Popeyes has fallen behind several of its biggest competitors in the latest customer satisfaction rankings, signaling new challenges for the popular fried chicken chain as rivals continue to improve the dining experience.
According to the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Popeyes earned a score of 73 out of 100, down 3% from last year. The decline gave the chain the lowest customer satisfaction score among major national chicken restaurant brands included in the report.
Rivals move ahead
While Popeyes lost ground, several competitors posted gains. Chick-fil-A remained the highest-rated chicken chain with a score of 83, despite losing its overall No. 1 ranking to Jersey Mike’s. KFC improved 4% to 80, while Raising Cane’s debuted with a score of 79 and Wingstop entered the rankings at 77.
The ACSI survey is based on responses from more than 16,000 consumers collected between April 2025 and March 2026. Participants rated restaurants on factors including food quality, order accuracy, speed of service, staff courtesy, cleanliness, mobile app performance, and overall value. The report found that customers increasingly value consistency and the overall dining experience, not just low prices.
Sales have also softened
The lower satisfaction score comes as Popeyes faces slowing business performance. Parent company Restaurant Brands International reported that Popeyes’ comparable U.S. sales fell 6.5% during the first quarter of 2026, a steeper decline than executives had anticipated.
Company leaders said they are introducing new strategic initiatives designed to return the brand to positive comparable sales growth during the second half of the year.
Despite the recent setback, Popeyes remains one of the nation’s largest chicken chains with thousands of locations worldwide. The latest rankings suggest the brand has an opportunity to strengthen customer loyalty by improving consistency, service, and value as competition in the fast-food chicken category continues to intensify.
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