Employment in the quick service restaurant franchise industry in the U.S. 2007-2025

In 2024, over 3.9 million employees were estimated to have worked in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchise industry in the United States. This shows an increase when compared to the previous year's total of 3.85 million. The number of employees in the U.S. QSR franchise industry is forecast to peak in 2025 at around four million. 

Restaurant franchising in the United States

There are two types of QSR: company-owned stores and franchised. Company-owned stores are managed by a qualified and experienced employee of the company, whereas the franchise model sees an entrepreneur invest their own money into the project. The franchisee becomes the owner of the restaurant once they pay the initial start-up fees, and it is their responsibility to ensure the success of the store. In the United States, the number of franchised stores in the QSR industry was estimated to be nearly 200,000 in 2024, and the output of those franchise businesses was estimated to generate approximately 287.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. 

How do companies make money from franchised stores?

Burger chain McDonald’s has grown from humble beginnings to become the leading QSR worldwide. In 2023, restaurant sales from the company’s franchised stores located around the world increased to more than 119 billion U.S. dollars. The company's franchised restaurants generated a worldwide revenue of around 15 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 – over half of which was made through rent payments. It is worth noting that franchised sales are not recorded as revenues of McDonald’s.