Top Fast Food Chains in Canada – Location Analysis

Over the past five years, fast food chains in Canada has been growing despite changing consumer tastes and increased internal competition. The fast food industry is thriving and is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 3.4%.

We looked into the locations of top fast food chains in Canada – Tim Hortons, Subway, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, KFC, Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, and Burger King.

Which is the biggest fast food chain in Canada?

Tim Hortons is the biggest fast food chain in Canada. Sandwich chain Subway comes second with 3,148 locations.

More fast food locations do not necessarily mean higher sales, as McDonald’s and Starbucks earn more revenue than Subway.

Which Canadian cities have most fast food locations?

Toronto is the city with most number of fast food chains in Canada with 758 stores followed by Calgary (578) and Edmonton (475).

Ontario has the most number of fast food locations than any other province. In the chart above, 6 out of 15 cities are in Ontario.

Tim Hortons Locations Canada

Tim Hortons has 4,286 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of locations are Ontario (2,070), Quebec (676), and Alberta (479).

Tim Hortons, known as the iconic coffee brand of Canada is facing stiff competition. Over the years, Starbucks and McDonalds’s McCafe have stolen a large slice of the coffee market from Tim Hortons.

Subway Locations Canada

Subway has 3,148 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of Subway locations are Ontario (1,210), Quebec (628), and British Columbia (432). Subway is the largest fast-food company in the world by store count.

Starbucks Locations Canada

Starbucks has 1,577 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of Starbucks locations are Ontario (641), British Columbia (398), and Alberta (281). The city with the most number of locations is Toronto, holding 12% of total Starbucks locations.

Canada ranks second with the most number of Starbucks locations after the US, but ranks higher than US when it comes to overall coffee consumption.

McDonald’s Locations Canada

There are 1,475 McDonald’s restaurants in Canada, an increase of 80 stores since 2018. The provinces with the most number of stores are Ontario (520), Quebec (334), and British Columbia (197).

McDonald’s is bringing its plant-based burger, made in partnership with Beyond Meat, to locations in Ontario.

Dairy Queen Locations Canada

Dairy Queen, the restaurant that sells ice cream and hamburgers, has 689 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of locations are Ontario (217), Alberta (150), and British Columbia (117).

10% of total Dairy Queen locations worldwide are located in Canada.

KFC Locations Canada

KFC has 569 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of locations are Ontario (248), Alberta (94), and British Columbia (61).

KFC has expanded its online ordering options as part of a plan to have digital sales exceed offline sales. Customers who search for a KFC location on Google Search or Google Maps will begin to see buttons to order for pick-up or delivery, allowing them to place an order without having to visit KFC’s website or open a food delivery app.

Dominos Locations Canada

Dominos Pizza has 530 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of locations are Ontario (241), Alberta (88), and British Columbia (85).

Pizza Hut Locations Canada

Pizza Hut has 430 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of locations are Ontario (188), Alberta (86), and British Columbia (77).

Wendy’s Locations Canada

Wendy’s has 383 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of locations are Ontario (199), Alberta (72), and British Columbia (51).

Burger King Locations Canada

Burger King has 290 locations in Canada. The provinces with the most number of locations are Ontario (121), British Columbia (41), and Quebec (35).

Burger King’s parent company Restaurant Brands International plans to open 100 stores in Ontario and Manitoba in the next five years.

Shift in Consumer Dining Habits

Consumer dining habits are significantly changing as Canadians continue to shift their focus to more environment-friendly living. Fast food chains in Canada are following suit by offering products that promote health and sustainability for 2020. In the case of faux-meat Canadian consumers have already had a chance to develop a palate for it, as several restaurant chains have introduced plant-based items.

Starbucks, McDonalds and Subway have started introducing Beyond Meat plant-based sandwiches on their menu. In Jan 2020, Impossible Foods passed the safety and health regulations in Canada and can now sell its products, such as the Impossible Whopper at Burger King. With many consumers trying to avoid animal-based sources, the opportunity for fast food companies emerges to shift focus to developing and producing alternate types of food.