You probably walked past three or four of these companies this week without thinking about it. A drive-thru on the way to work, a coffee before a meeting, a pizza on Friday night. That’s the whole pitch for fast food stocks. People keep eating, so these companies keep selling.
But 2026 has not been an easy year for them. Beef got expensive. Lower-income customers started skipping meals out. Wendy’s cut its dividend in half, Papa John’s stopped paying one completely, and Wingstop lost more than half of its share price from its 52-week high. On the other side, Burger King had its best run in years, Starbucks came back strong, and Jersey Mike’s raised $1 billion in its stock market debut.
Most “best fast food stocks” lists you’ll find still use old numbers. Some still list Sonic and Dunkin’, which are not even public anymore. This list uses the latest quarterly results, which most of these companies released between October 13 and November 5, 2026.
Quick Comparison of the Top 15 Fast Food Stocks
| # | Company | Ticker | Main brands | Market cap | Dividend yield | Forward P/E | Latest US same-store sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McDonald’s | MCD | McDonald’s | $195.2B | 2.79% | 20.8 | -0.2% (Q3) |
| 2 | Starbucks | SBUX | Starbucks | $120.2B | 2.39% | 32.8 | +7.7% (FQ4) |
| 3 | Chipotle | CMG | Chipotle | $45.4B | None | 28.3 | +2.1% (Q3) |
| 4 | Yum! Brands | YUM | Taco Bell, KFC, Habit Burger | $40.9B | 2.00% | 23.9 | Taco Bell -4% (Q3) |
| 5 | Restaurant Brands International | QSR | Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, Firehouse Subs | $33.9B | 3.49% | 17.6 | Burger King +8.4% (Q3) |
| 6 | Yum China | YUMC | KFC and Pizza Hut in China | $15.4B | 2.57% | 14.2 | -3% in China (Q3) |
| 7 | Domino’s | DPZ | Domino’s | $10.3B | 2.54% | 15.3 | +0.3% (Q3) |
| 8 | Dutch Bros | BROS | Dutch Bros | $7.9B | None | 36.8 | +4.4% systemwide (Q3) |
| 9 | CAVA | CAVA | CAVA | $6.9B | None | 88.7 | +3.1% (Q3) |
| 10 | Jersey Mike’s | JMKE | Jersey Mike’s Subs | $5.4B | Special only | 24.0 | +3.0% (Q3) |
| 11 | Wingstop | WING | Wingstop | $3.2B | 1.13% | 25.0 | -5.4% (Q3) |
| 12 | Shake Shack | SHAK | Shake Shack | $2.8B | None | 51.0 | +2.5% (Q3) |
| 13 | Wendy’s | WEN | Wendy’s | $1.2B | 4.52% | 13.5 | -5.7% (Q3) |
| 14 | Papa John’s | PZZA | Papa John’s | $0.6B | Suspended | 16.6 | -8.3% North America (Q3) |
| 15 | Jack in the Box | JACK | Jack in the Box, Del Taco | $0.2B | None | 3.8 | -1.1% (fiscal Q3) |
Market caps, yields and P/E ratios come from StockAnalysis between October 23 and November 6, 2026. Same-store sales come from each company’s latest quarterly release.
1. McDonald’s (MCD)
McDonald’s is the biggest fast food stock in the world, at about $195 billion. It runs more than 45,000 restaurants in over 100 countries, and franchisees own most of them, so McDonald’s collects rent and royalties whatever the burger costs.
The US business had a weak third quarter. US same-store sales slipped 0.2%, and the company said fewer guests came in, with bigger checks covering most of the drop. Globally, same-store sales rose 1.5% and revenue grew 1% to $7.16 billion. Adjusted earnings per share still rose 11% to $3.57.
McDonald’s admits its “Under $3” menu didn’t work with customers. It now runs an $8 Quarter Pounder Extra Value Meal and is testing cheaper bundled deals in about 40% of US restaurants, with a national launch planned for early 2027.
The board raised the quarterly dividend 4% to $1.93 a share. At $276.52 (November 6 close), that’s a 2.79% yield. If you want one fast food stock that pays you while you wait, this is the one most people start with. Just know that the US customer is the problem right now, not the company’s balance sheet.
