Today, we released our ranking of the most culturally relevant #QSR brands. Base
By Mikeblack · May 21, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Today, we released our ranking of the most culturally relevant #QSR brands.
Based on thousands of consumer surveys, Collage Group scored 36 QSR brands on how well they connect with consumers’ identities, values and sense of fit in their everyday lives.
If you work in the #restaurant or #advertising industry, this report is a goldmine of competitive intelligence.
A few highlights from the report:
🐔 There is no single QSR winner across generations.
Chick-fil-A leads Gen Z.
Krispy Kreme leads #Millennials.
Wendy’s leads #GenX.
Dairy Queen leads #Boomers.
That tells us QSR loyalty is becoming more cohort-specific, and the brands that win will need to understand what matters culturally to each audience.
🍔 The brands winning with #GenZ are not all winning for the same reason.
Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s stand out on memory and fit.
Subway pairs memory with trust.
Krispy Kreme leads on trust.
The takeaway: younger consumers are not just choosing “favorite” restaurants. They’re responding to different kinds of cultural connection.
🍕 #Multicultural audiences are not moving as one.
#Hispanic, #Black, #Asian, and White consumers each show different brand leaders. Even within Hispanic consumers, leadership shifts across US-leaning, biculturated and Heritage-leaning audiences.
The bigger story: menu, convenience and price still matter, but they are no longer differentiators.
The brands best positioned for sustained growth and loyalty are building #culturalfluency through relevance, trust, fit, values, memories and advocacy.
To get a copy of the full benchmark findings write "QSR" in the comments below 👇
Bojangles' Restaurants, Inc. Burger King Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center Chipotle Mexican Grill Church's Texas Chicken Crumbl Dairy Queen Dave's Hot Chicken Domino's Dutch Bros Coffee Firehouse Subs Jack in the Box KFC Krispy Kreme Little Caesars Pizza McDonald's
Panda Restaurant Group Panera Bread Papa Johns Pizza Hut popeyes Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers Starbucks Subway Tim Hortons The Wendy's Company White Castle Wingstop Restaurants Inc. Zaxbys Restaurant Brands International