
Restaurant industry-level scores are stable, but theres real movement underneath, Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI, said. New brands are entering our rankings and immediately competing at the top, which tells you something about where consumer expectations are headed, he said.
Morgeson emphasized that value alone is no longer enough to win over customers in an era of rising costs and heightened competition. Price still matters, but its no longer enough on its own. Consistency across the full experience is what separates the leaders right now, and thats showing up clearly in the data, he said.
He warned that the real test for restaurants will be whether they can maintain quality and service as economic pressures mount and nontraditional competitors expand their reach. The challenge going forward is sustaining that as costs continue to rise and competition intensifies from outside the traditional restaurant space, he said.
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