>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
But a closer look at the methodology raises important questions.
The survey relies on questionnaires distributed through email and is based on responses collected from roughly 16,000 participants over an entire year.
Even more notable, Jersey Mike’s was not previously included in the rankings.
The sandwich chain entered the survey for the first time in 2026 and immediately landed at the top.
According to the ACSI itself, the chain’s strong debut was driven by factors including “rapid unit growth, strong customer demand, and a model designed around throughput and off-premise convenience from high digital pickup usage.”
Critics argue that those factors sound more like operational efficiency metrics than measures of customer satisfaction.
Concerns About the Survey Model
Questions surrounding the ACSI are not new.
Some analysts have argued that the model, originally developed in the mid-1990s, has failed to keep pace with modern consumer behavior.
Industry experts at Verint noted that the framework “has not been changed significantly despite subsequent research into its shortcomings.”
Among the concerns frequently cited are the lack of meaningful word-of-mouth measurements, weak connections between customer expectations and satisfaction outcomes, and a tendency to reward growth-oriented companies.
Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A’s score barely moved.
The company remained at 83, a level it has consistently maintained for years.
In other words, Chick-fil-A did not experience a collapse in customer approval. It simply found itself edged out in a survey that many consumers have likely never heard of.
The Blackstone Connection
The story becomes even more interesting when considering who now controls Jersey Mike’s.
In early 2025, investment giant Blackstone completed a majority acquisition of the sandwich chain in a deal reportedly valued at approximately $8 billion.
Blackstone is no ordinary investor.
The firm manages more than $1 trillion in assets and has become deeply involved in environmental, social, and governance initiatives throughout its investment portfolio.
The company publicly promotes sustainability programs, diversity initiatives, and investment policies aligned with ESG principles.
For years, many conservatives have criticized large Wall Street firms for using their financial influence to advance political and social priorities throughout corporate America.
Now, the company celebrated for dethroning Chick-fil-A is majority owned by one of the most powerful investment firms in the world.
The Real Numbers Tell a Different Story
If Americans were truly abandoning Chick-fil-A, the sales figures would likely reflect it.
Instead, the opposite appears to be happening.
Despite operating only six days each week, Chick-fil-A generated nearly $24 billion in systemwide sales during 2025.
The chain continues to produce some of the strongest per-location performance in the restaurant industry.
Industry data shows that the average standalone Chick-fil-A restaurant generates approximately $9.2 million annually—more than double the average sales volume of many major competitors.
Jersey Mike’s, despite operating more than 3,200 locations nationwide, produced roughly $4.2 billion in total sales.
Those figures suggest that customers continue to flock to Chick-fil-A in enormous numbers.
Long drive-thru lines remain common across the country, and many locations continue to rank among the busiest restaurants in their markets.
What Americans Are Actually Choosing
The restaurant industry faced a challenging year in 2025.
Sales growth slowed dramatically as consumers dealt with persistent inflation and higher prices.
Americans became increasingly selective about where they spent their money.
Yet Chick-fil-A continued attracting millions of customers each week.
Unlike many rapidly expanding chains, the company remains privately controlled and operates through a highly selective owner-operator model rather than answering to private-equity managers.
That distinction matters to many consumers who increasingly distrust corporate consolidation and Wall Street influence.
While a university survey may have produced a new headline, it did not change consumer behavior.
The crowds filling Chick-fil-A dining rooms and drive-thrus tell their own story.
A one-point survey lead may generate media attention, but customers ultimately vote with their wallets.
And based on the numbers, Chick-fil-A remains one of the most successful and sought-after restaurant brands in America.
The ACSI may have declared a new winner for 2026.
But judging by sales, customer traffic, and brand loyalty, Chick-fil-A’s supporters aren’t surrendering their crown anytime soon.
