The Future of Fast Food in the United States

Key Takeaways on Fast Food Statistics:

• The U.S. fast food market is expected to reach $330.56 billion by 2025 and $436.07 billion by 2029.
• There are around 213,155 fast food and quick-service restaurants across the U.S.
• Approximately 3,780,930 people work in the fast food industry.
• Employment in this industry is projected to increase by 5% over the next decade.
• The average American spends around $148 monthly on fast food.
• 65% of U.S. consumers eat fast food at least once a week.
• Men tend to consume fast food more regularly than women, with 38% of men and 35.4% of women eating fast food on any given day.
• Drive-thru orders account for approximately 43% of U.S. fast food sales, totaling close to $140 billion each year.
• Online ordering via website or app can increase check averages by 26%.
• Many U.S. fast food and QSR chains are cutting their menu selection by 20%–30% to speed up service and enhance food quality.
• About 68% of fast food chains are adopting labor-focused technologies such as AI and robotics, helping reduce costs by up to 50%. 

This article presents the latest statistics and trends shaping the fast food industry in the United States — from revenue forecasts and technology adoption to workforce shifts and customer preferences .

Whether you're a Restaurant Manager, owner or industry professional, these insights provide a clear view of where fast food is headed and how you can stay competitive in 2025 and beyond.

Industry Performance & Market Outlook

The U.S. fast food and quick-service restaurant (QSR)* market is projected to grow from $311.54 billion in 2024 to $330.56 billion in 2025, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1%. 

Looking ahead, the market could expand to $436.07 billion by 2029, accelerating to a 7.2% CAGR. 

This growth is fueled by changing consumer lifestyles, increasing demand for convenience and innovative menu offerings.

Recent data shows there are over 213,155 fast food restaurants operating across the U.S. This figure, which includes both company-owned and franchise locations, is expected to rise as major chains pursue aggressive expansion strategies.

McDonald's, for instance, plans to open 900 new locations across the U.S. by 2027, accompanied by a hiring initiative to onboard up to 375,000 restaurant workers during the summer of 2025. 

In addition, the number of franchised fast food restaurants is expected to grow by 2.2% in 2025 — reaching an estimated 204,366 locations. This shows that owning a fast food franchise remains a popular investment choice.

With steady market growth and continued consumer demand, the fast food industry remains a major part of the U.S. restaurant landscape.

* In this article, we use “fast food” and “QSR” interchangeably to refer to establishments that offer limited-service meals typically ordered at counters, kiosks or drive-thrus.

See also: 20+ Fastest-Growing Restaurant Chains in 2025

Fast Food Workforce Overview

Understanding employment patterns and labor issues is key to understanding this industry’s workforce.

• Total employment: The U.S. fast food industry currently has approximately 3,780,930 people employed. (Source)

• Job growth: Employment in this industry is forecasted to grow 5% over the next 10 years. This growth rate is slightly faster than the average 4% for all occupations in the U.S. (Source)

• Employment type: Around 67.1% of Fast Food Workers are employed part-time, while only 32.9% hold full-time positions.

• Employee gender demographics: Among those working in the fast food industry, 64.8% are women and 35.2% are men. (Source)
• Gender distribution by employment type: Around 53.3% of women in fast-food jobs work part-time and 20.3% full-time. As for men, 13.7% work part-time and 12.6% work full-time. 

• Age demographics: The majority of Fast-Food Workers (68.4%) are aged 16 to 24. The next-largest group is those aged 25 to 34, who make up 16.5% of the workforce.

• Educational attainment: Most employees in the fast food industry (29.54%) have a high school diploma or GED. Meanwhile, only 5.61% have an associate’s degree, and 7.21% hold a bachelor’s degree. An additional 29.47% have some college education but no degree. 

• Labor challenges: About 92% of QSR operators reported increased labor costs in the past year, with 89% expecting further increases in the next 12 months. (Source)

See also: Hospitality Job Interview Statistics and Trends in 2025

Fast Food Wage Data: Averages, Growth and Top-Paying States

This section outlines the current wage landscape in fast food — including national averages, regional highs and how much the top earners are bringing home.

• Average base pay: Fast-Food Workers in the U.S. typically earn $15.07 per hour (before tips) or $31,350 a year.
• Salary growth: The current pay for Fast-Food Workers is around 33.7% higher than what it was five years ago. The chart below shows how much wages have increased year by year.

• Top percentile: The top 10% (or 90th percentile) of Fast-Food Workers earn around $18.65 per hour (before tips) or $38,800 a year.

• Highest-paying regions: Those working in fast food places and QSRs in the District of Columbia ($19.65), California ($18.97) and Washington ($18.82) typically earn the highest base wages.

• Top-paying areas: Fast-Food Workers are likely to earn the highest salaries in metro areas in the Bay Area in California — specifically, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($20.83) and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont ($20.67). 

See also: Hospitality Wages & Salaries: 2025 Data and Trends

Consumer Demographics and Menu Trends

Fast food consumption patterns vary widely across age, gender and lifestyle, driven by evolving preferences and habits that influence how and when people choose to eat fast food. 

• Food-away-from-home (FAFH) spending: Fast food and QSRs accounted for 35.7% of consumers’ FAFH spending in 2024, followed closely by full-service restaurants at 35.5%. The remaining 28.8% went to other types of dining venues like bars and cafes. (Source)

• Fast food consumption frequency: Roughly 2 out of 3 people in the U.S. eat fast food at least once a week (65%).

• Seasonal sales patterns: Sales at limited-service restaurants in the U.S. often peak in the summer. In 2024, average daily sales peaked in June ($1.58 billion) and were lowest in January ($1.33 billion).