2. Starbucks (SBUX)
Starbucks had the strongest comeback on this list. In its fiscal fourth quarter (ended September 27), US same-store sales rose 7.7%, with transactions up 2.4%. For the full year, US comps grew 6.5%.
Total revenue fell 4.5% to $9.14 billion, but that’s mostly because Starbucks turned its China stores into a licensed joint venture earlier in the year. Adjusted EPS jumped 54% to $0.80. The company also closed 250 North American stores in the quarter under its “Back to Starbucks” plan.
For fiscal 2027, Starbucks expects adjusted EPS of $3.15 to $3.25 and North America comps of about 4%. It plans to restart buybacks next year. The quarterly dividend went up to $0.63 a share, a 2.39% yield.
The catch is price. At a forward P/E of almost 33, you pay a lot for the recovery already. Coffee costs could help, though. The US removed tariffs on Brazilian coffee this year, and that lowers what Starbucks and Dutch Bros pay for beans.
3. Chipotle (CMG)
Chipotle got its customers back in 2026. Q3 same-store sales rose 2.1%, with transactions up 0.8%, its third quarter in a row of more visits. Revenue grew 9.6% to $3.29 billion.
Profit went the other way. Operating margin fell to 13.7% from 15.9%, and EPS dropped to $0.27 from $0.29 (the stock split 50-for-1 in 2024, so the per-share numbers look small). Food costs took 29.5% of revenue.
Chipotle keeps opening restaurants fast. It added 84 in the quarter, mostly with a Chipotlane drive-thru, and plans 350 to 370 for 2026. It doesn’t pay a dividend. Instead it bought back $110 million of stock in Q3 and has $1.6 billion left to spend on buybacks.
Pick Chipotle if you want growth and don’t need income. The forward P/E sits near 28.
4. Yum! Brands (YUM)
Yum! looks very different from a year ago. It sold Pizza Hut in two deals: the China business to Yum China on August 7, and the rest to LongRange Capital in early September. What’s left is Taco Bell, KFC and Habit Burger.
Taco Bell had a bad quarter. A July cyclospora outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce pushed its same-store sales down 4%, the first drop since the pandemic quarter of 2020. That hurts, because Taco Bell earns 38% of Yum’s division profit. KFC did better, with global same-store sales up 1%, system sales up 6% and 878 new restaurants in 66 countries. KFC’s US system sales fell 6%, though, and it no longer reports US same-store sales.
The yield is 2.00%. If you think the Taco Bell problem was a one-time event, this is a cheaper way in than McDonald’s. Watch the next quarter to see if Taco Bell customers come back.
5. Restaurant Brands International (QSR)
This is the Burger King company, and Burger King is finally winning. US same-store sales jumped 8.4% in Q3, bringing growth for the first nine months to 7.6%. Remodels under the “Reclaim the Flame” plan and $5 and $7 value bundles brought people back. Burger King also passed Wendy’s as the number two US burger chain by system sales.
The other brands are mixed. Tim Hortons Canada grew 1.8%, Firehouse Subs US grew 2.0%, and Popeyes US fell 2.2%. Adjusted EPS rose 6.9% to $1.10.
RBI pays $0.65 a share every quarter, about a 3.49% yield, which is the highest among the big names here. It also bought back about $275 million of stock and units in Q3. Debt is the thing to watch. RBI’s net debt equals 4.0 times its yearly adjusted EBITDA, down from 4.4 a year ago.
If you want income and a turnaround that is already showing up in the numbers, QSR fits.
6. Yum China (YUMC)
Yum China runs KFC and Pizza Hut in mainland China, and since August it owns the Pizza Hut brand there outright. It’s a separate company from Yum! Brands, and it trades in New York.
Same-store sales fell 3% in Q3 even though transactions rose 3%. People are coming in more often but spending less each time. The company opened a record 692 net new stores in the quarter and now runs 19,989. EPS rose 20% to $0.91, helped by better margins.
