Last Updated : Jun 19, 2026  |   Author : Nishant Rana   |   View Count : 162   |   Read Time : 6 min

Chick-fil-A News: Jersey Mike's Just Dethroned Its 11-Year Legacy?

If you are a foodie and keep up with related news, there are chances that you have heard about this Chick-fil-A news as something major shifted last week. Chick-fil-A held the title of America's favourite quick-service restaurant chain for more than a decade, but that is now taken over in the 2026 customer satisfaction index, and the new name on top might surprise you if you do not pay much attention to sandwich shops. It's Jersey Mike's, yes, you heard it right, and if you are also confused like many others, there is no need to worry. This blog breaks down exactly what happened, why it happened, and how it can impact the industry, whether you are a regular visitor of one of them or both. There is some useful context for everyone before your next drive-thru run.

What's the Chick-fil-A news everyone's talking about?

It has to do with a shake-up in the rankings, where a sandwich chain that's been quietly expanding managed to edge past Chick-fil-A in a major customer satisfaction study, ending a streak that had lasted over a decade. The details on how close the scores actually were might surprise you.

Facts behind the latest Chick-fil-A news

Everyone is talking about the big Chick-fil-A news this week, which is that Chick-fil-A is no longer the top-rated quick-service restaurant in the country, as Jersey Mike's has taken over its number one spot in the 2026 ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) report, as Jersey Mike's scored 84 points out of 100 and Chick-fil-A did 83. It might look like a point gap to you, but it definitely is a big thing, as this one point difference ended the streak of 11 years. Chick-fil-A has held the top spot since the mid-2010s. The American Customer Satisfaction Index is a well-known and most trusted source for this kind of data, so when a shift like this happens, it tends to get attention fast across food and business news.
 

What is the Reality of the ACSI Study?

If you are new to this kind of Chick-fil-A news coverage, and are confused about exactly why a one-point difference between two chains is taken seriously, here is the brief explanation for you. The American Customer Satisfaction Index has been around since 1994 and is one of the most respected tools for measuring how happy customers actually are with brands across dozens of industries. For this particular report, the index pulled together more than 16,000 completed surveys collected between April 2025 and March 2026. Customers rated chains on things like food quality, service, value, and convenience, and each chain ended up with a score somewhere between 0 and 100. It is not just another popularity contest; the data is collected from real diners.

TL;DR: The ACSI is a long-running, well-respected survey that scores restaurant chains and other brands from 0 to 100 based on real customer feedback, not guesswork or popularity.

Is Chick-fil-A actually declining?

This question commonly arises as the words "Chick-fil-A dethroned" are getting used by a lot of media coverage, but the honest answer is no. Nothing is wrong with Chick-fil-A. They scored exactly the same as last year, and that does not mean declining in any way. The reality is they just got passed by Jersey Mike's, as they improved enough to get the edge of one point, and that's completely fair. Chick-fil-A also still holds onto something very important, as it remains the highest rated chicken-focused chain in the country, ahead of every other fried or grilled chicken competitor out there. So if you are a loyal Chick-fil-A customer, this is not a story about your favourite brand falling apart. It is a story about another chain catching up and taking the spot with the smallest margin possible.
 

Chick-fil-A vs Jersey Mike's: the honest comparison

This is the part that a lot of readers searching for Chick-fil-A news really want, the direct comparison between Jersey Mike's and Chick-fil-A, so let's talk a little about their significance. Starting with Jersey Mike's, which started out in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, back in 1956, it has now grown to more than 4,000 locations across the United States and Canada. It is best known for made-to-order subs and what fans call "Mike's Way," meaning a sandwich topped with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and spices. On the other hand, Chick-fil-A, of course, is the chicken sandwich and waffle fry chain already well-known by most Americans, as they have a menu built around speed, consistency, and famously polite service.

For context, here are the scores where things get interesting beyond just the top two. Jimmy John's and Panda Express tied for third place with scores of 81. KFC, Papa John's, and Pizza Hut followed at 80. Domino's, Raising Cane's, Starbucks, and Subway each landed at 79. Meanwhile, Dairy Queen and McDonald's tied for last place among major chains at 72, which says something about how much that gap between first and last actually matters when you are picking where to eat. Both Jersey Mike's and Chick-fil-A sit comfortably near the very top of that whole list, which means this comparison is really a battle between two of the best performers in the entire industry, not a case of one good chain beating a struggling one.

