From Powerhouses Like Jersey Mike's And Taco Bell To Icons Like Pizza Hut, These Are The Top Fast-food Franchises In 2025

As we measurement into 2025, nan speedy work nutrient manufacture is overmuch competitory than ever, pinch brands leveraging value, sustainability initiatives and insubstantial invention to enactment ahead. This year's apical franchises personification not only withstood economical shifts but personification thrived, expanding their footprints and redefining convenience.

In this exclusive list, we dive into nan 10 astir successful quick-service nutrient franchises of 2025, based connected Entrepreneur's 2025 Franchise 500 ranking. From family names to rising stars, these powerfulness players personification cemented their position arsenic manufacture leaders and are shaping nan early of accelerated food.

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized database of franchises that lucifer your lifestyle, interests and budget.

1. Taco Bell

• Founded: 1962
• Franchising since: 1964
• Overall Rank: 1
• Number of units: 8,565
• Change successful units: +13.2% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $610,750 - $3,980,200
• Leadership: Sean Tresvant, CEO
• Parent company: Yum! Brands Inc.

Taco Bell continues to reign arsenic nan world's largest purveyor of Mexican cuisine — and nan apical franchise connected Entrepreneur's 2025 Franchise 500 — offering a lucrative opportunity for aspiring franchisees. With complete 8,500 locations crossed overmuch than 30 countries, nan marque has not only maintained its powerfulness successful nan fast-food manufacture but has too embraced invention to enactment ahead.

Taco Bell made waves successful 2024 pinch its early position community, The Cantinas — which sold retired successful small than 3 minutes — and nan Decades Menu, which featured nostalgic fan-favorite items from nan 1960s to nan early 2000s. The marque too doubled down connected drive-thru integer ordering, AI-powered room ratio and sustainable packaging initiatives, reinforcing its committedness to modernizing accelerated food.

Related: Taco Bell Is More Than 60 Years Old — Here's nan Brand's Secret to Staying Relevant, According to Its CEO

2. Jersey Mike's Subs

• Founded: 1956
• Franchising since: 1987
• Overall rank: 2
• Number of units: 2,861
• Change successful units: +45% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $203,583 - $1,317,005
• Leadership: Peter Cancro, Founder and CEO
• Parent company: Jersey Mike's Franchise Systems Inc.

Jersey Mike's Subs has solidified its spot arsenic 1 of nan fastest-growing and astir successful QSR franchises. Known for its fresh, high-quality ingredients and signature "Mike's Way" sandwiches, Jersey Mike's continues to predominate nan sub shop segment.

Private equity diligent Blackstone acquired Jersey Mike's for $8 cardinal successful precocious 2024, signaling beardown investor assurance successful nan brand's early growth. This acquisition provides Jersey Mike's pinch moreover greater resources to turn its footprint, heighten integer ordering capabilities and innovate its menu.

Related: Jersey Mike's Embraced Change — Then Sold for $8 Billion

3. Dunkin'

• Founded: 1950
• Franchising since: 1955
• Overall rank: 3
• Number of units: 13,790
• Change successful units: +7.7% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $435,500 - $1,832,500
• Leadership: Paul Brown, Inspire Brands CEO & Co-Founder
• Parent company: Inspire Brands

With astir 14,000 locations worldwide, Dunkin' continues to predominate nan java space, offering franchisees a elastic business exemplary and a devoted customer base. Its community-driven onslaught and celebrated civilization relevance personification kept it successful nan spotlight, peculiarly pinch high-profile personage collaborations.

In 2024, Dunkin' made headlines erstwhile Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Tom Brady joined forces arsenic The DunKings successful a viral Super Bowl tally that drove grounds engagement. Limited-edition merch tied to nan tally sold retired quickly, proving Dunkin's expertise to blend nostalgia pinch modern marketing.

Related: Dunkin' Kicks Off 2025 With a Sabrina Carpenter Partnership and New Winter Menu

4. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

• Founded: 1972
• Franchising since: 1976
• Overall rank: 4
• Number of units: 4,796
• Change successful units: +34.2% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $471,000 - $3,875,700
• Leadership: Jeff Klein, President
• Parent company: Restaurant Brands Int'l.

Popeyes made awesome moves to turn its footprint successful 2024, entering high-traffic locations for illustration airports and assemblage campuses. This strategical push allows nan marque to pat into a captive assemblage craving worth comfortableness nutrient connected nan go. Beyond nan U.S., Popeyes is accelerating its world presence, expanding into caller countries pinch a attraction connected world maturation strategies that support its signature Southern charm.

With its expanding world appeal, beardown franchise support and a proven measurement grounds of profitability, Popeyes remains 1 of nan astir charismatic QSR investments successful 2025.

Related: Why Is Popeyes Taking Over Airports and College Campuses? The Chicken Chain's VP Explains Its Strategy.

5. Culver's

• Founded: 1984
• Franchising since: 1988
• Overall rank: 7
• Number of units: 978
• Change successful units: +21% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $2,811,500 - $6,867,000
• Leadership: Rick Silva, CEO
• Parent company: Culver Franchising System LLC

Culver's mightiness not personification nan sheer shop count of immoderate fast-food giants, but what it lacks successful numbers, it overmuch than makes up for successful loyalty and an ever-growing cult following. Known for its ButterBurgers, caller stiff custard and Midwestern hospitality, nan marque has built a estimation for delivering higher-quality accelerated nutrient that keeps customers coming back.

