Michigan’s Appetite for Fast Food Puts it on the National Map

Photo by Phil Evenden

Article courtesy of Seating Masters.

• West Virginia is crowned the fast food capital of the US, with 49.04 fast food restaurants for every 100,000 residents
• Michigan ranks 32nd in the US for fast food restaurants per person
• Kentucky takes second place, while Kansas is in third
• Subway is the most dominant fast food franchise in the US, with over 50% more restaurants than McDonald’s

New data has revealed the fast food capitals of America, with West Virginia taking the top spot.

The team at Seating Masters, restaurant furniture experts, examined the number of popular fast food restaurants in each state and compared this against the state population to see which ones have the most per 100,000 residents. The research included 22 fast food franchises, such as McDonald’s, KFC, Taco Bell, and Chipotle.

Michigan,

ranks 32nd in the US for fast food restaurants per person, with 36.25 establishments for every 100,000 residents. While it sits in the middle of the national pack, popular chains like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Starbucks are widely accessible across the state, from Detroit’s urban streets to smaller towns in the mitten. Michigan’s fast food presence reflects a steady appetite for quick, convenient dining without reaching the extreme density seen in top-ranked states like West Virginia or Kentucky.

West Virginia is named the fast food capital of the US, with 49.04 fast food restaurants per 100,000 residents.

West Virginia is home to 868 fast food restaurants examined in the study. The Mountain States’ most common franchises are Subway, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s with 164, 104 and 72 restaurants, respectively.

Kentucky is second; for every 100,000 people, there are 47.21 fast food restaurants.

The most common chain in the state is Subway with 362 franchises,

which amounts to almost eight restaurants per 100,000 Kentuckians. 52 of those establishments are in Louisville, the highest in Kentucky.

In close third is Kansas, with 47.1 fast food restaurants for every 100,000 residents.

Pizza Hut is Kansas’s second most common chain, with 165 restaurants. The number of Pizza Huts is up by 120% compared to rivals Domino’s and Papa Johns, which have a combined total of just 75 locations in this state.

Mississippi is fourth, with 46.71 fast food franchises per 100,000 people.

Sonic Drive-In, Wendy’s, and Burger King are among the state’s most common fast food chains, with a combined total of 307 restaurants.

Ohio ranks fifth; for every 100,000 residents, there are 46.43 fast food establishments. Ohio has the ninth highest number of Starbucks in the US, with 519 franchises.

Sixth is Indiana, with 46.37 fast food restaurants for every 100,000 residents. The three most accessible places to get a burger in this state are McDonald’s, with 353 locations; Dairy Queen, with 198; and Burger King, with 190.

Arkansas is seventh, with 46.19 fast food chains per 100,000 people. Arkansas is one of just 12 states to have a Whataburger, with four restaurants in total.

Louisiana is eighth; for every 100,000 residents, there are 45.41 fast food restaurants. In addition to fast food giants Subway and McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Popeyes are among the most common chains in this state.

In ninth is Tennessee, with 44.72 fast food franchises per 100,000 people. The state has the third highest number of Sonic Drive-Ins in the US at 228.

Tenth is Wyoming, with 44.34 fast food restaurants for every 100,000 residents. The Equality State has 59 Subways, which is equal to just over 10 per 100,000 people.

Amy Hoffman from the Sales and Marketing team at Seating Masters commented on the findings:

“We all love fast-food, whether it’s after a long day at work or grabbing it with a friend, but this study shows which states love fast-food just that little bit more.

“These findings highlight where the demand is much higher and that fast-food chains are seeing the highest return on investment in their stores. What is interesting is the sheer difference between the top state of West Virginia where there are nearly double the number of fast-food stores per 100,000 people compared to Vermont, the lowest ranking state.”

Methodology

Data on fast food locations was obtained from individual restaurant websites and Restaurant Location Maps. Population data was obtained from the United States Census Bureau.

The following fast food chains were included in the study:

• Arby’s

• Chick-fil-A

• Chipotle

• Dairy Queen

• Domino’s

• In-n-out

• KFC

• Dunkin’

• Five Guys

• Wendy’s

• White Castle

• Whataburger

• Sonic Drive-In

• Subway

• Taco Bell

• McDonald’s

• Papa Johns

• Pizza Hut

• Starbucks

• Popeyes

• Burger King

• Raising Canes

Full Ranking