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QSR INDEXMCD 292.41 +0.8%SBUX 84.12 −1.2%YUM 148.77 +0.4%QSR 68.90 +1.1%CMG 48.15 −0.3%DPZ 421.55 +2.1%WING 244.63 +3.4%SHAK 96.20 −0.7%WEN 14.02 +0.2%69 CHAINS TRACKED · UPDATED DAILY
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Featured analysisFinance & Economics

How to Open a KFC Franchise in 2026: Costs, Fees, Revenue, and the Full FDD Breakdown

A KFC franchise costs $1.85M to $3.77M with average revenue of $1.35M. Full 2025 FDD analysis covering fees, unit economics, 314 US closures, and what buyers need to know.

READ THE BREAKDOWN →
Trending nowSee all →
1Burger King Fires Its Mascot, Admits Past Failures, and Bets $700 Million on a Brand ResetMarketing & Growth · 18 this week2The Kiosk Tipping Point: Why 2026 Is the Year Self-Order Kiosks Become Standard in Every QSRTechnology & Innovation · 40 this week3QSR Industry Report 2026: Market Size, Segment Analysis, and the Trends Reshaping Fast FoodIndustry Analysis · 29 this week4McDonald's 2026 Strategy: What the World's Biggest Restaurant Chain Is Planning NextIndustry Analysis · 19 this week5Fast Food Profit Margins by Chain: Comparative Analysis with Real NumbersFinance & Economics · 22 this week

01Latest

View all 645+ articles →
Finance & EconomicsThe Real Math on Alcohol in QSR: What Taco Bell's Cantina Shortfall RevealsMAR 28 · 9 MINTechnology & InnovationInside Sweetgreen's Infinite Kitchen: Can a Robotic Assembly Line Fix Fast Casual's Margin Problem?MAR 28 · 9 MINOperations & ManagementThe QSR Labor Crisis in 2026: Wages, Automation, and the Fight for the Future of Fast FoodMAR 28 · 9 MINTechnology & InnovationWingstop's Digital-First Playbook: Can 70% Digital Sales Reshape QSR Unit Economics?MAR 28 · 10 MINOperations & ManagementThe 2026 QSR Real Estate Bidding War: Too Many Chains Chasing Too Few A-SitesMAR 25 · 9 MINFinance & EconomicsStarbucks' Turnaround Paradox: Traffic Is Up, But 420 Basis Points of Margin Just VanishedMAR 25 · 6 MINFinance & EconomicsAlixPartners Analyzed 90,000 Restaurants. The Math Behind the Value War Has Fundamentally Changed.MAR 25 · 6 MINOperations & ManagementThe $1.9 Billion World Cup Meal: What Technomic's Forecast Means for QSR Operators in 16 Host CitiesMAR 25 · 7 MIN
02The database

Every major chain, quoted like an equity.

Financials, unit counts, franchise costs, growth metrics, and strategic analysis on 69+ QSR chains — updated daily, sourced from FDDs and filings.

Explore the databaseView rankings
CHAINUS UNITSAUVYOY
Subway19,223$0.4M−4.3%Starbucks17,352$0.9M+3.8%McDonald's13,618$3.1M+3.4%Dunkin'9,515$0.9M+1.5%Taco Bell7,284$1.8M+1.3%
SAMPLE — 5 OF 69 CHAINS

03The Desks

Six beats · every angle of the business
Operations ↗The QSR Labor Crisis in 2026: Wages, Automation, and the Fight for the Future of Fast Food

With quit rates surging past 4.8%, wages under political pressure, and unions organizing at record pace, QSR operators are turning to AI drive-thrus, robotic fryers, and self-order kiosks to survive. Here is where every major chain stands.

The 2026 QSR Real Estate Bidding War: Too Many Chains Chasing Too Few A-SitesThe $1.9 Billion World Cup Meal: What Technomic's Forecast Means for QSR Operators in 16 Host Cities
Technology ↗Inside Sweetgreen's Infinite Kitchen: Can a Robotic Assembly Line Fix Fast Casual's Margin Problem?

Sweetgreen's robotic Infinite Kitchen delivers 700 basis points of labor savings and 10 points of extra margin. But with $450K per install and same-store sales falling 9.5%, the real question is whether automation can outrun fast casual's deeper structural challenges.

Wingstop's Digital-First Playbook: Can 70% Digital Sales Reshape QSR Unit Economics?Restaurants Are Betting Big on AI. Only 5% Say It's Actually Working.
Marketing ↗LTO Fatigue Is Real: Placer.ai Data Shows McDonald's Big Launches Generating Only Modest Traffic Lifts

McDonald's Shamrock Shake and Big Arch Burger generated short-lived, single-digit traffic bumps in early 2026. Placer.ai and AlixPartners data reveal a broader pattern: the industry's go-to traffic weapon is losing its edge as consumers grow more selective.

Little Caesars Launches Four-N-One Stix as Pizza Chains Race to Own the Shareable Snacking CategoryChipotle's Tattoo BOGO Set an All-Time Single-Day Sales Record. Here's the Playbook Behind It.
Finance ↗How to Open a KFC Franchise in 2026: Costs, Fees, Revenue, and the Full FDD Breakdown

A KFC franchise costs $1.85M to $3.77M with average revenue of $1.35M. Full 2025 FDD analysis covering fees, unit economics, 314 US closures, and what buyers need to know.

The Real Math on Alcohol in QSR: What Taco Bell's Cantina Shortfall RevealsStarbucks' Turnaround Paradox: Traffic Is Up, But 420 Basis Points of Margin Just Vanished
Industry ↗The Confidence Gap: Restaurant Operators Expect Growth in 2026. Their Customers Have Other Plans.

Nearly nine in ten restaurant operators say they are optimistic about 2026. Meanwhile, 68% of consumers are cutting back on dining out and spending $25 less per week than they did last summer. The gap between what operators believe and what customers are doing has never been wider.

Beyond Meat Faces Delisting as QSR Partners Quietly Exit Plant-Based MenusSalad and Go Cut Its Store Count in Half. The Turnaround Playbook Is a Lesson for Every Fast-Growing Chain.
People ↗Popeyes Appoints Chris Padoan as COO, Expands Field Team 75% in Turnaround Push

Restaurant Brands International named Burger King veteran Chris Padoan as Popeyes COO and expanded the chain's field operations team by 75%, the latest moves in a turnaround effort after four consecutive quarters of same-store sales declines.

Chicken Salad Chick's Millennial and Gen Z Franchisee Surge Signals a New Franchise Model PreferenceYum Brands After Gibbs: Chris Turner Inherits a 59,000-Restaurant Empire and an Unfinished AI Transformation

04Run the Numbers

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