Peachtree Corners, Georgia, USA – A new study by Market Force Information highlights the critical role of customer experience (CX) in the success of quick-service restaurants (QSRs), with Smoothie King claiming the top spot in the 2025 rankings.
The report, titled the 2025 Quick-Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry Study, underscores that foundational elements like speed and cleanliness remain key drivers of customer loyalty and sustainable growth.
Smoothie King jumped from sixth place to lead this year’s CX Metrics rankings. This ascent was attributed to improvements in fundamental areas such as speed of service, the quality of its beverages, and restaurant cleanliness.
In contrast, last year’s leader in the Customer Loyalty Index (CLI), Andy’s Frozen Custard, saw a decline in its ranking, reportedly falling out of the top five following drops in key experience categories, including cleanliness and friendliness.
“Customer experience has always been the backbone of brand growth,” said David Murray, Sr. Director of Customer Experience Strategy at Market Force. “This year’s rankings simply reinforce what strong operators already know: when you get the fundamentals right—speed, cleanliness, and operational consistency—loyalty follows. The brands that know and stay focused on what matters most to their guests are the ones that win.”
Within specific categories, the report found:
- Burger Chains: In-N-Out topped the overall Customer Loyalty Index and reclaimed leadership in the burger segment, recognized for strong brand trust and consistent experience scores. Culver’s and Five Guys were also highlighted as America’s most trusted burger brands.
- Chicken Restaurants: Chick-fil-A maintained a top position for the second consecutive year, demonstrating excellence in friendliness, cleanliness, and operational execution. Slim Chickens made a strong debut, tying with Chick-fil-A in CX Metrics rankings.
- Pizza: Blaze Pizza led both the Customer Loyalty Index and CX Metrics rankings in the highly competitive pizza category, showing significant gains in speed, food quality, and cleanliness. Traditional value-focused brands like Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, and Sbarro reportedly underperformed in key CX areas.
Other notable brands mentioned in the report include:
- Peet’s, Caribou, and Einstein Bros. outperformed industry giants like Starbucks and Dunkin’ in the bakery and coffee segment.
- In the sandwich category, Schlotzsky’s and Potbelly led, while Subway ranked in the bottom tier.
- Qdoba and Pollo Tropical were identified as bright spots in the Mexican segment, showing growing loyalty and quality perception.
Market Force plans to host a live webinar to delve deeper into the full CLI 2025 results, discuss trends, and provide category-specific insights.
Interested parties can register for the webinar here or schedule a briefing to get a full walkthrough of the results here.
Consumers interested in sharing their experiences can join the panel here.
Market Force Information is a global leader in customer experience management. The company assists brands across various industries, including retail, grocery, restaurant, hospitality, banking, and more, through integrated services such as contact centers, mystery shopping, site audits, customer surveys, social media management, and advanced analytics, with the goal of improving customer experience and operations.
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