Best Fast Food Restaurant Chains in the World

Created By:James Thomas

1.McDonald's

The McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries across 35,000 outlets.

Founder:Ray KrocFounded:1948,San Bernardino, California, United StatesHeadquarters: Oak Brook,IL,United States of AmericaCEO:Donald Thompson

2.Subway

Subway is an American fast food restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc.

CEO: Fred DeLucaFounders: Peter Buck, Fred DeLucaFounded: August 28, 1965, Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States

3.Starbucks Coffee

Starbucks Corporation,doing business as Starbucks Coffee, is an American global coffee company and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington.

CEO: Howard SchultzFounded: March 30, 1971, Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington, United StatesHeadquarters: Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaFounders: Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl

4.Burger King

Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.

CEO: Daniel S. SchwartzFounded: 1954, Miami, Florida, United StatesFounders: David Edgerton, James McLamore

5.Wendy's

Wendy's is an American international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company moved its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006.

Founded: 1969

Founders: John T. Schuessler, Dave Thomas

CEO:Roland C. Smith

6.Taco Bell

Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum!

Founder: Glen BellFounded: March 21, 1962, Downey, California, United StatesCEO: Brian Niccol

7.Dunkin' Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts is an American global doughnut company and coffeehouse chain based in Canton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts.

CEO: Nigel TravisFounder: William RosenbergFounded: 1950, Quincy, Massachusetts, United States

8.Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise, known for pizza and side dishes, it is now corporately known as Pizza Hut, Inc. and is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., the world's largest restaurant company.

Founded: June 15, 1958, Wichita, Kansas, United StatesCEO: Scott BergrenFounders: Dan Carney, Frank Carney

9.KFC

KFC is a fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States.

Founder:Colonel SandersFounded: 1930,North Corbin, Kentucky, United StatesCEO:Muktesh Pant

10.Applebee's Neighborhood Grill &Bar

Applebees International, Inc., is an American company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain.

Founded:1980,Decatur, Georgia, United States Founders:TJ Palmer,Bill Palmer

11.Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, Georgia, specializing in chicken sandwiches.

Founder:S. Truett CathyFounded:1946,Hapeville, Georgia, United StatesCEO:Dan T. Cathy

12.Sonic, America's Drive-In

Sonic Corp. is an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As of August 31,2011, there were 3,561 restaurants in 43 U.S. states, serving approximately 3 million customers per day.

Founded:Shawnee, Oklahoma(1953)Founder:Troy SmithHeadquarters:Oklahoma City,Oklahoma, United States

13.Olive Garden

Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in unincorporated Orange County, Florida, near Orlando.

Founder: Curtis DaytonFounded: 1982, Orlando, Florida, United States

14.Chili's Grill & Bar

Chili's Grill & Bar is an international casual dining restaurant chain that features Tex-Mex-style cuisine. The company was founded by Larry Levine in Texas in 1975 and is currently owned and operated by Brinker International.

Founded:March13,1975Founder:Larry LavineHeadquarters:6820 LBJ FreewayDallas, Texas,U.S.

15.Domino's Pizza

Domino's is an American restaurant chain and international franchise pizza delivery corporation headquartered at the Domino Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor Charter Township, Michigan, United States, near Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Founder:Tom MonaghanFounded:June 10,1960,Ypsilanti, Michigan, United StatesCEO:J. Patrick Doyle

16.Panera Bread

Panera Bread is a chain of bakery-caf fast casual restaurants in the United States and Canada. Its headquarters are in Sunset Hills, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and operates as Saint Louis Bread Company in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Founded:Kirkwood,Missouri (1981)Founder:Louis Kane Ken Rosenthal Ronald M. Shaich

17.Jack in the Box

Jack in the Box is an American fast-food restaurant founded in 1951 by Robert O. Peterson in San Diego, California, where it is still headquartered today.

CEO: Leonard A. CommaFounder: Robert O. PetersonFounded: 1951, San Diego, California

18.Arby's

Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. is the second largest quick-service sandwich chain in the U.S. with more than 3,400 restaurants system wide.

Founded:July 23,1964,Youngstown, Ohio, United StatesCEO:Paul BrownFounders:Leroy Raffel,Forrest Raffel

19.Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen, often abbreviated DQ, is a chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. It also owns Orange Julius and Karmelkorn.

