Largest Fast Food Brands: Data from 1955 to 2026

In this dataset I track the global expansion of the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, the Fast Food. The data represents the Total Active Global Branch Count (including both franchised and corporate owned locations) for each brand in a given year. Because Western media heavily biases American conglomerates, this chart was strictly audited to include regional hyper-scale chains (such as China's Mixue, Wallace, and Luckin Coffee) which rival or exceed legacy brands on a global scale. Primary data sources: Baseline branch counts for legacy chains (McDonald's, A&W, Howard Johnson's) were sourced from historical corporate archives, franchise disclosure documents (FDDs), and archival reporting from Nation’s Restaurant News. The growth curves of Subway, Starbucks, and Domino's were aggregated using historical SEC 10-K filings, annual investor relations reports, and data from the International Franchise Association (IFA). Modern YoY store counts for Asian conglomerates were sourced from Yum China SEC filings, the China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA), and verified regional retail footprint databases. Note: Chains that actively refused to franchise (e.g., In-N-Out, White Castle) naturally fall off the chart due to slow corporate-only growth. ***** Hi, I'm Sasha. I crunch numbers, play with data, and create cool visuals. If you enjoy my work, a little support can get me a coffee and a cookie for my baby girl Eva ☕🍪 https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/dataisbeautifulme If you want to connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-medin-07270234 My main data project: https://fivehundred.co/40-years-of-candlestick-pattern-success-rates