Do you know that McDonald’s has a lot of competitors both in the United States and across the world, including McDonald’s?
For your perusal below, I have compiled a list of the 23 fast-food restaurants that are considered McDonald’s rivals across the world.
In 2022, McDonald’s Rivals
As of 2022, McDonald’s primary rivals are Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC, Subway, and Jack in the Box.
However, Tim Hortons and Starbucks are in it for the coffee-loving client base, not all of McDonald’s competitors are. Hungry Jack’s and MOS Burger are McDonald’s rivals outside of the United States.
You may be interested in finding out more about the competition McDonald’s faces in the United States and throughout the world. Continue reading to discover more!
1. Burger King
McDonald’s most direct opponent is Burger King, which offers the Whopper as a direct counterpart to the Big Mac.
If you’re on a budget, Burger King offers fries, chicken sandwiches, and other foods that are similar to McDonald’s. Over 18,000 sites are open across the world, with more than a hundred nations represented.
2. KFC
When it comes to McDonald’s, KFC is seen as a more indirect opponent than McDonald’s because KFC is all about chicken.
However, both KFC and McDonald’s acquire enormous amounts of chicken and compete in the chicken sandwich industry.
In addition, KFC substituted fries for the potato wedges that were formerly on the menu, further complicating the battle between KFC and McDonald’s.
3. Subway
For McDonald’s, Subway is a direct competitor because of the number of sites it has in the United States and throughout the globe. Over 21,000 of Subway’s U.S. stores are among the company’s 41,000 worldwide outlets.
Although Subway has an edge in terms of location, it still has a considerable disadvantage. McDonald’s, on the other hand, has more than 39,000 outlets across the world, but only 14,000 in the US.
4. Yum! Brands
Many fast-food chains are owned and operated by Yum! Brands. These include KFC, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Pizza Hut.
Since Yum! has more than 50,000 stores globally and operates in more than 150 countries, it is a direct competitor to McDonald’s!
Yum! Brands have more outlets than McDonald’s in other nations, this McDonald’s competes directly with Yum! in that region.
5. Starbucks
Starbucks competes directly with McDonald’s in the coffee business and has over 32,000 stores in over 76 countries.
The competition between Starbucks and McDonald’s McCafe goods is heating up since some individuals prefer McDonald’s coffee over Starbucks.
6. Wendy’s
Since both fast-food chains specialize in burgers, chicken sandwiches, and French fries, Wendy’s is a direct rival of McDonald’s.
The battle between McDonald’s and Wendy’s is usually fierce since both restaurants provide wonderful breakfast sandwiches and rapid drive-thru service. Additionally, Wendy’s has more than 6,500 locations globally and operates in 29 countries.
While McDonald’s and Burger King are the two most popular fast-food chains, Wendy’s is the third most popular hamburger chain in the United States, selling more hamburgers than either of those two.
7. Taco Bell
As a fast-food franchise, Taco Bell competes with McDonald’s because it offers a wide choice of menu items at affordable costs. Moreover, both Taco Bell and McDonald’s have a wide selection of menu items.
More than 6,000 Taco Bell stores exist across the world, as well as serving customers in more than 26 countries.
8. Domino’s
In spite of the fact that Domino’s is a pizza restaurant, it is competing with McDonald’s for the fast-food market.
Domino’s is comparable to McDonald’s in some respects, if not superior, in terms of speed of delivery, quality of customer service, and the affordability of its menu.
Moreover, 18,300 stores in 90 countries make Domino’s comparable to McDonald’s, as does the brand’s popularity and image
9. Jack In The Box
McDonald’s main competitor, Jack In The Box, concentrates on hamburgers and has a cult-like following akin to McDonald’s.
However, Jack in the Box offers a wide variety of hamburgers, some of which have unusual names. There is also a level of personalization possible that is not accessible at Mcdonald’s.
More than 2,200 Jack in the Box restaurants may be located in 21 states, including Guam!
10. Pret a Manger (Primarily U.K.-Based)
In the United Kingdom, the sandwich business Pret a Manger is most popular, however, there are a few outlets in the United States.
As if that weren’t enough, Pret a Manger serves coffee, espresso, baked goods, sandwiches, and soups, as well as breakfast and lunch options!
As a result, you will find that Pret a Manger has more fresh baked goods and is considered to be of higher quality than McDonald’s low-quality baked goods.
In addition, there are 502 locations across the world, and their coffee and sandwiches compete with McCafe’s offerings.
11. Sbarro
Pizza and Italian-American cuisine are among the offerings of Sbarro, a fast-food chain that operates in Russia and the United States.
It doesn’t matter what type of cuisine Sbarro is renowned for because both businesses target consumers who like quick food. Furthermore, it is offered in over 26 countries and in over 600 places throughout the world.
