# What is the most Ubiquitous chain in the US? the World? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 26, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669 "2006-12-26T22:07:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/1 "2006-12-26T22:07:56Z")
In the US I gotta think it is between 7-11 and Starbuck’s with the former being my guess. In the world I am guessing maybe McDonald’s? ANybody got the hard cold facts? ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/2 "2006-12-26T22:09:26Z")
I’d say McDonalds for both. I don’t see nearly as many 711’s or Starbucks. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/3 "2006-12-26T22:21:20Z")
Inside the US, it’s Subway, believe or it not. They haven’t caught up to McDonald’s worldwide yet. > **[On a roll](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/jul/18/food.britishidentity)** > > They have six-inch and foot-long versions, myriad fillings and sauces that defy description. Now Britons have so taken to Subway sandwiches that the franchise is challenging McDonald's as the UK's No1 fast-food outlet. Lucy Mangan investigates a... > [@](#): > > Subway is already the biggest fast food chain in the US and is becoming ever more popular in the UK. Dated 2005. Other sources seem to back up the claim. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/4 "2006-12-26T22:28:10Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] In the US I gotta think it is between 7-11 and Starbuck’s with the former being my guess. In the world I am guessing maybe McDonald’s? ANybody got the hard cold facts? [/QUOTE] Starbucks? I highly doubt it. Where I live (in Chicago proper, no less), there are 6 Starbucks within 5 miles. There are 34 McDonald’s in the same range. [For some McDonald’s numbers](http://mcd.mobular.net/mcd/90/8/26/): There are 31,886 restaurants in the world in 2005. I can’t find more current numbers right now, but in 1998 there were [over 12,000](http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/odds/index.htm) McDonald’s in the US. [Starbuck’s has 7,960 stores in the US as of May 2006.](http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-05-18-starbucks-usat_x.htm) And another 3,275 outside the US. Ah, this article actually compares McD’s and Starbucks and gives the figures of 13,700 for local stores. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/5 "2006-12-26T22:29:57Z")
[answer.com](http://answer.com) says that Subway overtook McDonald’s in the US in 2001. Subway’s site claims “26879 Restaurants In 86 Countries”. McDonald’s has something in the vicinity of 30,000. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/6 "2006-12-26T22:31:53Z")
[QUOTE=yabob] Inside the US, it’s Subway, believe or it not. They haven’t caught up to McDonald’s worldwide yet. > **[On a roll](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/jul/18/food.britishidentity)** > > They have six-inch and foot-long versions, myriad fillings and sauces that defy description. Now Britons have so taken to Subway sandwiches that the franchise is challenging McDonald's as the UK's No1 fast-food outlet. Lucy Mangan investigates a... Dated 2005. Other sources seem to back up the claim. [/QUOTE] Holy crap. Would never have guess. According to [the company web site](http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Applications/Reports/CountryCount.aspx), they have 20,496 restaurants in the US. I guess if you think about it, it makes sense. It doesn’t take nearly as much to set up shop with a Subway as with a McDonald’s. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/7 "2006-12-26T22:33:35Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Starbucks? I highly doubt it. Where I live (in Chicago proper, no less), there are 6 Starbucks within 5 miles. There are 34 McDonald’s in the same range. [For some McDonald’s numbers](http://mcd.mobular.net/mcd/90/8/26/): There are 31,886 restaurants in the world in 2005. I can’t find more current numbers right now, but in 1998 there were [over 12,000](http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/odds/index.htm) McDonald’s in the US. [Starbuck’s has 7,960 stores in the US as of May 2006.](http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-05-18-starbucks-usat_x.htm) And another 3,275 outside the US. Ah, this article actually compares McD’s and Starbucks and gives the figures of 13,700 for local stores. [/QUOTE] A quick look at the Starbuck’s wikipedia page showed me how far off I was on that. But I still think 7-11 might be more numerous in the US than McDonald’s. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/8 "2006-12-26T22:38:34Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Holy crap. Would never have guess. According to [the company web site](http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Applications/Reports/CountryCount.aspx), they have 20,496 restaurants in the US. I guess if you think about it, it makes sense. It doesn’t take nearly as much to set up shop with a Subway as with a McDonald’s. [/QUOTE] Yeah, surprised me, too. But you can stick a Subway in a fairly small retail space and start flogging sangwidges. I wonder how they compare on square footage or number of customers served. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/9 "2006-12-26T22:42:45Z")