Yum China plans to return $1.5 billion to shareholders in 2026 and just added $1 billion to its buyback plan. It pays $0.29 a quarter, about a 2.57% yield. At a forward P/E of 14.2, it’s the cheapest of the top seven on this list.
The risk is China itself. You take on the Chinese consumer and the US-China relationship with this one.
7. Domino’s (DPZ)
Domino’s is the steady one. US same-store sales rose 0.3% in Q3, international rose 0.2%, and revenue grew 3.4% to $1.19 billion. EPS rose 12.7% to $4.60, because the supply chain business keeps making money even when pizza sales are flat.
It now has 22,706 stores, with 175 net new in the quarter. Joe Jordan took over as CEO this year. The dividend is $1.99 a quarter (2.54%), and the company bought back $305 million of stock in the first three quarters.
The forward P/E is around 15. The stock traded near $313 in late October, against a 52-week high of $442. Domino’s is a good pick if you believe pizza beats burgers while beef stays expensive, but don’t expect fast growth.
8. Dutch Bros (BROS)
Dutch Bros is the fastest-growing company here. Q3 revenue jumped 29.8% to $549.8 million, systemwide same-shop sales rose 4.4%, and the company now has 1,273 drive-thru coffee shops. It plans to open at least 185 in 2026 and about 250 in 2027.
Growth is slowing, though. Customer visits rose just 0.4% systemwide in Q3, so most of the sales gain came from higher prices. The stock sat at $42 in late October, down from a 52-week high of $74. It doesn’t pay a dividend.
Dutch Bros raised its 2026 revenue forecast to at least $2.1 billion. If you want a long runway and can handle big price swings, this one works. At a forward P/E near 37, any miss hurts.
9. CAVA (CAVA)
CAVA sells Mediterranean bowls and pitas on a Chipotle-style assembly line. It just hit 500 restaurants, and its average restaurant makes $3.1 million a year.
Q3 revenue rose 22.1% to $353.7 million, but same-store sales slowed to 3.1% from 9% in Q2. CAVA said customers got nervous about fresh produce after the cyclospora outbreak, even though CAVA wasn’t involved, and that cost it about 1.5 points of growth. It still raised its full-year same-store sales forecast to 6% to 7%.
There’s no dividend, and the forward P/E near 89 is the highest here. You pay for growth with this one. If the slowdown in Q3 turns into a pattern, the stock has a long way to fall.
10. Jersey Mike’s (JMKE)
Jersey Mike’s went public on the NYSE on July 30, 2026, at $23 a share. It raised about $1 billion at a $7.3 billion valuation. Blackstone, which bought the chain in 2025, still controls 68% of the votes.
The first day didn’t go well. Shares closed at $21.63, down nearly 6%, and traded around $16.91 by late October. Business looks fine, though. Q3 revenue rose 10% to $209 million, same-store sales grew 3.0%, and the chain opened 80 shops to reach 3,456. Almost every shop is franchised.
Management wants each shop to average $2 million a year, up from about $1.39 million now. The company also announced a $100 million buyback and a $0.35 special dividend with Q3 results. CEO Charlie Morrison took Wingstop public in 2015, so he has done this before.
No other “best fast food stocks” list covers Jersey Mike’s yet. If you like buying newer companies after the IPO hype fades, put this one on your watchlist.
11. Wingstop (WING)
Wingstop fell hard in 2026. Domestic same-store sales dropped 5.4% in Q3, and the company now expects a 6.5% to 7% decline for the full year. The CEO said plainly that the team is “not satisfied” with the results.
The stock traded around $117 in late October against a 52-week high of $303. More than half of Wingstop’s US restaurants sit in city areas, where fewer people ordered digitally this year.
Some numbers still look good. Wingstop opened 76 net new restaurants in Q3 and expects 440 to 450 for the year. Revenue rose 5.3%, and cheaper chicken wings helped margins (wing prices fell more than 10% in the first half of 2026, per FranchiseInvestorData). It raised its dividend to $0.33 a quarter and bought back $25 million of stock at an average $131.12.
This is a turnaround bet. If US sales stabilize, the stock looks cheap against where it was. If they don’t, it can keep sliding.
