Study ranks top fast food chains in NJ college towns

Whether it’s a quick meal between classes or much-needed fuel for a late-night study session, fast food is particularly popular on college campuses.

And with inflation cutting even deeper into student spending power nowadays, Gen Z is increasingly looking for eats that are tasty, as well as cheap.

When it comes to the most popular fast food picks in New Jersey’s college towns, the favorites varied from local chains, like Bubbakoo’s Burritos, to big players, like Popeyes, according to a newly released report from BrokeScholar, a resource for students seeking discounts and scholarship rewards.

For its analysis, BrokeScholar teamed up with online review platform Yelp to examine data for local, regional and national chains within a two-mile radius of the country’s 144 top public universities.

Within New Jersey, the preferred chains are:

• Montclair State University: Popeyes (national)
• New Jersey Institute of Technology: Blaze Pizza (national), Ambassador Fish & Chicken (local)
• Rowan University: Jimmy John’s (national), Crown Fried Chicken (local)
• Rutgers University-Camden: Popeyes (national), Red Poke Express (local)
• Rutgers University-New Brunswick: Jersey Mike’s Subs (national), Wings Over (regional), Bubbakoo’s Burritos (local)
• Rutgers University-Newark: Blaze Pizza (national), White Castle (regional), Ambassador Fish & Chicken (local)
• Stockton University: Burger King (national), Atlantic City Service Area (local)

Nationwide, California-based fast casual Blaze Pizza ranked as the most popular eatery, with students praising its responsibly sourced ingredients, eco-friendly packaging and customization options, such as plant-based and gluten-free.

Next in line is Five Guys, followed by Jersey Mike’s, Chick-fil-A and Jimmy John’s.

Takeout takeaways

Sandwiches are the most popular national food type, the ranking found. Whether from shops from classic Jersey Mike’s Subs to Potbelly Sandwiches, they are the highest-rated grab-and-go category nationally with 30% of college towns giving their highest rating to a sandwich shop.

Manasquan-headquartered Jersey Mike’s, one of the most fastest growing chains in the U.S., is wildly popular on the West Coast, with seven schools calling it the best in town.

In the Northeast, Blaze Pizza earned top marks at four colleges, while students in the South prefer the classic burgers of Five Guys, with 10 college towns saying it’s their go-to place.