I just checked on Yahoo! Yellow Pages and there are 30 McDonald’s 5 miles or closer to my house, 30 Seven-elevens and 44 Subways. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/10 "2006-12-26T23:19:13Z")
I’m 41 miles from the nearest 7-11, but only about a mile from the nearest McDonald’s and Subway. The chain has almost no presence in upstate NY, whereas the other chains can be found in any large town. According to 7-11, they have 7,100 stores in North America, with a total of 31,000 worldwide. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/11 "2006-12-26T23:20:17Z")
According to the 7-11 [company website](http://www.7-eleven.com/newsroom/companyprofile.asp), they have “more than 31,000” worldwide. There’s only 7100 in North America. They seem to have a pretty high density in Singapore and Japan. They’re almost certainly the biggest store in those countries. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/12 "2006-12-27T00:37:51Z")
Closest to home != closest to where you want to have lunch. McDonalds != Starbucks ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/13 "2006-12-27T00:54:40Z")
Near Cleveland, there were maybe 4 7-11s within a half hour of me. In Vegas, there’s on one every corner. Almost every convenience store is a 7-11. There are probably 50+ within a few miles of me. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/14 "2006-12-27T01:15:37Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Holy crap. Would never have guess. According to [the company web site](http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Applications/Reports/CountryCount.aspx), they have 20,496 restaurants in the US. I guess if you think about it, it makes sense. It doesn’t take nearly as much to set up shop with a Subway as with a McDonald’s. [/QUOTE] From someone who considered it: Subway is the cheapest major food franchise if you are looking to start one from zero. As for Starbuck, it seems that 99.76% of them are in California. Hence the joke about a Starbucks opening in the restrooms of another Starbucks. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/15 "2006-12-27T01:41:32Z")
Can we include Canada in the search? In my time there, I can’t imagine seeing any store/restaurant in any country that’s more prevalent than Tim Horton’s is in southern Ontario. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/16 "2006-12-27T01:49:46Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] Can we include Canada in the search? In my time there, I can’t imagine seeing any store/restaurant in any country that’s more prevalent than Tim Horton’s is in southern Ontario. [/QUOTE] Jews have Bar Mitzvahs and Bas Mitzvahs. Canadians give their kids a Tim Horton’s. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/17 "2006-12-27T02:00:25Z")
Within 5 miles of my house: McDonalds: 10 Burger King: “The type initializer for BK.Mapping.Framework.MapQuestUtil threw an exception” Wendy’s: 7 Starbucks: 12 7-Eleven: 3 Subway: 9 Quizno’s Subs: 3 Teh winnar: **Starbucks** ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/18 "2006-12-27T03:02:35Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] In the US I gotta think it is between 7-11 and Starbuck’s with the former being my guess. [/QUOTE] I gotta say, this was very surprising to read. I don’t remember the last time I saw a real-live 7-11. They occasionally show up in the movies or something, but otherwise I would have assumed they’d gone completely out of business. I live in rural Ohio, and used to live in Indianapolis. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/19 "2006-12-27T03:38:29Z")
[QUOTE=StuffLikeThatThere] I gotta say, this was very surprising to read. I don’t remember the last time I saw a real-live 7-11. They occasionally show up in the movies or something, but otherwise I would have assumed they’d gone completely out of business. I live in rural Ohio, and used to live in Indianapolis. [/QUOTE] Just because you don’t like getting shot while buying insane amounts of sugary liquids doesn’t mean they don’t exist, you know? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669/20 "2006-12-27T04:23:46Z")
Slurpees are worth taking a round in a non-vital area. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-ubiquitous-chain-in-the-us-the-world/385669.md?page=2)