Jersey Mike's has been named the top fast-food restaurant in the U.S. according to the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index [1].
This shift marks a significant change in consumer preferences within the quick-service industry. The ranking reflects a transition in how patrons perceive value and quality among the nation's largest food chains.
The study, based on a YouGov customer-satisfaction survey, measured overall satisfaction among fast-food patrons [1, 2]. Jersey Mike's climbed to the top spot, dethroning Chick-Fil-A [1, 3]. This represents the first time in 11 years [3] that a new leader has emerged in the quick-service restaurant category.
For over a decade, Chick-Fil-A held a dominant position in consumer satisfaction rankings [3]. The current results indicate that Jersey Mike's is the first new leader for the category in 10 years [1].
While Jersey Mike's led in overall satisfaction, other metrics showed different results. A separate YouGov survey indicated that McDonald's led in terms of brand consideration [4]. This suggests a distinction between the likelihood of a customer choosing a brand, and the actual satisfaction experienced after the visit.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index serves as a benchmark for the service industry by tracking how customer expectations align with actual experiences [1, 2]. The 2026 data highlights a volatile landscape for fast-food giants as sandwich chains surge in popularity [4].
“Jersey Mike's has been named the top fast-food restaurant in the U.S.”
The dethroning of Chick-Fil-A suggests a shift in the American fast-food market toward specialized sandwich concepts over traditional poultry-based quick-service models. While legacy brands like McDonald's maintain high visibility and consideration, the rise of Jersey Mike's indicates that consumer loyalty is increasingly driven by specific satisfaction markers rather than mere brand ubiquity.
