The Most-Downloaded Food Apps In The US Probably Won't Surprise You

Food trends may come and go, but what always remains is America's love for fast food. In fact, according to the National Center for Health Statistics from Center for Disease Control, via The Barbecue Lab, the majority of American visits a fast food restaurant between one and three times a week.

Meeting the big demand for fast food are dozens of restaurants that QSR Magazine rated by sales in 2020. Coming in first was McDonald's with more than $40.5 million in sales in 2020, followed by Starbucks at $18.75 million, Chick-fil-A at $12.8 million, and Taco Bell at $11 million. In recent years to meet the significant demand for fast food, as well as for people seeking convenience, companies have pushed out apps for ordering and rewards programs. According to QSR Magazine, more people than ever before downloaded quick-service restaurant apps in July in the U.S., during which the top 10 apps were downloaded 12.1 million times. That was an increase of 16.3% compared to the month before.

Apps to save money and earn rewards

Perhaps not unexpectedly, the fast food apps that are downloaded the most are for the company sales leaders. McDonald's not only is top for sales, but it had the most people wanting to access its app. According to QSR Magazine, the McDonald's app was downloaded 3.4 million times in August. Starbucks, which had the second most sales in 2020, also had the second most downloads of its app in August at 1.03 million. The list then strays from the companies with the most sales to Domino's, whose app was downloaded 1 million times in August, followed by Chick-fil-A with 850,000 downloads. From there, Sonic comes in at number five, followed by Taco Bell, Dunkin' Donuts, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and Subway.

What's luring diners to download fast food apps are promises of money saved, rewards, and other benefits, according to U.S. News. The new site lists Burger King, Chick-fil-A, and Chipotle as the best of the bunch. Burger King's app allows for the user to get special deals and coupons, while the big benefit of having Chick-fil-A's app is easier access to its reward program. Chipotle made U.S. News' list for similar reasons. 

If you are a fast food fan and you haven't already downloaded apps for your favorite restaurants, you may want to join the millions of others who have and enjoy some cost savings and rewards.