KFC No Longer in Top 3 US Chicken Chains
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), a long-established force in the American fast-food chicken market, has been surpassed in popularity by a rising competitor and no longer ranks among the top three chicken chains in the United States.
As reported by CNBC on Monday, Louisiana-based fast food chain Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers has overtaken KFC in annual U.S. sales, now trailing only Chick-fil-A and Popeyes.
Newsweek reached out to KFC and Raising Cane's via email for comment.
What To Know
According to CNBC, Raising Cane's saw sales of $5.1 billion last year across its more than 900 restaurants, more than doubling its result from 2021. Founded in 1996, the company has rapidly expanded and now operates locations in 42 states, as well as in several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Its menu primarily features hand-battered chicken fingers as well as crinkle-cut fries, buttery "Texas toast," and a signature Cane's Sauce.
Its recent success has propelled Raising Cane's to number 18 on Technomic's list of U.S. restaurant chains by annual system sales—the total sales generated by a brand, both company-owned and franchised—two spots ahead of KFC and up 10 places from the previous year. Technomic's list continues to be led by well-known fast-food giants, with McDonald's, Starbucks, and Chick-fil-A occupying the top three positions.
A KFC restaurant in Vallejo, California, as seen on July 10, 2024.
A KFC restaurant in Vallejo, California, as seen on July 10, 2024.Raising Cane's founder, Todd Graves, told Nation's Restaurant News in September 2024 that he hopes the company can crack the top 10, powered by significant store expansion and a goal of reaching $10 billion in annual sales.
A previous report from market research firm Circana found that consumer spending at Cane's, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and other major chains increased last year, while consumer spending at KFC restaurants in the U.S. fell by 4 percent.
However, KFC has seen greater success in 2025. In April, parent company Yum Brands, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, reported a 3.7 percent increase in first-quarter U.S. revenue. This was driven by higher worldwide system sales at Taco Bell and KFC, as well as an increase in same-store sales for both divisions.
What People Are Saying
Raising Cane's founder and co-CEO Todd Graves told NRN in September: "Our next aspiration is to be a top 10 restaurant brand in the U.S. Think of the big boys – McDonald's, Wendy's, Starbucks, Subway – companies that have been open a lot longer than we have."
"We are going to hit $10 billion in sales, average unit volumes of $8 million, and 1,600 restaurants in all major cities and new international locations around the world," he added. "We'll have 150,000 crew members including 16,000 internal promotes. And we'll give back $100 million to communities."
What Happens Next
According to CNBC, Raising Cane's plans to expand to 1,000 restaurants by the end of the year.
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