Survey: Chick-fil-A reigns supreme in fast food

Look out burger chains. American tastes seem to be changing.

This year, Chick-fil-A, which bills itself as the “Home of the Original Chicken Sandwich” is the indisputable king of fast food according to a new survey.

The Georgia-based chain dethroned In-N-Out burger in this year’s Market Force annual survey, which polled more than 7,600 consumers.

Being America’s favorite has yet to wing the chicken chain into the top echelon of money makers. Despite its dismal ratings for customer service, McDonalds is still the dominant rooster in the fast-food barnyard for sales.

Many of last year’s champs made return appearances. In the burger, chicken, and Mexican categories, the winners were In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A and Chipotle, respectively. The only movement among these brands is that this year, Chick-fil-A came out with the highest overall score.

Other winners include Jersey Mike’s in the sandwich category and Blaze Pizza for pizza. Krispy Kreme came out on top for coffee and baker chains.

Chick-fil-A’s business model is a reflection of its founder and owners religious beliefs. None of their 2,300 locations are open on Sundays, for example. “Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, [founder S. Truett Cathy] saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose — a practice we uphold today,” the company’s website states. A previous iteration of the website reportedly claimed the restaurant was closed on Sundays as a “testament to [Cathy’s] faith in God.”

The owner’s stance that marriage should only be between one man and one woman, and its millions in donations to anti-LGBT groups has brought it under national scrutiny in the fight for LGBT equality. Despite demonstrations, boycotts and bad press, the chain has continued to expand.

The bottom line is that people just like their chicken and love their service.