12. Hungry Jack’s (Australia)
Since it is a franchise of the Burger King Corporation in Australia, Hungry Jack’s is McDonald’s major rival in the fast-food market there.
Hungry Jack’s is a Burger King franchise, therefore when you visit one of these locations, you can be confident that the food and service will be the same as at an American Burger King.
Additionally, there are over 400 Hungry Jack’s outlets in Australia, making it the second-largest Burger King franchisee in the world!
13. Nordsee (Germany)
Nordsee predominantly operates in Germany and is a direct rival to McDonald’s when it comes to fish sandwiches.
As a fast-food restaurant specializing in fish and shellfish, Nordsee has an excellent selection of fish sandwiches on its menu.
Additionally, Nordsee has approximately 400 sites across the world, including in Germany, Austria, the Middle East, and Europe.
14. MOS Burger (Japan)
Located in Japan, MOS Burger is a hamburger chain that is a direct rival of McDonald’s in that nation and is the second-largest fast-food restaurant in Japan behind McDonald’s.
MOS Burger operates more than 1,700 locations in nine countries, most of them in Asia, and has a strong presence in the region.
There are a number of alternatives on the menu at MOS Burger that make it a better option than McDonald’s, including fresh burgers.
15. Hua Lai Shi Catering Management And Services (China)
Hua Lai Shi Catering Management and Services is McDonald’s primary rival in China, selling chicken legs, Coke, fries, and burgers at a fraction of the cost.
For those who want chicken or fries, the battle between McDonald’s and Hua Lai Shi Catering Management and Services is even more intense!
As a result, there are over 4,000 outlets in China, making it one of the most popular fast-food chains outside of KFC and McDonald’s.
16. Pizza Hut
Yum! Brands’ Pizza Hut, a fast-casual eatery that serves pizza, wings, cheesy bread, spaghetti, and dessert, is an indirect rival of McDonald’s.
There are more than 18,000 Pizza Hut restaurants throughout the world, as well as operations in 110 countries! As a pizza chain, Pizza Hut is known for its rapid cuisine and inexpensive prices.
17. Dunkin’ Donuts
Dunkin’ Donuts specializes in coffee and bakery products and goes head-to-head with McCafe drinks and McDonald’s dessert items.
Additionally, there are over 11,300 Dunkin’ Donuts locations worldwide, with 3,200 restaurants being international.
Furthermore, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts sell coffee products in stores, so that’s another level of competition when you want people to purchase your coffee at the grocery store.
18. Tim Hortons (Primarily Canada)
There is a lot of rivalry for Tim Hortons in the coffee sector, as well as a general fast-food competitor, from McDonald’s.
However, there are around 5,000 Tim Hortons stores across the world, with approximately 4,000 of those being in Canada.
In addition, the United States is home to the second-highest number of Tim Hortons franchises in the world.
19. Chipotle
There is a fast-food franchise that competes with McDonald’s for consumers that provide Mexican cuisines, such as burritos and salad.
Furthermore, Chipotle has over 2,700 locations in the United States and runs 40 sites overseas, including in Germany, France, and Canada.
Even yet, Chipotle stands out since it offers a wide variety of toppings, and you won’t find this degree of customization at McDonald’s.
20. Panera Bread
For years, Panera Bread has been competing with McDonald’s in the fast-food sector because of their great sandwiches and premium chicken.
More than 2,000 stores in the United States and Canada round out the chain’s geographic reach.
21. Caffe Nero (U.K Based)
There are a number of Caffe Nero locations across the world, however, the company is largely located in the United Kingdom.
There are over 800 outlets in the US, UK, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, and Europe for this British coffee shop brand.
22. Papa John’s
Fast-food pizza chain Papa John’s competes with the more well-known McDonald’s in the marketplace.
For example, there are more than 5,400 Papa John’s restaurants in more than 45 countries throughout the world.
People are satisfied with Papa John’s service since it has a far better score on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) than McDonald’s (70).
23. Sonic
The core focus of Sonic’s menu is burgers and fries, but Sonic also offers a variety of unique beverages.
Additionally, Sonic offers several reasonably priced burgers, making it an ideal alternative to McDonald’s in terms of value.
Over 3,500 Sonic restaurants can be found across America and it is available in 46 of the 50 states!
In addition to our postings on the largest McDonald’s restaurants in the world, McDonald’s competitive advantages, and the most interesting McDonald’s facts and figures, you can learn more about McDonald’s here.
Bottom line
There are many McDonald’s competitors across the world, including in the United States, Japan, Russia, Australia, and China.
Additionally, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell are some of McDonald’s main competitors.
Domino’s and Pizza Hut are in direct rivalry with each other since they both target the fast-food client base and offer reasonably priced pizzas.
Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and other coffee-focused eateries compete directly with McDonald’s and McCafe.
Many eateries compete with McDonald’s, even if they don’t provide hamburgers or fries, as you can see from the map above.
