Australia: number of locations of popular fast food restaurants 2024

As of February 2024, international fast food giants Subway and McDonald's were the quick service restaurant brands with the highest number of locations across Australia, with over 1,200 Subway locations and over 1,030 McDonald's locations recorded. While the number of Nando's restaurants has been growing in some countries, such as England, where the brand is highly popular, the number of locations across Australia has been shrinking over the past few years. Guzman y Gomez, on the other hand, witnessed a rise in store openings in Australia due to a growing appetite for Mexican food across the country.

Will Wendy’s take Australia’s QSR market by storm?

Australia’s quick service restaurants (QSRs) are popular among consumers due to their convenient and affordable meal offerings served at a rapid pace. In 2023, the country’s fast food and takeaway food services revenue reached over 23 billion Australian dollars, marking the highest revenue recorded in the past decade. Large international fast-food brands, such as McDonald’s and KFC, dominate Australia’s QSR landscape. Nonetheless, local brands, including Red Rooster and Grill’d, also draw in many customers. With American fast-food outlet Wendy’s set to break into the Australian marketplace by 2025, the country’s QSR market could become even more competitive, with the company set to open around 200 stores. In the coming years, taste, affordability, speed of service, variety of food, and collaboration with food delivery platforms will be pivotal to the success of QSRs across the country.

Are Australian consumers’ appetite for fast food decreasing?

While fast food consumption remains high across Australia, many consumers are becoming more health-conscious and, as a result, are demanding more ‘healthy’ but convenient meals from fast-food outlets. Furthermore, several consumers disapprove of the fast-food industry’s marketing of junk food during children’s viewing hours as well as at sports games. In a survey conducted in 2023 among parents in Western Australia, over three-quarters of participants indicated that they believe televised coverage of sports games should be free from junk food advertising for the sake of children’s health.