Chick-fil-A Makes More Per Restaurant Than McDonald’s, Starbucks and Subway Combined … and It’s Closed on Sundays

The top three fast food franchises for yearly U.S. sales, according to the 2018 QSR Magazine Report, which breaks down sales numbers from the previous year, were McDonald’s, Starbucks and Subway. Here’s how the numbers shook out:

McDonald’s — 14,036 units, $37,480,670,000 in sales, or $2,670,320 in sales per unit.
Starbucks — 13,930 units, $13,167,610,000 in sales, or $945,270 in sales per unit.
Subway — 25,908 units, $10,800,000,000 in sales, or $416,860 in sales per unit.

Now, if you were starting your own business, you’d be pretty happy with any of those numbers. The worst of them, Subway, is reeling in nearly $11 billion in sales each year.

Chick-fil-A was ranked a not-too-shabby eighth by QSR, after taking in $9 billion in sales. That number trailed Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Dunkin’ Donuts in addition to the top three.

But, the most amazing part of this is that Chick-fil-A only operates 2,225 restaurants. That’s less than one-sixth as many as the top-three earning restaurants — less than half as many as the rest of the franchises ahead of it. Of the top-50 earning restaurants, Chick-fil-A ranked 21st in the number of units.

So, how did Chick-fil-A rank so highly in total U.S. sales? By earning more per store than any other restaurant. A lot more. In fact, the average Chick-fil-A unit made around $4,090,900 in 2017. By contrast, the total sales for a McDonald’s ($2,670,320 per unit), Starbucks ($945,270) and Subway ($416,860) is $4,032,450.

‘Smart decision’: Swalwell’s resignation spurs praise from both parties after bombshell allegations emerge

US military kills 2 suspected cartel operatives in latest Eastern Pacific lethal strike, SOUTHCOM says

Swalwell’s ‘best friend’ in Congress turns on him after bombshell allegations torpedo his political career

Hegseth-affiliated pastor Doug Wilson says Trump ‘has to do better’ after AI Jesus debacle

Protests erupt in Ireland over high fuel costs caused by war in Iran

BREAKING: Second Member of Congress Announces He Will Resign, Papers to Be Filed Tuesday

DoorDash driver hails key Trump policy after delivering McDonald’s to White House: ‘I’m going to enjoy it’

Gabbard claims ‘coordinated effort’ by intelligence community to advance narrative to impeach Trump

Embattled Rep Tony Gonzales announces plans to resign amid sexual misconduct allegations

Tyler Robinson’s Legal Team Calls In Expert Witness Who Worked on Bryan Kohberger Case

Butler man’s online rants to kill Trump end in guilty plea after FBI probe

BREAKING: Eric Swalwell Has Announced His Resignation from the US House of Representative

Trump Uses DoorDash to Order McDonald’s Before WH News Conference, Tips Driver $100

WATCH: Laura Ingraham Beat Down GOP Rep. Mike Lawler on Air When She Appeared to Know the DIGNIDAD Act He’s Cosponsoring Better Than He Did

Tulsi Gabbard Releases New Documents Showing ‘Conspiracy Used by Congress to Impeach President Trump’

That’s crazy — especially since Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays.

Most people would assume that closing one day per week could hurt company profits. However, it’s clear by the per-unit sales numbers that something about Chick-fil-A makes it more attractive than its competitors. Could it be that closing its doors one day a week actually helps Chick-fil-A make more money, not less? Here are three reasons why that might be the case.

Closing creates a craving. It’s like the old saying: “You never know what you have until it’s gone,” and sometimes, when you want Chick-fil-A on a Sunday and can’t have it, it only makes you more likely to get it on Monday.
It helps attract better employees. When S. Truett Cathy founded Chick-fil-A, he wanted employees who would stick around for the long haul. According to a piece in The Washington Post, Cathy used to tell applicants, “If you don’t intend to be here for life, you needn’t apply.” By allowing employees to have a day off — to go to church or an NFL game or simply live their lives — Chick-fil-A can create a healthier environment and provide better service to its customers.
Its customers appreciate the mindfulness. While many customers find Chick-fil-A problematic due to Chairman Dan Cathy’s stance on same-sex marriage, many others also appreciate that the company gives its workers a break. As S. Truett Cathy once said, “We aren’t really in the chicken business, we are in the people’s business.”