Fried chicken restaurant chain with global presence
U.S. plant-based meat sales have fallen 19% since 2023, Beyond Meat's stock collapsed below $1, and QSR chains are quietly pulling plant-based items from their menus. The once-booming alternative protein segment is in a full-blown retreat.
March 20, 2026
Taco Bell leads drive-thru speed at 4:38, KFC at 5:13, McDonald's at 5:57. Rankings based on actual transaction times, with analysis of what drives speed and throughput.
Five years after the legendary chicken sandwich launch, Popeyes' same-store sales grew just 0.6% in 2024. Did the boom fade, or did operational chaos kill the momentum?
Domino's bet on technology and delivery. Pizza Hut clung to dine-in real estate. One is worth B and growing. The other is closing 250 stores and fighting for survival.
C-suite demographics, franchisee diversity, and DEI programs by chain. What's real vs performative, the wealth gap in franchise ownership, and which brands are actually changing.
McDonald's, Chipotle, Yum, Wingstop, CAVA, and Shake Shack are all public QSR stocks. But they're playing entirely different games - and Wall Street is making very different bets on who wins.