Top Global Fast Food Chains by Number of Locations 2024

The largest fast food chains in the world by number of locations in 2024. McDonald's leads with about 40,000 outlets, followed by Subway on 37,000 and Starbucks on 36,000.

The eight chains here operate roughly 211,700 locations between them. The top three account for 113,000 of those, more than half, and McDonald's has about three times as many outlets as Dunkin' on 12,900. Burger King and Pizza Hut are level on 18,700, with Domino's slightly ahead on 19,400.

Outlet counts and revenue rank chains very differently, and this is the main thing to understand about the table. Subway's model is built on small, cheap-to-open franchises, often inside other premises, so it reaches enormous outlet numbers on relatively low revenue per site. McDonald's restaurants are far larger and generate several times more revenue each, so a company can lead on locations while trailing badly on sales. Starbucks sits in a third category again, since a coffee shop's economics have little in common with either.

Subway's position also comes with a direction of travel worth noting: it has closed thousands of outlets over the past decade, having peaked well above the figure shown here, while McDonald's and Starbucks have continued to expand.

Counting is less straightforward than it looks. Franchised, licensed and company-owned outlets are usually pooled together, non-traditional locations inside airports, hospitals and petrol stations may or may not be counted, and chains report at different points in their financial year. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand, as here, are the honest way to present them.