CEO:John GainorFounder:John Fremont McCulloughFounded:June 22,1940,Joliet, Illinois, United States

20.Red Lobster

Red Lobster is an American casual dining restaurant chain that is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company has operations in Canada, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Japan, in addition to the United States.

Founded: March 1968,Lakeland, Florida, United States CEO:Kim A LopdrupFounders:Charley Woodsby, Bill Darden

21.IHOP

IHOP is a United Statesbased restaurant chain that specializes in breakfast foods. It is owned by DineEquity, with 99% of the restaurants run by independent franchisees.

Founded:1958Founders:Al Lapin,Jerry Lapin

22.Denny's

Denny's is a full-service pancake house/coffee shop/fast casual family restaurant chain. It operates over 1,600 restaurants in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Dominican Republic, El Salvador.

Founder:Harold ButlerFounded:1953,Lakewood, California, United StatesCEO:John C. Miller

23.Outback Steakhouse

Outback Steakhouse is an Australian-themed American casual dining restaurant chain based in Tampa, Florida with over 1200 locations in 23 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Founder: Chris T. SullivanFounded: February 1988, Tampa, Florida, United States

24.Chipotle Mexican Grill/Chipotle

Chipotle Mexican Grill,Inc.is a chain of restaurants in the United States, United Kingdom,Canada,Germany,and France,specializing in burritos and tacos. Its name derives from chipotle, the Mexican Spanish name for a smoked and dried jalapeo chili pepper.

Founded:July 13, 1993 Founder:Steve Ells Headquarters:Denver,Colorado,U.S.

25.Papa John's Pizza

Papa John's Pizza is an American restaurant company and is the fourth largest take-out and pizza delivery restaurant chain in the United States with headquarters in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, a suburb of Louisville.

Founder: John SchnatterFounded: October 2, 1984CEO: John Schnatter

26.Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar

Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise in the United States, Canada and Mxico that is known for its Buffalo wings and sauces. The restaurant's current tagline is Wings. Beer. Sports..

Founder:James DisbrowFounded:1982,Columbus, Ohio, United StatesCEO:Sally J. Smith

27.Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme.

Founder: Dan EvinsFounded:September 19,1969Lebanon, Tennessee, United StatesCEO: Sandra B. Cochran

28.Hardee's

Hardee's Food Systems,Inc.,is an American fast-food restaurant chain, which predominantly operates in the Southern and Midwestern states. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960.

Founder:Wilbur HardeeFounded:1960,Greenville, North Carolina, United StatesCEO:Andrew Puzder

29.T.G.I. Friday's

TGI Friday's is an American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining. The company is a unit of the Sentinel Capital Partners and TriArtisan Capital Partners, who purchased the company from Carlson Companies in May 2014.

CEO:Nicholas Paul ShepherdFounder:Alan StillmanFounded:1965,New York City, New York, United States

30.7-Eleven

7-Eleven or 7-11 is an international chain of convenience stores that operate primarily as a franchise. 7-Eleven Inc. is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and its parent company, Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd., is located in Tokyo, Japan.

CEO: Joseph DePintoFounder: Joe C. ThompsonFounded: 1927

31.Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is an American chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants founded in 1972 in New Orleans,Louisiana.

Founder:Al CopelandFounded:1972

32.Golden Corral

Golden Corral is an American family-style restaurant chain serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and featuring a large buffet and grill offering numerous hot and cold dishes, a carving station and their Brass Bell Bakery.

Founded:January 3,1973CEO:Ted M. Fowler Jr.Founders:William F. Carl,James Maynard

33.The Cheesecake Factory

David M. Overton,the company's founder,opened the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills, California,in 1978.The restaurant established the future chain's pattern of offering an eclectic menu,big portions,and signature cheesecakes.

Founded:1978Founder:Evelyn Overton,Oscar Overton,David OvertonHeadquarters:Calabasas Hills,California,U.S.

34.Panda Express

Panda Express is a fast casual restaurant chain,serving American-Chinese cuisine.It operates mainly in the United States,with smaller units frequently found in:casinos, shopping malls,toll plazas.

Founded:1983,California, United StatesCEO:Peggy CherngFounders:Peggy Cherng,Ming Tsai Cherng, Andrew Cherng

35.Disney theme parks, hotels & resorts

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, also known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments.

