A new report from Kalinowski Equity Research shows Chick-fil-A is expanding so quickly it'll soon be the third-largest chain restaurant in America. It's projected to bump Subway from that slot by the end of 2019.
The research notes that Chick-fil-A's sales were up "15.5 percent this year. Traffic is up 10%." Their sales might total around $10.4 billion by the end of the year, Market Watch reports. Over the course of the year, Chick-fil-A locations increased by almost eight percent. There are now more more than 2,100 stores across the country.
Not only is Chick-fil-A coming for Subway's spot, the report says, but it also seems as though McDonald's (the long-standing #1 largest chain restaurant) has reason to be worried: “We have long pointed out that Chick-fil-A is the restaurant competition with which McDonald’s U.S. should most concern itself–and by extension, investors should, too. But this goes beyond McDonald’s.” That means Starbucks, which holds in second place, is in danger of slipping as well.
What's most impressive about this news is that last year, Chick-fil-A took the 7th slot. As it moves up the chain, it'll bump Taco Bell, Burger King and Wendy’s (the fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-largest chain restaurants) all down.
