Chick-fil-A Beats Out Chipotle in Customer Satisfaction A new reports reveals that, as a whole, customers' appreciation for fast food is dwindling.

By Kate Taylor

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Chick-fil-A is on top of the fast-food world right now.

In a new report released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), the chicken chain is the No. 1 restaurant in the fast-food industry for customer satisfaction with a score of 86 out of 100. Fast-casual favorite Chipotle came in second place, with a score of 83.

ACSI's data is based on 5,023 surveys of fast-food customers, collected in the first quarter of 2015.

"The fast casual segment of quick service restaurants is nicely situated for the confluence of changing consumer tastes and a rebounding economy," ACSI director David VanAmburg said in a statement. "Consumers have a bit more money in their pockets, but are still pressed for time. Fast casual outlets offer higher-quality ingredients, freshness and fast service – all at a reasonable price."

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Chipotle is one of the most well-known names in fast casual, while Chick-fil-A has emphasized more fast-casual aspects of its brand while expanding in recent years. Panera Bread, another fast-casual brand, came in at No. 3 in ACSI's rankings.

Other brands that reportedly satisfied customers include Dunkin' Donuts (No. 4) and Pizza Hut (No. 5).

Meanwhile, customers had less love for established fast-food chains, reporting lower satisfaction levels than in years past. McDonald's came in last place of the brands examined by ACSI for customer satisfaction, falling 6 percentage points from the previous year. Burger King, KFC and Wendy's also dropped percentage points and ranked low in customer satisfaction.

Satisfaction with fast food as a whole is also dwindling. Customer satisfaction with the fast-food industry fell 3.8 percent from last year, the lowest score the ACSI has charted in the last five years.

Related: 10 Franchises Reveal What They Look for in a Franchisee

Here's the top ten from ACSI's report:

  1. Chick-fil-A

  2. Chipotle

  3. Panera

  4. Dunkin' Donuts

  5. Pizza Hut

  6. Papa John's

  7. Subway

  8. Domino's

  9. Little Caesar's

  10. Starbucks

Related: 7 Chain Restaurants Where You Can Find Fourth of July Deals

Kate Taylor

Reporter

Kate Taylor is a reporter at Business Insider. She was previously a reporter at BIZ Experiences. Get in touch with tips and feedback on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

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