Jersey Mike’s Dethrones Chick-fil-A in Customer Satisfaction

For the first time in more than a decade, a new name sits atop America’s most closely watched fast-food customer satisfaction ranking. Jersey Mike’s has claimed the No. 1 spot in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) quick-service restaurant category, ending Chick-fil-A’s 11-year reign at the top.

The sub sandwich chain scored 84 out of 100 in the ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2026, edging out Chick-fil-A, which scored 83. The study, based on 16,464 completed surveys collected via email between April 2025 and March 2026, marks the first time Jersey Mike’s has appeared in the rankings — and it debuted at the very top.

A Changing of the Guard

Chick-fil-A had held the No. 1 position in the ACSI’s quick-service restaurant (QSR) rankings for 11 consecutive years, setting the standard for service quality and consistency across the industry. While the Atlanta-based chicken chain remains the “clear leader for chicken,” according to the ACSI, its overall crown has been passed to a newcomer.

According to Fox News, the ACSI described Jersey Mike’s as “a new leader among QSRs,” noting that the chain’s 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.”

How Jersey Mike’s Did It

Jersey Mike’s, founded in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, now operates more than 4,000 locations across the United States and Canada. The chain added 238 net new locations in 2025 and generated $4.2 billion in systemwide sales — all while maintaining the quality that earned it the top satisfaction score.

The ACSI credited several factors for Jersey Mike’s success:

• A focused menu: The chain’s “fairly narrow” menu, as described by the ACSI, allows for consistency across locations and is “conducive to franchisee success.”
• Digital convenience: High digital pickup usage and a model built around throughput and off-premise dining were cited as key strengths.
• Quality and value: The chain was recognized for freshness, food variety, and value — attributes that resonate with today’s cost-conscious consumers.

Industry Context: A Sector Under Pressure

The QSR industry overall held steady with an ACSI score of 79 for the third consecutive year, but the stability masks significant movement beneath the surface. The U.S. restaurant industry faced headwinds in 2025, with chain restaurant sales growing just 3% — below the 3.8% menu-price inflation rate, marking the slowest growth outside the pandemic since the Great Recession.

Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI, noted that “price still matters, but it’s no longer enough on its own. Consistency across the full experience is what separates the leaders right now.”

The Full Rankings

Behind the top two, Jimmy John’s and Panda Express tied for third with scores of 81. KFC, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut followed at 80, while Domino’s, Raising Cane’s, Starbucks, and Subway each scored 79. At the bottom of the rankings, Dairy Queen and McDonald’s tied for last place with scores of 72.

What’s Next for Jersey Mike’s

The chain shows no signs of slowing down. In January 2026, CEO Charlie Morrison announced plans to open 400 stores in the U.K. and Ireland, marking a major international expansion push. “All consumers, not only here in the U.S. but around the world, are looking for a great value, but they want quality,” Morrison told CNBC. “They want authenticity. Everything about the brand screams quality and freshness.”

However, the chain faces the challenge of maintaining its high satisfaction scores as it scales rapidly — both domestically and internationally. The ACSI study noted that new brands entering the rankings and immediately competing at the top reflects shifting consumer expectations, but sustaining that performance as costs continue to rise and competition intensifies remains an open question.

For Chick-fil-A, losing the top spot for the first time in over a decade raises questions about how the chain will respond. While it remains the undisputed leader in the chicken category, the broader landscape of American fast food has clearly shifted — and Jersey Mike’s is now the name to beat.