Industry:Theme parksFounded:1971Headquarters:Burbank,California,U.S.A

36.Little Caesars Pizza

Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the United States. The Little Caesars headquarters is located in the Fox Theatre building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.

CEO:David ScrivanoFounders:Mike Ilitch,Marian IlitchFounded:May 8,1959,Garden City, Michigan, United States

37.Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr.,an American-based fast-food restaurant chain operating in the Western and Southwestern states.

Founder:Carl KarcherCEO:Andrew PuzderFounded:July 17,1941,Los Angeles, California, United States

38.RubyTuesday

Ruby Tuesday Inc. is an American multinational foodservice retailer that owns, operates, and franchises Ruby Tuesday restaurants. The concept was started in 1972 by Samuel E. Beall, III.

Headquarters:Maryville,TN,United States of AmericaFounded:1972CEO:Samuel E Beall III

39.Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse is an American chain restaurant that specializes in steaks and promotes a Western theme. Texas Roadhouse Corporation is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The chain operates about 400 locations in 46 states.

Founder:Wayne Kent TaylorCEO:Wayne Kent TaylorFounded:February 17,1993, Green Tree Mall, Clarksville, Indiana, United States

40.Whataburger

Whataburger is a privately held, American regional fast food restaurant chain, based in San Antonio, Texas, that specializes in hamburgers.

Founded: 1950, Corpus Christi, Texas, United StatesCEO: Preston AtkinsonFounders: Harmon Dobson, Paul Burton

41.Marriott Hotels & Resorts Hotel

Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's flagship brand of full-service hotels and resorts. The company, based in Washington D.C., is repeatedly included on the Forbes Best Companies to Work for list, and was voted the fourth best company to work for in the UK by The Times in 2009.The Washington Marriott,located in the West End neighborhood of Washington, D.C

Industry:HotelFounded:1957Founder:J. Willard Marriott

42.Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Spirits

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers or simply Red Robin is a chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington, and now headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Industry:RestaurantFounded:1969 Seattle, Washington,Headquarters:Greenwood Village, Colorado

43.Hilton Hotels

Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide. The original company was founded by Conrad Hilton.

Founded:1919Founders:Conrad Hilton, Barron Hilton

44.LongHorn Steakhouse

LongHorn Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant chain that is owned and operated by Darden Restaurants, Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Florida. As of Feb 22, 2013, LongHorn Steakhouse operated over 370 restaurants in 35 states.

Founded:1981,Atlanta, Georgia, United States

45.Jimmy John's

Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC is a franchised sandwich restaurant chain, specializing in delivery, founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983 and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, United States.

CEO:Jimmy John LiautaudFounder:Jimmy John LiautaudFounded:1983,Charleston, Illinois, United StatesHeadquarters:Champaign,IL,United States of America

46.Waffle House

Waffle House, Inc., is a restaurant chain with more than 2,100 locations in 25 states in the United States. Most of the locations are in the South, where the chain remains as a regional cultural icon.

Founder:Joe RogersCEO:Joe W. Rogers Jr.Headquarters:Norcross,GA,United States of AmericaFounded:1955,Avondale Estates, Georgia, United States

47.Bob Evans Restaurants

Bob Evans Farms, Inc. is a food service, processing, and retail company based in the Columbus, Ohio suburb of New Albany. The company is named after its founder, Bob Evans. It operates Bob Evans Restaurants.

Headquarters:New Albany,OH,United States of AmericaFounded:1946,Rio Grande, Ohio, United States

48.Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries, with its headquarters in the Lorton community in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia.

CEO:Jerry MurrellFounder:Jerry MurrellFounded:1986,Arlington County, Virginia, United States

49.P.F. Chang's China Bistro

P. F. Chang's is an Asian-themed US casual dining restaurant chain owned and operated by Centerbridge Partners and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. As of October 2014, P. F.

CEO:Richard L FedericoFounders: Philip Chiang,Paul FlemingFounded:1993,Scottsdale, Arizona, United StatesHeadquarters:Scottsdale,AZ,United States of America

50.Sheraton Hotels

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand (Westin being the oldest).

Industry:Hospitality,hotels,tourismFounded:1937 in Springfield, MassachusettsFounder:Ernest Henderson Robert Moore

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