• by Teresa Buyikian , 10 hours ago

The top-read QSR Insiders of the 2025 were a mix of trends, analysis and a whole lotta of Chick-fil-A.

The chicken chain took several spots in the top 10, including both Chick-fil-A Rated Top QSR For 11th Year In Customer Satisfaction Index and Tops In Popularity: Chick-fil-A Wins Brand Fandom Study. Despite experiencing “the slowest growth in 20 years,” and being open only six days a week, Chick-fil-A remained a customer favorite in 2025.

Also among the most-read stories was McDonald's, Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A Dominate Top 50 U.S. Restaurants, which found these three behemoth QSRs account for over $100 billion in sales per year, almost one third of all QSR sales in the U.S.

But the top story, Chili's Relies On '90s Nostalgia, Kelly Kapowski For Radical 'Rita Campaign, highlighted not just Chili’s increasing pop-culture popularity, but also the ongoing trend towards nostalgia with the “Saved By the Bell” star and 1990s throwback vibes.

Also banking on the nostalgia trend was CPK, which in California Pizza Kitchen Is '40 And Fine With It!' CMO Dawn Keller discussed how the chain worked with 40 year-old actress Busy Phillips in its campaign to celebrate the pizza chain’s anniversary.

Unsurprisingly, the Super Bowl was another big player in the most read-stories, with Ready For Some Football: Taco Bell, Dunkin', Little Caesars Only QSRs In Big Game. It remains to be seen if QSRs take on a larger role in the upcoming Super Bowl LX in February.

Despite QSRs’ heavy reliance on meal deals in 2025, Eat The Rich: Consumers Making Over $100K Order Most Fast Food revealed that only 14% of consumers surveyed viewed QSRs as a “budget-friendly” option. In fact, for those making over six figures, 28% said they’re actually eating more fast food than they were a year ago.

Also of no surprise to QSR operators, Report: Delivery, Takeout Make Up 75% Of Restaurant Traffic, detailed how consumers are now eating the vast majority of restaurant meal off-premises in their own homes.

Coffee stories were also prominent this year, with Big Coffee Holds Steady: Starbucks, Dunkin' Foot Traffic Level YOY illustrating that despite industry ups and downs, foot traffic overall remained steady.

The only AI story on the list, How Al Is Affecting Drive-Thru Restaurant Ordering, found that while customers thought AI increased ordering speed, accuracy subsequently took a hit unless an actual human intervened.