12. Shake Shack (SHAK)
Shake Shack had a solid quarter. Revenue grew 15.2% to $423.3 million, same-Shack sales rose 2.5%, and adjusted EBITDA rose 16% to $62.8 million. It opened 21 company Shacks and 16 licensed ones in Q3 and now has over 750 locations.
Shake Shack sells burgers, so beef prices hit it directly. It pays no dividend, and the forward P/E sits near 51. The stock was around $65 in late October, well below its 52-week high of $107.
If you want a smaller burger chain that’s still growing, Shake Shack is the healthier pick than Wendy’s or Jack in the Box. You pay more for it.
13. Wendy’s (WEN)
Wendy’s is having the worst year of the big burger chains. US same-restaurant sales fell 5.7% in Q3, US system sales dropped 7.6%, and adjusted EPS fell 45.8% to $0.13.
The dividend tells the story. Wendy’s now pays $0.07 a share each quarter, half of the $0.14 it paid in 2025. Old articles still show Wendy’s with an 8% yield. That number is gone. The current yield is about 4.5%.
There’s more. The company has a new CEO, Bob Wright. Meritage Hospitality, a franchisee that runs over 300 Wendy’s restaurants, went through Chapter 11, and Wendy’s signed a letter of intent to buy up to 163 of its restaurants. Trian, the investment firm run by Nelson Peltz, filed in February 2026 that it might take part in a deal for the company.
At $6.19 a share and a forward P/E of 13.5, Wendy’s is cheap. It might be a takeover target. It might also keep falling. Buy it only if you’re comfortable with that.
14. Papa John’s (PZZA)
Papa John’s suspended its dividend in 2026. Its last ex-dividend date was May 18, and the Q3 release shows no new payment. If you saw a 7% yield on another list, ignore it.
North America same-store sales fell 8.3% in Q3 and revenue fell 10.5%. The company cut its full-year forecast again, now expecting North America sales down about 8% and adjusted EBITDA of about $175 million. It closed 56 restaurants in the quarter and opened 47.
CEO Todd Penegor is running a turnaround plan called “Unbox Better,” and the company is selling more company-owned restaurants to franchisees. The stock was around $18 in late October, close to its 52-week low and far below its high of $55.
Papa John’s is the riskiest pick on this list after Jack in the Box. Only buy it if you’re betting on the turnaround and don’t need the income.
15. Jack in the Box (JACK)
Jack in the Box is the smallest stock here, worth about $215 million in late October. Same-store sales fell 1.1% in its fiscal third quarter, and the company expects a low single-digit decline for the year. It reports fiscal Q4 results on December 9, 2026.
Beef costs hurt it more than most. Food and packaging costs rose from 25.9% to 29.7% of sales, per FranchiseInvestorData. The company stopped paying a dividend in 2025 and has been trying to sell Del Taco.
The forward P/E is under 4, which tells you how little the market expects. The stock traded at $11.23 in late October, against a 52-week high of $23.86. This is the most speculative name on the list.
2026 Winners and Losers by Same-Store Sales
| Doing better | Latest US same-store sales | Doing worse | Latest US same-store sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burger King (QSR) | +8.4% | Papa John’s | -8.3% |
| Starbucks | +7.7% | Wendy’s | -5.7% |
| Dutch Bros | +5.4% company shops | Wingstop | -5.4% |
| CAVA | +3.1% | Taco Bell (YUM) | -4% |
| Jersey Mike’s | +3.0% | Yum China | -3% |
| Shake Shack | +2.5% | Popeyes (QSR) | -2.2% |
| Chipotle | +2.1% | Jack in the Box | -1.1% |
McDonald’s (-0.2%) and Domino’s (+0.3%) sit in the middle.
Why Beef Prices Split This List
Beef hit a record $6.90 a pound in May 2026, up 11.8% from a year earlier, according to FranchiseInvestorData. The US cattle herd is at its smallest since 1951. Chicken rose only 3.3%, and chicken wings got cheaper.
That matters for which stock you pick. Burger chains like Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, Shake Shack and McDonald’s pay more for every patty. Chicken and pizza chains like Wingstop, KFC and Domino’s don’t feel it as much. Coffee chains like Starbucks and Dutch Bros barely touch beef at all.
