SBUX — Starbucks Corporation

McDonald's is the world's largest fast food restaurant chain, operating and franchising approximately 40,000 restaurants in over 100 countries. The company's franchise-heavy model means McDonald's is primarily a real estate and brand licensing business rather than a traditional restaurant operator.

Yum! Brands is one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies, operating the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger chains. With over 55,000 restaurants in 155 countries, Yum!'s global scale is second only to McDonald's. The vast majority of Yum! restaurants are franchised, giving the company a high-margin, asset-light business model. Taco Bell is the crown jewel of the portfolio — the most profitable U.S. QSR brand per unit — while KFC dominates internationally.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is the largest fast-casual restaurant chain in the United States by revenue, serving burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads made with responsibly sourced ingredients cooked fresh daily. Unlike most QSR peers, Chipotle operates nearly all of its 3,500+ restaurants itself rather than franchising, giving it direct control over quality and the customer experience. The company's digital ordering, throughput optimization, and Cultivate Rewards loyalty program have driven industry-leading comparable store sales growth. International expansion and new formats like Chipotlane are key growth vectors.