Despite its location roots, Culver's has been expanding astatine an awesome pace, pinch 2024 marking different twelvemonth of important growth. The marque has continued to punch supra its weight successful nan competitory fast-food industry, thriving successful a scenery wherever galore chains are cutting costs and streamlining menus.

Related: The Culver Family Opened Their First Restaurant successful 1984 — Now Culver's Has 1,000 Locations. What's Its Secret?

6. Wendy's

• Founded: 1969
• Franchising since: 1971
• Overall rank: 8
• Number of units: 7,282
• Change successful units: +5.8% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $310,095 - $2,828,707
• Leadership: Kirk Tanner, President & CEO
• Parent company: Wendy's Int'l. Inc.

Last twelvemonth marked awesome shifts for Wendy's, starting pinch nan duty of caller CEO Kirk Tanner, a longtime PepsiCo executive, who has group nan style for eager growth. Under his leadership, Wendy's has doubled down connected explanation , leveraging a cognition of accepted locations and its innovative Next Gen edifice designs. These new, tech-driven stores attraction connected streamlined operations, AI-enhanced drive-thrus, integer ordering and proscription efficiency, allowing franchisees to trim costs while maximizing revenue.

With beardown leadership, cutting-edge shop concepts and an fierce maturation strategy, Wendy's is positioning itself arsenic a top-tier franchise finance for 2025.

Related: Wendy's Has a New Restaurant Design That Lets Them Take 400 Times More Digital Orders

7. Wingstop

• Founded: 1994
• Franchising since: 1998
• Overall rank: 11
• Number of units: 2,352
• Change successful units: +44.8% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $259,400 - $912,100
• Leadership: Michael Skipworth, President & CEO
• Parent company: Wingstop Restaurants Inc.

Operationally, Wingstop's digital-first onslaught is simply a game-changer, allowing restaurants to grip a precocious measurement of orders without requiring a monolithic staff. This bladed exemplary intends little employees, small overhead and a overmuch businesslike wide operation. The marque too offers territory protections, helping franchisees build a beardown beingness without oversaturation.

For those looking to get successful connected nan action, Wingstop provides 2 franchising paths successful nan U.S. Entrepreneurs tin opt for a single-unit operation, which requires hands-on engagement and residency successful nan chosen market, aliases investigation multi-unit opportunities for broader explanation .

Related: ChatGPT Can Now Complete a Major Task That Would Take a Human Up to 30 Days. Here's How it Works.

8. Arby's

• Founded: 1964
• Franchising since: 1965
• Overall rank: 12
• Number of units: 3,613
• Change successful units: +2.1% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $644,950 - $2,451,000
• Leadership: David Graves, Brand President
• Parent company: Inspire Brands

Arby's isn't conscionable astir roast beef anymore — it's a fast-food powerhouse that's redefining what a sandwich concatenation tin be. Although nan marque built its bequest connected slow-roasted, freshly sliced meats, it has evolved into a apical contender successful nan accelerated nutrient manufacture acknowledgment to bold insubstantial innovations and a dedicated fanbase.

Beyond nan food, Arby's knows really to prosecute its assemblage successful nosy and unexpected ways. In 2024, nan marque made headlines by launching a giveaway of branded play clubs. And successful 2021, location were Arby's gallic fry-flavored vodkas, which came successful 2 varieties — curly fries aliases crinkle fries — and quickly sold retired astatine $60 per bottle.

With beardown patient backing, a divers insubstantial that keeps customers coming backmost and a estimation for quality, Arby's offers franchisees a compelling opportunity successful 2025. Arby's continues to beryllium that it has nan meats — and nan momentum — to predominate nan industry.

Related: From Roast Beef Titans to Innovative Trendsetters — 10 Surprising Facts About Arby's

9. Papa Johns

• Founded: 1985
• Franchising since: 1986
• Overall rank: 13
• Number of units: 6,071
• Change successful units: +12.4% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $272,915 - $989,415
• Leadership: Todd Penegor, CEO
• Parent company: Papa Johns Franchising LLC

One of Papa Johns' biggest strengths is leveraging personage and influencer partnerships to supercharge its marque — nan Shaquille O'Neal pizza helped Papa Johns raise overmuch than $3 cardinal for charity. By collaborating pinch high-profile figures, nan institution has been tin to pat into caller audiences, make buzz and reenforce its estimation arsenic a go-to pizza destination. This strategy has helped franchisees usage from built-in marque loyalty and wide punishment recognition, making customer acquisition easier than ever.

Related: How Shaq Is Bringing Fun Back to Papa Johns

10. Pizza Hut

• Founded: 1958
• Franchising since: 1959
• Overall rank: 14
• Number of units: 18,598
• Change successful units: +12.1% complete 3 years
• Initial investment: $412,000 - $2,053,500
• Leadership: Diane Simrall, Director of Franchise Finance
• Parent company: Yum! Brands Inc.

Few brands successful nan pizza manufacture bid nan aforesaid level of world nickname and customer loyalty arsenic Pizza Hut. With overmuch than 18,000 locations worldwide, Pizza Hut continues to evolve, blending time-tested recipes pinch modern convenience to enactment up successful a competitory market.

Pizza Hut made headlines successful 2024 pinch its bold trading initiatives and tech-driven innovations. The marque launched self-service Personal Pan Pizza Hut kiosks, offering customers a quick, on-the-go experience. It too grabbed attraction pinch its job-seeker campaign, delivering resumes connected free pizza boxes to thief crafty applicants onshore interviews.

Related: Tired of Your Resume Being Ignored? Pizza Hut Will Deliver it — With aPizza.