Fast food is big, big business. Americans spent $320 BILLION in 2022. That’s sooooo many french fries to get lost between your driver seat and center console! (A treat for later?) I started thinking about the country’s obsession with fast food and wondering if Massachusetts lines up with the country as a whole when it comes to the abundance of certain fast food restaurants.

Stacker did the counting and provided the national data (updated in 2022). So what’s your guess nationally? Does McDonalds hold the key to the fast food kingdom with the most national locations? How about in Massachusetts – does Massachusetts really run mostly on Dunkin’ or did another chain edge them out for the #1 spot?

We’re basing these countdowns on one thing: number of locations. These aren’t necessarily the most popular fast food chains in the country and in Massachusetts, they just have the most locations. However, one could assume that the reason there are more locations is due to higher demand. Higher demand usually comes from higher popularity.

The first fast food restaurant in America is widely considered to be White Castle. It was founded in 1921 by Walter Anderson and Billy Ingram in Wichita, Kansas. White Castle is known for pioneering the assembly line production of hamburgers and for introducing the fast-food concept to the United States. While we don’t have any White Castle locations here in Massachusetts, they do sell their micro hamburgers at area grocery stores so if you have a hankering for the OG fast food, it’s a minute away in your microwave oven.

So let’s do this. To get the full comparison, I’ll first give you the 8 fast food restaurants with the most locations in the United States, then I’ll give you the 8 fast food chains with the most locations in Massachusetts. Get your fiery sauce ready and let’s go!

  • Most Fast Food Locations in the USA - #8

    DOMINO’S
    # of U.S. locations: 6,720
    Founded in: 1960 in Ypsilanti, MI

  • Most Fast Food Locations in the USA - #7

    BURGER KING
    # of U.S. locations: 7,257
    Founded in: 1954 in Miami, FL

  • Most Fast Food Locations in the USA - #6

    TACO BELL
    # of U.S. locations: 8,088
    Founded in: 1962 in Downey, CA

  • Most Fast Food Locations in the USA - #5

    HUNT BROTHERS PIZZA
    # of U.S. locations: 9,240
    Founded in: 1991 in Nashville, TN

  • Most Fast Food Locations in the USA - #4

    DUNKIN’
    # of U.S. locations: 9,412
    Founded in: 1950 in Quincy, MA

  • Most Fast Food Locations in the USA - #3

    McDONALDS
    # of U.S. locations: 13,515
    Founded in: 1955 in Des Plaines, IL

  • Most Fast Food Locations in the USA - #2

    STARBUCKS
    # of U.S. locations: 15,966
    Founded in: 1971 in Seattle, WA

  • Most Fast Food Locations in the USA - #1

    SUBWAY
    # of U.S. locations: 20.603 (oh my soul!!!)
    Founded in: 1965 in Bridgeport, CT

  • Most Fast Food Locations in MASSACHUSETTS - #8

    TACO BELL
    # of U.S. locations: 75
    Founded in: 1962 in Downey, CA

  • Most Fast Food Locations in MASSACHUSETTS - #7

    WENDY’S
    # of U.S. locations: 98
    Founded in: 1969 in Columbus, OH

  • Most Fast Food Locations in MASSACHUSETTS - #6

    BURGER KING
    # of U.S. locations: 132
    Founded in: 1954 in Miami, FL

  • Most Fast Food Locations in MASSACHUSETTS - #5

    DOMINO’S
    # of U.S. locations: 161
    Founded in: 1960 in Ypsilanti, MI

  • Most Fast Food Locations in MASSACHUSETTS - #4

    STARBUCKS
    # of U.S. locations: 178
    Founded in: 1971 in Seattle, WA

  • Most Fast Food Locations in MASSACHUSETTS - #3

    McDONALDS
    # of U.S. locations: 239
    Founded in: 1955 in Des Plaines, IL

  • Most Fast Food Locations in MASSACHUSETTS - #2

    SUBWAY
    # of U.S. locations: 370
    Founded in: 1965 in Bridgeport, CT

  • Most Fast Food Locations in MASSACHUSETTS - #1

    DUNKIN’
    # of U.S. locations: 916
    Founded in: 1950 in Quincy, MA