The American Customer Satisfaction Index released its list of best fast-food restaurants, and Chick-fil-A took the top title for the seventh straight year.
Of the fast-food places, also known as limited-service restaurants, Chick-fil-A came in first place with a score of 83 out of 100. The chain beat out all full-service restaurants included in the survey, including LongHorn Steakhouse, which topped that category with a score of 80.
Despite being the best-rated fast-food joint, Chick-fil-a dropped from its score of 84 in 2020. Here are the top five rankings:
- Chick-fil-A: 83
- Domino’s: 80
- KFC: 79
- Starbucks: 79
- Five Guys: 78
As for worst-rated fast-food chains, McDonald's claimed that lowest spot with a score of 70. Jack in the Box, Popeyes, Sonic and Wendy's scored 73. The average score of limited-service restaurants was 78. Subway had the biggest drop in this year's rankings, from 79 to 75.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many restaurants, both sit-down and fast-food, having to adjust their services, such as offering takeout and delivery options.
Fact check: Chick-fil-A is not releasing a steak filet sandwich.
LongHorn Steakhouse and Chick-fil-A top 2020 list:America's favorite dining and fast-food restaurants
Even as states begin to allow dine-in seating, managing director at the ACSI, David VanAmburg, said the value of convenience shouldn't go away. Full-service restaurants had an overall score of 80, the second-highest of all rated industries behind breweries.
“During the pandemic, folks got a taste for what it’s like to have food from their favorite restaurants delivered right to their door. And now that they’ve gotten used to this service, there’s no going back. Restaurants need to continue to give customers all the options they’ve become accustomed to over the last year and a half. If not, they might grab a bite somewhere else," VanAmburg said in a statement.
Chick-fil-A's top ranking doesn't mean the chain hasn't faced controversy: Chick-fil-A has received criticism for the company's donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations.
CEO Dan Cathy was identified in June by The Daily Beast as a donor to the National Christian Charitable Foundation, which has a history of funding opposition to the Equality Act. Burger King responded by announcing it would donate 40 cents for every chicken sandwich sold in June (Pride month) up to $250,000, or 625,000 sandwiches, to the Human Rights Campaign.
To determine rankings, the ACSI interviewed nearly 20,000 random customers viaemail from April 1, 2020-March 29, 2021. The rankings take into account factors such as cleanliness, accuracy, staff helpfulness and reliability of mobile apps.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jord_mendoza.
