2023 U.S. Hamburger Brand Ranking by Revenue: Top 10
2023 U.S. Hamburger Brand Ranking, Top 10
It’s no exaggeration to say America’s fast-food industry is the best in the world, with tremendous market power. From the McDonald’s and Burger King we all know, to Starbucks, Smoothie King, Domino’s Pizza, and Subway — they’re all classified as fast food. Because this kind of fast food can be enjoyed quickly, easily, and casually, it enjoys steady popularity with everyone, regardless of gender or age.
What’s more, in 2022 the fast-food industry’s revenue was projected at $331 billion, and of that, McDonald’s reportedly logged a whopping $46 billion. There’s no stopping Americans’ love of hamburgers! Today, join me in exploring the 2023 U.S. hamburger brand ranking by revenue.
※ The data below is based on Visual Capitalist’s 2021 fast-food revenue ranking and QSR50’s 2022 annual ranking of U.S. restaurants.
Table of Contents
2023 U.S. Hamburger Brand Ranking
No. 10 Carl’s Jr.
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 10. Carl’s Jr
No. 10 in the U.S. hamburger brand ranking is Carl’s Jr. Steadily holding a spot in the rankings for the past several years, Carl’s Jr. is known as a subsidiary of No. 9, Hardee’s. It’s mainly found in the western and southwestern U.S., and its most popular menu items include the Super Star, the Frisco, and the Monster Truck Burger. It logged $1.6 billion in revenue in 2021 and $1.5 billion in 2022, making it the 31st-highest-grossing fast-food restaurant in the entire U.S.
No. 9 Hardee’s
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 9. Hardee’s
Founded in 1960 by Wilber Hardee and acquired by Carl’s Jr. in 1997, Hardee’s took No. 9 in the U.S. hamburger brand ranking. Hardee’s revenue totaled $2.1 billion in 2021 and $2.0 billion in 2022. Since its parent company is Carl’s Jr., its menu, taste, and prices are said to be very similar.
No. 8 Five Guys
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 8. Five Guys
Five Guys, which took No. 8 in the U.S. hamburger brand ranking, has the full name “Five Guys Burgers and Fries.” It opened in 1986 because the Murrell couple’s son wanted to start a business instead of going to college. By 2012 it had surpassed roughly 1,000 stores, and it operates franchises in Canada, the U.K., Ireland, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea, among others. Five Guys’ signature menu items include burgers with two patties, cheeseburgers, and bacon burgers, and it has the distinctive trait of frying everything in peanut oil. For that reason, people with peanut allergies reportedly can’t eat Five Guys’ menu.
Five Guys’ revenue was $2.1 billion in 2021 and $2.2 billion in 2022.
No. 7 Culver’s
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 7. Culver’s
Culver’s, founded in 1984 by the Culver family, took No. 7 in the U.S. hamburger brand ranking. This fast-food chain has locations in all 50 U.S. states, and in 2017 it was reportedly hailed as one of the best hamburger brands in America. The reason Culver’s is so especially popular is said to be the staff who welcome you when you visit. Most guests can feel a relaxed atmosphere inside the restaurant. Culver’s revenue was $2.5 billion in 2021 and $2.8 billion in 2022. Its most popular menu items include the ButterBurger, cheese curds, and caramel ice cream.
No. 6 Whataburger
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 6. Whataburger
No. 6 in the U.S. hamburger brand ranking is Whataburger, founded in 1950 by Harmon Dobson. It has roughly 800 locations across the U.S., and a distinctive feature is that every location operates 24 hours a day, so there’s no restriction on when you can visit. Whataburger’s signature item is the “Whataburger” — two beef patties, two slices of cheese, mustard, lettuce, and tomato — and it’s said to be so big you have to hold it with both hands. It’s especially popular in Texas, and… wait, Texas is Patrick Mahomes’ hometown! (I’ve been obsessed with football lately.) Anyway, Whataburger’s revenue was $2.7 billion in 2021 and $3.3 billion in 2022.
No. 5 Jack in the Box
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 5. Jack in the Box
You may or may not know this, but “jack-in-the-box” originally refers to a toy where a clown figure pops out of a box with a lever. This fast-food chain — apparently built on that toy as its motif — enjoys such enormous popularity that it ranks No. 5 among U.S. hamburger brands. Founded in 1951 by Robert O. Peterson, it operates around 2,200 locations. Since they’re mainly in the Southwest and on the West Coast, people in the East or North often don’t know about it.
