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Feb. 5, 2013 — For Immediate Release
Sandelman names 2012 Fast-Food Awards of Excellence winners
SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF. — Four of the Top 10 best-rated large quick-service restaurant
chains—Panera Bread, Firehouse Subs, Jersey Mike’s Submarines and Jimmy John’s Gourmet
Sandwiches—are not coincidentally among the fastest growing fast-casual sandwich concepts.
And several other Top 10 large chains are also fast-casual concepts (Five Guys Burgers & Fries,
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Zaxby’s and Starbucks). Congratulations to this year’s winners.
The 2012 Top 10 Excellent Fast-Food Chains are:
Top 10 Quick-Service
Restaurant Chains (all chains)
1. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
1. Chick-fil-A
3. Cafe Rio Mexican Grill
3. In-N-Out Burger
5. Jason's Deli
5. Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
7. Thundercloud Subs
8. The Habit Burger Grill
8. Five Guys Burger & Fries
8. Panera Bread
Top 10 Large Quick-Service
Restaurant Chains (500+ units)
1. Chick-fil-A
2. Five Guys Burger & Fries
2. Panera Bread
4. Firehouse Subs
4. Chipotle Mexican Grill
6. Jersey Mike's Submarines
6. Zaxby's
6. Papa Murphy's Pizza
9. Starbucks
10. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches
In 2012, fully 63 percent of Raising Cane’s and Chick-fil-A’s customers rated their most recent
visit “excellent” overall (rating of “5” on a 5-point scale).
“It’s notable that four of the Top 10 excellent large chains are in the sandwich business,” says
Bob Sandelman, CEO and founder of Sandelman & Associates, celebrating its 25th anniversary
in business. “These Top 10 chains offer high-quality fresh food, served in comfortable and
inviting surroundings, and they’re raising the bar for all quick-service chains.”
Awards of Excellence are given for overall satisfaction and for the best performances on 16
attributes of the dining experience, such as “taste and flavor of the food” and “quality of the
ingredients.” Café Rio, a fast-casual Mexican chain based in Salt Lake City ranked No. 1 on
“taste and flavor of the food.” For the fifth consecutive year, Little Caesars garnered the top spot
for “affordability of the prices” and finished in a virtual tie with Papa Murphy’s Pizza on “value
-more-
2012 Quick-Track Awards of Excellence
Page 2
for the money.” Fast-food unit leader Subway continues to be highest rated for healthy and
nutritious food. Sales leader McDonald’s for the second year in a row has been supplanted in the
No. 1 spot on kid appeal by Chick-fil-A.
The awards are based on results reported in the quarterly syndicated Quick-Track® study
conducted by San Clemente, Calif.-based Sandelman & Associates. Celebrating its 25th
anniversary, the market research firm tracks attitudes, awareness and usage at the media market
level for the restaurant industry. In 2012 Quick-Track surveyed more than 110,000 quickservice restaurant users, gathering information about 1.4 million fast-food visits in over 90 U.S.
media markets.
Information from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying Sandelman
& Associates as the publisher and Quick-Track as the source. The information contained in this
press release cannot be used for advertising, public relations or promotional purposes without the
express prior written consent of Sandelman & Associates. For more findings or information
about methodology, call Paul Clarke at (847) 277-7603 or E-mail paul@sandelman.com.