Burger King overtakes Wendy’s in U.S. burger-chain sales ranking
Burger King has moved ahead of Wendy’s for second place by U.S. systemwide sales, as sales trends diverged at the two chains.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Burger King overtakes Wendy’s as the second-largest U.S. burger chain by systemwide sales, according to CNBC. The change restores a position Burger King lost six years ago and reflects stronger recent sales at the Restaurant Brands International chain while Wendy’s results have weakened.
McDonald’s remains the country’s largest burger chain by a wide margin, CNBC reported. The available reporting does not give current dollar totals for Burger King or Wendy’s systemwide sales, or state the size of the gap between them.
How did Burger King overtake Wendy’s?
The ranking is based on systemwide sales, which is distinct from restaurant count, a company’s reported revenue or market share. Same-store sales measure the change in sales at established restaurants, making them an indicator of recent momentum rather than the ranking itself.
Burger King reported U.S. same-store-sales growth of 8.5% in the second quarter, CNBC said. That was the chain’s fifth consecutive quarter of domestic same-store-sales growth.
Wendy’s, by contrast, reported a 7% decline in U.S. same-store sales in its latest quarter. CNBC said the company has posted domestic same-store-sales declines for six straight quarters.
Burger King’s recent gains followed a U.S. recovery plan announced by parent company Restaurant Brands in late 2022 after weak sales. CNBC reported that the effort has centered on improving food quality, spending more on marketing and remodeling restaurants.
What is Wendy’s doing after the sales decline?
Wendy’s named Bob Wright its permanent chief executive in May, after several changes at the top. Longtime CEO Todd Penegor retired in 2024; Kirk Tanner, his successor, later departed to run Hershey; and Chief Financial Officer Ken Cook served as interim CEO before Wright’s appointment, according to CNBC.
Wright said on the company’s latest earnings call that Wendy’s had lost ground on food quality, value and the customer experience. He said those problems had weighed on traffic and put pressure on restaurant economics, as the company prepares its own effort to improve sales.
The turnover does not change McDonald’s lead. Barclays estimated in 2024 that McDonald’s held about 48% of the U.S. burger market, compared with 11.4% for Wendy’s and 10% for Burger King, CNBC reported. Those are historical market-share estimates, however, and are not the same measure as the current systemwide-sales ranking.
- Burger King is now reported to be No. 2 by U.S. systemwide sales.
- Wendy’s recent same-store sales have declined while Burger King’s have grown.
- McDonald’s remains the market leader.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.