Another unique thing: the burgers are popular, but an even more popular item is its taco, which resembles a tortilla. It’s said to contain seasoned ground beef, spicy sauce, lettuce, and American cheese. Jack in the Box’s revenue was logged at $4.1 billion in both 2021 and 2022.
No. 4 Sonic Drive-In
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 4. Sonic Drive-In
No. 4 in the U.S. hamburger brand ranking went to Sonic Drive-In. I’d wondered why the brand name has the word “Drive” in it, and it turns out this fast-food chain uniquely has no indoor dining area. The whole process, from ordering to eating, is handled inside your car. It’s said to be for serving food quickly and still hot, with comfort — though I do wonder whether someone like me, who doesn’t own a car, simply can’t order. Sonic’s staff are also said to wear roller skates or rollerblades to move quickly from the kitchen to the parking lot. Somehow, just watching it seems like it would give you a jolt of energy, haha. Sonic Drive-In’s revenue was $5.8 billion in 2021 and $5.4 billion in 2022.
No. 3 Burger King
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 3. Burger King
From No. 3 in the U.S. hamburger brand ranking, revenue jumps exponentially. Burger King, which is also commonly found in Korea, logged $10 billion in revenue in 2021 and $10.2 billion in 2022. Founded in 1954 by David Edgerton and James McLamore, it flame-grills its patties, so you can taste a deep char and rich beef flavor.
That said, Burger King’s patties have a higher trans-fat content than other fast-food chains, so they’re said not to be safe when it comes to obesity, blood sugar, and high blood pressure. It has been counted as McDonald’s strong rival for years, but some people cite that trans-fat content as the reason it can’t catch up in revenue.
No. 2 Wendy’s
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 2. Wendy’s
Wendy’s, which until just a few years ago ranked No. 3 among U.S. hamburger brands, took No. 2 based on 2022 revenue. (Burger King did have a lot of controversies in the meantime.) Wendy’s has the distinctive trait of treating its hamburgers as “cooking” and serving them that way — to the point that it feels more like a restaurant than a fast-food joint. As if to prove it, Wendy’s makes all its burger patties only from refrigerated (never frozen) beef and flame-grills them to order. Wendy’s burger patties are also made square rather than round, because a square shape looks like more than a round one — and in fact is more. Back then they ran an ad taking a jab at this, and it reportedly drew lots of cheers.
Wendy’s most popular menu items include “Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy,” the “Baconator,” and the “Son of a Baconator.” Of these, Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy boasts popularity rivaling McDonald’s Big Mac and Burger King’s Whopper. Wendy’s revenue was $11.1 billion in 2021 and $11.6 billion in 2022.
No. 1 McDonald’s
USA Hamburger Brand Ranking 1. McDonald’s
No. 1 in the U.S. hamburger brand ranking is, as you all probably guessed, McDonald’s. Even without limiting it to hamburgers, it holds an overwhelming first place across all fast-food chains. McDonald’s revenue was $46 billion in 2021 and $48.7 billion in 2022 — about double that of the famous coffee franchise Starbucks.
Founded in 1940 by Richard James McDonald and Maurice James McDonald, this brand actually focuses less on serving a uniquely flavorful hamburger and more on making sure you can taste the same hamburger anywhere in the world. Because of this, people even say that as long as there’s a McDonald’s, you’ll never have to worry about a meal wherever you go. Of course, country-specific signature menu items exist too.
McDonald’s also takes the lead in using eco-friendly ingredients — using eggs only from cage-free chickens and 100% beef — and transparently discloses this track record. They say it’s impossible not to love that kind of transparency. Honestly, I hadn’t realized they were making this much effort, and now that I know, I feel like I can eat there with more peace of mind! Surprisingly, McDonald’s most popular menu item is just the plain “hamburger,” and the second most popular is the “Big Mac.”
I used to be someone who wouldn’t touch hamburgers at all. Not for health reasons — I just genuinely couldn’t find the appeal in the taste. But once I got pregnant, I craved hamburgers like crazy. My palate completely changed from then on, and now I’m wild about McDonald’s. I like most of the menu, but if I had to pick my favorites, there’s the 1955 Burger and the Bacon Tomato Deluxe.
I’ve come to love hamburgers enough to visit at least once a month, but the fact that I still don’t reach for other brands like Burger King or Lotteria makes me realize all over again just how mighty McDonald’s really is. Korea has all kinds of hamburger brands too, but if I ever get the chance, I’d love to visit the U.S. mainland and enjoy a “real” hamburger. I hope I’d get to catch a Kansas City Chiefs game then, too. Ah, I want to live in America! lol