TL;DR: Jersey Mike's and Chick-fil-A both rank well above most of the fast food industry. This is a contest between two strong performers, not a winner versus a struggler.

The reason why Jersey Mike's is in the number one spot

A lot of folks want to know what pushed Jersey Mike's into the first spot. For a better understanding, we should take a look at the ACSI report, which comes down to a few things working together. The chain added 238 new locations in a single year while keeping its customer satisfaction scores steady, which is much harder than it may sound. Most chains that expand so quickly end up slipping on consistency, but with the hard work of their team, Jersey Mike's managed to grow fast without customers noticing any compromise in quality. Customers specifically praised the chain for freshness, food variety, and value, three things that matter the most to people right now, after noticing how much the prices of groceries and restaurants have climbed.

The ACSI also pointed out that Jersey Mike's has a fairly narrow menu and a model built around throughput, meaning getting customers in, fed, and out efficiently, along with strong digital pickup usage. In plain terms, people can order ahead, grab their sandwich quickly, and know exactly what they are getting every time. That kind of reliability tends to build loyalty over time, even if it does not always grab headlines the way a flashy new menu item would.
 

The bigger picture: what this says about the fast food industry in 2026

This Chick-fil-A news story is not really just about one chain edging out another by a single point. It points to a bigger shift happening across the restaurant industry. With grocery and dining prices still elevated, the ACSI noted that customers are becoming more selective. People are not necessarily cutting back on eating out altogether, but they are choosing their visits more carefully and leaning toward chains that consistently deliver on value and quality rather than chasing whatever is trendy that month.

There is also a clear digital angle here. Mobile app and online ordering satisfaction jumped noticeably industry-wide this year, with satisfaction in that area climbing from 78 to 87, a solid double digit improvement. That tells you customers are paying close attention to how smooth and reliable the ordering process feels, not just what the food tastes like. Chains that have invested in fast, glitch-free apps and dependable pickup windows are clearly being rewarded for it, and that trend is likely to keep shaping where customers choose to spend their money. For more background on how these industry-wide satisfaction trends are tracked, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes consumer spending data that helps explain why value and consistency are carrying so much weight with diners this year.

TL;DR: Rising prices and better mobile ordering experiences are pushing customers toward chains that feel reliable and worth the money, not just the flashiest option on the block.

What to watch next in the industry

Looking ahead, the real question is whether this was a one-year upset or the start of something longer-lasting. Chick-fil-A has plenty of loyal customers and still dominates the chicken category outright, so it would not be shocking to see it bounce back to the top spot in next year's study. On the other hand, if Jersey Mike's keeps expanding at this pace while holding onto its scores for freshness and value, it could be looking at more than just a single year at number one. If you like to read such articles, you can check our take on Texas Roadhouse. Either way, this is the kind of news that's worth keeping an eye on if you care about where your favorite chains stand, since these rankings tend to shift based on real changes in how people are eating and ordering, not just marketing buzz.
 

FAQs

1. What is the latest Chick-fil-A news about customer rankings?

Jersey Mike's overtook Chick-fil-A as the top-rated quick-service restaurant chain in the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index, scoring 84 compared to Chick-fil-A's 83, ending an 11-year streak at number one.
 

2. Did Chick-fil-A's score actually go down? 

No, Chick-fil-A's score stayed flat at 83, the same as the year before. It simply got passed by Jersey Mike's, which improved enough to edge ahead by one point.
 

3. Is Chick-fil-A still considered a top chain? 

Yes, Chick-fil-A remains the highest rated chicken-focused chain in the country and sits near the very top of the overall rankings, just one spot behind the new leader.
 

4. What made Jersey Mike's score so high this year? 

Customers praised the chain for freshness, food variety, and value, while the company also expanded quickly without letting its quality or consistency slip.
 

5. How many people were surveyed for this report? 

The 2026 ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study was based on more than 16,000 completed surveys collected between April 2025 and March 2026.