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The basics:

• Jersey Mike’s ranks No. 1 among US quick-service restaurants
• Chain ends Chick-fil-A‘s 11-year run atop ACSI rankings
• Jersey Mike’s earns 84-point score in survey debut
• Brand generated $4.2 billion in sales, continues rapid expansion

Jersey Mike’s Subs unseated Chick-fil-A as the top quick-service restaurant in the U.S., according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

In the ACSI’s newly released annual survey of restaurant and food delivery businesses, the Tinton Falls-based sandwich chain’s 84-point debut ended the competing chicken brand’s 11-year reign by one point.

After Jersey Mike’s and Chick-fil-A, the top 10 was rounded out by:

• Jimmy John’s
• Panda Express
• KFC
• Papa Johns
• Pizza Hut
• Domino’s
• Raising Cane’s
• Starbucks

Jersey Mike’s was praised for its “freshness, food variety and value.” After noting the chain’s $4.2 billion in systemwide sales last year, the ACSI highlighted Jersey Mike’s efforts to maintain quality while scaling rapidly.

“Jersey Mike’s ACSI success is consistent with their business performance, including rapid unit growth, strong customer demand, and a model designed around throughput and off-premise convenience from high digital pickup usage. The chain’s menu is fairly narrow, and they have a model conducive to franchisee success,” the study said.

After starting out in 1956 as a small sandwich shop in Point Pleasant, Jersey Mike’s is considered one of the fastest-growing chains in the country. Its footprint of more than 3,500 locations includes 147 stores in New Jersey. Along with at least 300 stores in development across the U.S., Jersey Mike’s has been setting the stage for international growth.

The banner expects to open 300 outposts across Canada by 2034 through a strategic partnership with operator Redberry Restaurants. As part of a franchise agreement with a group led by former Jersey Mike’s CEO and current board Chairman Peter Cancro, the chain also aims to add 400 stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Blackstone-owned Jersey Mike’s also recently filed for an initial public offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The chain reportedly has set its sights on a valuation exceeding $12 billion. The IPO could go public in the third quarter of 2026.

Food takeaways

Established in 1994 at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, the ACSI measures customer satisfaction with more than 400 companies across 40 industries, including federal government services. On an annual basis, the ACSI surveys about 200,000 consumers.

For its 2026 Restaurant and Food Delivery Study, the organization asked 16,464 participants to score chains on a scale of 0–100.

According to the results, the top 10 full-service restaurant chains are:

• LongHorn Steakhouse
• Texas Roadhouse
• Olive Garden
• Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar
• Chili’s
• Cracker Barrel
• Golden Corral
• Outback Steakhouse
• The Cheesecake Factory
• Buffalo Wild Wings

The survey also found that diners are becoming more selective amid rising menu prices and inflation. As a result, many are shifting spending toward fewer but more intentional visits rather than overall cutbacks, the ASCI said.

Because consistency, reliability and perceived value are becoming key drivers of customer choice, brands that deliver strong, dependable experiences are gaining market share, the report said.

Price still matters, but it’s no longer enough on its own.
— Forrest Morgeson, director of research emeritus, ACSI

ACSI Director of Research Emeritus Forrest Morgeson said, “New brands are entering our rankings and immediately competing at the top, which tells you something about where consumer expectations are headed. Price still matters, but it’s no longer enough on its own.

“Consistency across the full experience is what separates the leaders right now, and that’s showing up clearly in the data. The challenge going forward is sustaining that as costs continue to rise and competition intensifies from outside the traditional restaurant space.”