Jersey Mike's Subs Ranks as Top Fast Food Restaurant, Surpassing Chick-fil-A in Customer Satisfaction
Jersey Mike's Subs has debuted at number one in the quick-service restaurant category of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), unseating Chick-fil-A, which had held the top spot for 11 consecutive years. The sandwich chain achieved a score of 84 out of 100, narrowly beating Chick-fil-A's score of 83. Jersey Mike's qualified for the ACSI rankings due to significant market share growth in 2025, during which it added 238 new locations and reached $4.2 billion in systemwide sales.
In its inaugural appearance on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Jersey Mike's Subs has been named the top quick-service restaurant in the United States. The sandwich chain earned a score of 84 out of 100 in the 2026 ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study, surpassing Chick-fil-A, which scored 83 and had led the category for the previous 11 years.
Jersey Mike's eligibility for the ACSI rankings stemmed from its substantial market share expansion over the past year. In 2025, the company saw significant growth, adding 238 new locations and achieving $4.2 billion in systemwide sales. During the same year, the company initiated an $8 billion sale to the private equity firm Blackstone and appointed Charlie Morrison as its new CEO in April 2025.
While Jersey Mike's took the overall lead, Chick-fil-A maintained its position as the top performer in satisfaction among quick-service chicken restaurants. Other notable results from the ACSI study include Papa Johns leading the pizza category with a score of 80, Starbucks topping coffee and bakeries at a score of 79, and Burger King and Culver’s tying for first place in the burger category with 78 points each.
The 2026 ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study, based on 16,464 surveys, also evaluated full-service restaurants and food delivery services. In the full-service segment, LongHorn Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, and a collective "all others" category shared the top spot, each scoring 82. For food delivery, Uber Eats led with a score of 76, followed by Grubhub at 75, and DoorDash at 74.
Forrest Morgeson, an associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI, commented on the findings, stating that while overall industry scores show little annual change, there is "real movement underneath." He emphasized that new brands are entering the rankings and immediately competing at the top, indicating a shift in consumer expectations where consistency across the full experience is now a key differentiator beyond just price.
According to Fast Company, this study highlights evolving dynamics within the restaurant industry.