• Top age group: Adults aged 20 to 39 years old are the most frequent consumers of fast food in the U.S. About 44.9% of individuals in this age group consumed fast food on any given day in 2024. (Source)

• Gender trends: Men are more likely than women to consume fast food regularly. Approximately 38% of men and 35.4% of women ate fast food on a given day.

• Meal timing: Lunch is the most common time for fast food consumption, with 43.7% of adults saying they eat it then. Dinner follows at 42%, while breakfast and snacks account for 22.7% and 22.6%, respectively.

• Monthly spending: On average, Americans spend around $148 on fast food each month. (Source)

• Most expensive city for fast food: Among all major U.S. cities, San Francisco has the highest average cost for a fast food meal at $13.88. (Source)

• Consumption by income level: Fast food consumption rises with income, according to federal data. About 31.7% of lower-income adults eat fast food daily, compared to 36.4% of middle-income and 42% of higher-income adults. (Source)

• Off-premise dining dominance: Drive-thru, takeout and delivery now account for 83% of all orders at fast food places and other limited-service restaurants. (Source)

• Mobile ordering popularity: Around 65% of QSR visitors have used an order-ahead app, including nearly 90% of those aged 18 to 24. (Source)
• Drive-thru popularity: Approximately 43% of U.S. fast-food orders are placed at drive-thrus, totaling around $140 billion annually. (Source)

• Impact of online ordering on sales: Ordering via website or app increases check averages — the average amount of money a customer spends per transaction — at QSRs by 26%, as customers tend to spend more when ordering digitally. (Source)
• QSR delivery spending trends: Customers in the U.S. tend to spend around 20% more when ordering delivery than on takeout or pickup.

• Health-conscious choices: Consumers are increasingly seeking healthier fast food options. Chains are responding by offering lower-calorie menu alternatives, fresh, whole-food ingredients and plant-based options.
• Plant-based menu growth: The global vegan fast food market is projected to grow from $24.11 billion in 2023 to $70.42 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 11.31% during the projected period. (Source)

• Value and experience: Promotional deals and loyalty programs significantly influence dining decisions, with 80% of consumers utilizing offers like “Buy One, Get One Free.” (Source)

• Menu adjustments: Many U.S.-based QSR chains are reducing their menu items by 20%–30% to speed up service and improve quality. 

• Most popular menu category: Burgers made up 42% of all revenue in the U.S. fast food industry in 2024 — making these the top-selling food item. (Source)
• Burger consumption stats: Each year, U.S. consumers eat around 20 billion burgers, which breaks down to about 60 burgers per person.

• Demand for greener packaging: Nearly 40% of people say they’d visit fast food and QSRs more often if those places used more sustainable packaging. (Source)
• Industry response to eco demand: About 65% of fast food and QSRs have already started using some form of eco-friendly packaging.

Innovation & Technology Integration

Technology is constantly reshaping fast food by solving operational challenges and enhancing customer experience with automation and digital innovations.

• Technology and staffing: About 68% of QSR operators are adopting labor-focused technologies. AI and robotics are helping reduce costs by as much as 50% by boosting efficiency, improving order accuracy and easing the impact of labor shortages. (Source)

• AI impact on order times: Using AI tools in QSRs can make the ordering process up to 35% faster, helping customers get their food more quickly.

• Self-order kiosks: These have been adopted in over 30% of U.S. fast food locations and are expected to increase to 50% by 2026.
• Impact of AI in drive-thrus: AI voice ordering systems — which use automated voice assistants instead of human employees to take drive-thru orders — are cutting service times by 11.5 seconds on average, thanks to clearer communication and fewer order errors. (Source)
• Drive-thru speed rankings: A recent survey shows Taco Bell had the fastest drive-thru service in the U.S., with an average wait time of 194.16 seconds (or 3 minutes and 14 seconds) — nearly 51 seconds quicker than the industry average of 244.86 seconds (or 7 minutes and 59 seconds). (Source)

• Digital loyalty programs: Over 70% of QSR customers participate in digital loyalty programs of some of the restaurants they frequent. (Source)
• Mobile engagement: Around 60% of these customers engage with loyalty programs through mobile apps. (Source)

• Early mobile app milestone: Chipotle launched the first known mobile-ordering app from a U.S. restaurant chain. However, the app had to be taken down on the same day it launched due to overwhelming traffic. (Source)
• First successful national rollout: Pizza Hut became the first U.S. restaurant brand to successfully launch and maintain a mobile app, which hit 100,000 downloads in two weeks and brought in $1 million in sales in just three months. (Source)

• Advanced AI and automation: Beyond order taking, AI is being used to predict customer traffic and manage inventory more efficiently. In the kitchen, automation helps speed up operations. (Source)
• Adoption of kitchen robotics: Automation in QSR kitchens — including cooking and prep robots — is growing fast, with a 23% increase projected through 2025.

• Robotic workforce: More brands have been testing robotic employees, which could cut costs and save time in the future. Chains like CaliBurger and White Castle deploy robotic fryers and burger-flipping machines, with plans for wider rollout in the next three to five years. 

See also: 75+ Restaurant Industry Statistics for 2025

Conclusion

The future of fast food in the U.S. is (and will be) shaped by technological advances, demographic changes and evolving consumer expectations. 

While challenges like labor shortages and rising costs remain, the industry is responding with automation, digital tools and a stronger focus on convenience. Quick-service restaurants that adapt to these changes will be best positioned to grow in the years ahead.

At OysterLink, we help hospitality employers find and connect with the talent they need to stay competitive and succeed in tomorrow’s fast-paced market.