The Value Menu Fight
Every burger chain spent 2026 trying to win back customers who skip meals out. Burger King’s $5 and $7 bundles worked. McDonald’s “Under $3” menu didn’t, and it’s now testing new bundles. Wendy’s sales kept falling.
Cheap meals bring people in, but they shrink profit per order. When you look at a fast food stock, check if traffic is going up. Chipotle and Starbucks both grew transactions in their latest quarter. Most of the others grew sales only by charging more.
Fast Food Stocks That Cut or Stopped Their Dividend
- Wendy’s: cut to $0.07 a quarter, half the 2025 rate.
- Papa John’s: suspended from the third quarter of 2026.
- Jack in the Box: no dividend since 2025.
The ones that raised it: McDonald’s (up 4% to $1.93), Starbucks (to $0.63) and Wingstop (to $0.33). Restaurant Brands has the highest yield among the large companies, at about 3.5%.
Can You Buy Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out or Subway Stock?
No. Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out and Subway are all private companies, so you can’t buy their shares on a stock exchange. Chick-fil-A is still owned by the Cathy family. In-N-Out is owned by the Snyder family. Subway was sold to private equity firm Roark Capital in 2024.
If you want a sandwich chain you can buy, Jersey Mike’s (JMKE) is now public. For chicken, look at Wingstop or Restaurant Brands (Popeyes).
Is There a Fast Food ETF?
Not really, and that’s a gap most articles skip. Some lists recommend the AdvisorShares Restaurant ETF (EATZ), but StockAnalysis now lists EATZ as inactive, with its last trade on April 30, 2026. Its holdings also leaned toward sit-down chains like Brinker and Texas Roadhouse, plus a large cash fund. Check its status before you try to buy it.
If you’d rather not pick single stocks, a broad index fund like an S&P 500 fund already holds McDonald’s, Starbucks, Chipotle, Yum!, Domino’s and others. Our top 10 mutual funds comparison lists low-cost options.
How to Buy Fast Food Stocks
- Open a brokerage account if you don’t have one. Most US brokers charge $0 to trade US stocks.
- Pick the stock and look up its ticker (for example, MCD for McDonald’s).
- Read the latest quarterly release on the company’s investor relations page. Look at same-store sales, traffic and the dividend.
- Check the current price and P/E, because the numbers in this article will move.
- Decide how much to invest. Buying a few different chains spreads out the risk from one bad quarter like Taco Bell’s.
- Place a limit order so you don’t overpay if the price jumps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest fast food stock in the USA?
McDonald’s, with a market cap of about $195 billion on November 6, 2026, per StockAnalysis. Starbucks comes second at about $120 billion.
Which fast food stock pays the highest dividend?
Among large companies, Restaurant Brands International, at about 3.5%. Wendy’s shows about 4.5%, but that’s after a 50% cut. Papa John’s no longer pays one.
Which fast food stock did best in 2026?
By sales growth, Burger King (inside Restaurant Brands) and Starbucks, with US same-store sales up 8.4% and 7.7% in their latest quarters. Dutch Bros had the fastest revenue growth at 29.8%.
Why is Wingstop stock down?
US same-store sales fell 5.4% in Q3 2026, and the company expects a 6.5% to 7% decline for the year. Fewer city customers ordered online. The stock fell from a 52-week high of about $303 to around $117 in late October.
What is Jersey Mike’s stock ticker?
JMKE, on the New York Stock Exchange. It listed on July 30, 2026, at $23 a share.
Are fast food stocks a good investment in 2026?
Some are doing well and some are struggling, so it depends on the stock. Burger King, Starbucks and Chipotle are growing traffic. Wendy’s, Papa John’s and Wingstop are losing it. Nobody can tell you the right time to buy, so check the latest quarter before you do.
Pick the Chain You Know Best
You already have an opinion on most of these places. You know if the line at your local Chipotle got longer this year, or if the Wendy’s near you closed. Start with that, then read the company’s latest quarterly release and see if the numbers agree with what you see.
