McDonald's, KFC, and Subway are consistently Australia's most popular fast-food chains, with McDonald's often leading in customer spend and overall love, while Subway generally boasts the most physical locations, and KFC holds strong as a top contender for visits and revenue alongside Hungry Jack's. Domino's Pizza and Red Rooster are also highly popular choices for Australians seeking quick meals.
McDonald's, KFC, Hungry Jack's & Domino's Pizza are Australia's favorite restaurants - Roy Morgan Research.
The most popular food in Australia is widely considered the meat pie, an iconic hand-held pastry filled with minced meat and gravy, followed closely by other staples like roast lamb (a Sunday dinner favorite), chicken parmigiana (a pub classic), and Vegemite on toast. Other beloved items include smashed avocado on toast, fish and chips, and sweet treats like Pavlova and Anzac biscuits.
Over half of Australians aged 14+ (52.7%) eat McDonald's in an average six months while traditional fast food rival KFC is second on 40.8%.
The top fast-food restaurants vary by metric (sales, locations, brand value), but consistently high-ranking chains globally and in the U.S. include McDonald's, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Subway, KFC, and Taco Bell, with McDonald's often leading in revenue and Starbucks in brand value, while Subway boasts the most locations in the U.S. Other top contenders frequently cited are Burger King, Wendy's, Dunkin', and Domino's.
McDonald's has a massive presence, with over 13,000 locations in the United States. This makes it the most extensive fast-food chain in the country. Burger King, on the other hand, operates around 7,000 locations across the U.S., which is roughly half of McDonald's footprint.
There's no single "number 1" healthiest fast-food restaurant, but Chipotle and Chick-fil-A consistently rank high due to customizable, fresh options like bowls and salads with lean proteins and veggies, while Panera Bread is also praised for salads, soups, and yogurt parfaits, but always check nutrition info as even healthy spots have calorie-dense items like creamy dressings or fried toppings.
KFC's brand is ranked #130 in the list of Global Top 1000 Brands, as rated by customers of KFC. Their current valuation is $32.95B. McDonald's's brand is ranked #85 in the list of Global Top 100 Brands, as rated by customers of McDonald's. Their current valuation is $167.91B.
The Most Popular Thing at McDonald's Is…
Ever since the first McDonald's menu from when the chained opened in the 1950s, french fries have been a star. The famous Golden Arches sell upward of 9 million pounds of fries per day!
McDonald's McChicken is the Least Unhealthy Fast-Food Chicken Burger. The McChicken (14 points) at McDonald's is the healthiest of its type among the fast-food chains we surveyed. The McDonald's chicken burger scores roughly half the unhealthiness points of its equivalents at Burger King (31 points) and KFC (27 points) ...
Australian Eating Habits
Australians tend to eat three meals a day: Breakfast – eaten in the morning is either light and cold (cereal, toast, coffee) or heavy and hot (bacon, eggs, sausages, fried tomato) Lunch – eaten around 12 – 2 pm is usually a light meal such as a sandwich, or salad.
Australians call McDonald's "Macca's," a common slang abbreviation that the company has embraced and even used in advertising and on some store signs, reflecting the Australian habit of shortening names, like calling people "Bazza" for Barry.
The most unhealthy fast food in Australia, based on energy and sodium content, is often cited as Red Rooster's Bacon & Cheese Rippa meal combo (Rippa roll, large fries, large Coke) due to its extremely high kilojoules (7730kJ) and sodium (4571mg), exceeding daily recommendations, while Hungry Jack's Double Smoky BBQ Angus burger is a top offender in the burger category for its energy density. These meals pack significant energy (kilojoules), fat, and salt, contributing heavily to daily intake, with Red Rooster and Hungry Jack's often topping reports for poor nutritional profiles.
Mixue Surpasses McDonald's as the World's Largest F&B Chain As of September 2024, Mixue has overtaken McDonald's as the world's largest F&B chain, with a total of 45,300 locations. McDonald's comes in second with 42,800 locations, followed by Starbucks with 40,200 locations.
Currently, McDonald's has a market capitalization of $208.66 billion. Buying $1000 In MCD: If an investor had bought $1000 of MCD stock 10 years ago, it would be worth $3,019.74 today based on a price of $288.95 for MCD at the time of writing.
One Of The Least Popular McDonald's Items Is Probably One You Never Order. Some McDonald's food items are so popular that they've become a core part of fast food culture. But, the chain's menu also includes some duds, and the item that's reportedly ordered the least of all is hot tea.
Alabama rapper #YBNNahmir has officially purchased his own McDonald's franchise 🫡🔥🍔🍟‼️ Chris Hightower Sr.
The healthiest fast food options focus on grilled protein, lots of vegetables, and whole grains, found in places like Chipotle (veggie/bean bowls), Subway (Turkey Breast & Ham), Chick-fil-A (grilled nuggets/sandwich), Wendy's (grilled chicken wrap/chili/baked potato), and Taco Bell (Fresco-style tacos/burritos), emphasizing customization to swap sauces, cheese, and fried items for healthier alternatives like salsa, avocado, and salads.
Subway leads with 1,248 outlets as of 10 September 2025. Subway, McDonald's, and KFC remain Australia's biggest food chains in 2025, according to ScrapeHero's data last updated on 24 October 2025.
McDonald's cheapest meal is typically a Value Menu or Loose Change Meal Deal, with Australia's "McSmart Meal" being a prime example at around $6.95 AUD, offering two burgers, small fries, and a drink, while the US has options like the McDouble Meal Deal (around $5.50-$6 USD) or similar limited-time offers. Prices and specific items vary by country, so checking the MyMacca's app (Australia) or the official McDonald's app/website (US) for local deals is best.
Neither Five Guys nor McDonald's offers truly "healthy" fast food, but studies often find Five Guys' burgers higher in calories, saturated fat, and sodium, making McDonald's a relatively better choice if you're watching those metrics, especially with simpler orders like a basic hamburger or chicken nuggets, though their fries and shakes are still high in unhealthy elements. Five Guys uses fresher ingredients (80/20 beef, no fillers), but their portion sizes and ingredient density (cheese, bacon, multiple patties) significantly increase nutritional downsides compared to McDonald's standard offerings.
Healthy snacks when you're craving chocolate or sugar
Wendy's tops list as unhealthiest fast-food chain, says report.