Burger King is one of the world’s leading fast food hamburger chains, with 2020 revenue of $1.6 billion and more than 18,000 restaurants in operation worldwide.
But are you wondering who are Burger King’s biggest competitors in the United States and around the world? Keep reading because I’m going to tell you the top 14!
Burger King Competitors in 2024
Burger King’s biggest competitors are McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, KFC, and Subway as of 2024. Burger King does not dominate the market in terms of revenue or number of locations, making competition fierce. Additionally, pizza chains compete with Burger King, including Domino’s and Papa John’s, because pizza is one of the most popular fast food products in the world.
Do you want to know more about Burger King’s competitors and how they position themselves in the fast food sector? Read below to learn more and get all your questions answered!
1. McDonald’s
McDonald’s is one of the main competitors of Burger King, which operates more than 39,000 locations worldwide, including locations in more than 120 countries.
Additionally, McDonald’s made over $19 billion in revenue in 2020, making it larger than Burger King in terms of locations and revenue!
Still, you can find similar items at McDonald’s and Burger King.
For example, Burger King offers the Whopper, and McDonald’s offers iconic burgers such as the Quarter-Pounder with cheese.
In addition to this, Burger King and McDonald’s offer fries, chicken nuggets and breakfast items.
2. Wendy’s
Wendy’s has more than 6,500 locations worldwide and can be found in more than 29 countries. Therefore, it is one of the biggest global competitors of Burger King.
Plus, Wendy’s offers burgers, chicken nuggets, breakfast items, and delicious fries.
Additionally, Wendy’s made over $1.374 billion in 2020, making it one of the leading fast food restaurants and very close to Burger King in terms of total revenue.
3. Domino’s Pizza
Although not a hamburger chain, Domino’s Pizza is a competitor to Burger King in the fast food industry and had global revenue of $4.12 billion in 2020 .
In addition to this, Domino’s Pizza is known for serving quality pizzas and other Italian cuisines at low prices with fast delivery service.
With more than 18,300 stores worldwide and a presence in more than 90 countries, Domino’s is a global competitor to Burger King, but with different menu options.
4. KFC
KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken, competes with Burger King in the fast food market and explicitly competes with Burger King on chicken sandwiches.
Additionally, KFC has over 25,000 locations in over 145 countries, making it a bigger global presence than McDonald’s or Burger King!
Additionally, KFC specializes in chicken but offers more than just chicken sandwiches with wings, buckets of chicken, and various sides such as mashed potatoes and gravy to accompany your meal.
Additionally, KFC had a revenue of $26.289 billion for 2020, and it is one of the largest subsidiaries of Yum! Brands, which owns several fast food restaurants.
5. Metro
Burger King and Subway compete because both serve delicious sandwiches, although Subway also offers cold sandwiches.
Additionally, Subway generates approximately $11 billion in revenue annually and has over 37,000 locations in over 100 countries!
6. Taco bell
Taco Bell is another fast food restaurant that is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands and also a competitor to Burger King for the budget fast food consumer.
Although Taco Bell doesn’t have burgers, it does offer tacos, burritos, nachos and other Mexican dishes.
On top of that, Taco Bell has over 7,000 locations in total and around 300 locations in 26 different countries!
Taco Bell earned $2.03 billion in 2020, making it more popular than Burger King if you look at revenue alone. Finally, Taco Bell offers a more extensive menu selection than Burger King.
7. Papa John’s
Papa John’s is a competitor to Burger King and operates one of the most successful pizza chains in the world as it operates in over 45 countries with over 5,600 locations in total.
Plus, since pizza is one of the most popular fast food foods in the world, it’s no wonder Papa John’s earned $1.81 billion in 2020.
On top of that, you can get a variety of Italian dishes at Papa John’s, including pizza, pasta, breadsticks, wings, and much more!
8. Sonic
Sonic is known for having delicious burgers. So, it directly competes with Burger King in the burger department and offers fantastic fries and drinks!
Additionally, there are different burgers you can order at Sonic, and it is always trying new menu items to attract customers.
With more than 3,500 restaurants in 46 states, it’s no surprise that Sonic’s 2020 sales topped $5.7 billion, which is impressive considering it has fewer restaurants than Burger King.
9. Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A competes with Burger King, especially when it comes to chicken sandwiches and fries. As of 2020, there are more than 2,700 Chick-fil-A locations worldwide.
Additionally, Chick-fil-A is expanding into the international market with locations in the United Kingdom, although most locations are in Canada and the United States.
In 2020, Chick-fil-A’s revenue was $4.3 billion, which isn’t bad at all for a fast food restaurant that’s always closed on Sundays.
10. Chipotle
Consumers have rated Chipotle as one of the healthiest fast food options. That said, it is a competitor to Burger King for those looking for quality fast food at reasonable prices.
Plus, you can find quality food at Chipotle, including burritos, salads, tacos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, and more!
With more than 2,700 locations worldwide, including Canada, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, it’s no wonder Chipotle earned nearly $6 billion in 2020.
11. Hardee’s
I can’t talk about Burger King’s competitors without mentioning Hardee’s, which has insanely good burgers, fries, and drinks!
Additionally, Hardee’s has more than 1,800 restaurants in the United States and 14 other countries around the world.
With this, Hardee’s is a very popular hamburger chain and has made over $2 billion in revenue. Therefore, it is worthy competition to Burger King, with good customer service.
12. Huang Ji Huang (China)
Yum took over Huang Ji Huang! China and this particular restaurant operate over 640 locations offering the famous Chinese cuisine.
Although it’s not burgers, Huang Ji Huang offers some of the best Chinese food, and it’s very popular among those who live around its 640 locations.
13. Starbucks
Starbucks is a competitor to Burger King when it comes to coffee and breakfast. That said, it is one of the most well-known coffee companies in the world.
Additionally, Starbucks made $23.5 billion in 2020 and has more than 32,600 stores worldwide, with locations in the United States, China, Japan, Canada, Korea, United Kingdom and in Turkey.
14. Gourmet Burger Kitchen (UK & Ireland)
Gourmet Burger Kitchen was a chain of restaurants in the United Kingdom and England specializing in quality beef burgers, making it a direct competitor to Burger King.
Plus, the food at Gourmet Burger Kitchen is amazing, and it’s one of the best burgers you’ll ever have with lots of variety and customization.
Although there are over 60 locations across the UK, unfortunately it has closed its doors for the time being and the future of this restaurant remains uncertain.
To learn more about Burger King, you can also check out our articles on McDonald’s vs. Burger King, how much does a Burger King franchise cost, and why is Burger King so cheap.
Conclusion
Burger King has several competitors in the United States and abroad, including Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Subway, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and KFC.
Additionally, other restaurants compete with Burger King for the fast food consumer, including national pizza chains like Domino’s Pizza and Papa John’s.
In China, restaurants like Huang Ji Huang, which specializes in premium beef burgers, are also a competitor to Burger King.
In addition to this, Taco Bell and Chipotle, which are Mexican cuisine fast food restaurants, are competitors of Burger King.
Visit Les Gourmandises for more information.
