Food & Beverage

Wendy’s lands in top 5 for burger QSR customer loyalty

Photo: Shutterstock

September 15, 2026

Summarize with

Wendy's ranks among the top five U.S. burger chains for customer loyalty, according to a new report from advertising technology company Simpli.fi.

Released ahead of National Cheeseburger Day, Sept. 18, the inaugural "Loyalty in the Real World" report analyzed hundreds of thousands of visitors to the top 20 burger-focused QSR and fast casual chains across 20 U.S. metro markets over an eight-week period.

The study found that 61% of burger customers were "loyalists," meaning they visited only one burger brand during the study period, while 39% were "samplers" who visited two or more chains.

Shake Shack led the category with a 99% loyalty rate, followed in the top five by Wendy's, Smashburger, Sonic and Steak 'n Shake.

Simpli.fi pointed to signature menu items as a common thread among the loyalty leaders, noting that distinctive products such as Wendy's Frosty can give customers a reason to return to a particular brand rather than switch to a competitor.

McDonald's, despite posting a 60% loyalty rate, emerged as the top competitor to every other burger brand in the study because of its significant visitor overlap across the category.

The report also identified an opportunity for burger chains to convert the 39% of consumers who shop across multiple brands through loyalty programs, localized advertising, competitor targeting and campaigns aimed at different meal occasions.