It’s not surprising that major fast-food chains build their menus around burgers, chicken, and other beef-based offerings. Beverage-based chains and one pizza chain are, of course, exceptions, but most of the QSR 50 2025: Top 50 Fast-Food Chains, Ranked by Sales have a menu based on those staples.
-
McDonald’s: $53.5 billion in US sales (rank #1)
-
Starbucks: $30.4 billion (rank #2)
-
Chick-fil-A: $22.7 billion (rank #3)
-
Taco Bell: $16.2 billion (rank #4)
-
Wendy’s: $12.6 billion (rank #5)
-
Dunkin’: $12.5 billion (rank #6)
-
Chipotle Mexican Grill: $11.1 billion (rank #7)
-
Burger King: $10.98 billion (rank #8)
-
Subway: $9.65 billion (rank #9)
-
Domino’s: $9.50 billion (rank #10)
Note that there is no seafood chain on the list. In general, in all restaurant categories, seafood consumption decreased.
“It was not a good year for the seafood segment. Even if you factor in Red Lobster, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2024 and saw sales decline by 20.2%, the other 21 seafood chains within the Top 500 brought in $63 million, or about 1.6%, less than they did, according to 2023. Growth of 3% for the industry as a whole,” Nation’s Restaurant News reported.
There was a time when Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips brought British style fish and chips all over America. The brand has fallen far from its peak with only three stand-alone restaurants remaining, but its new ownership has plans.
The brand was acquired by Nathan’s Famous in 2006, according to QSR Magazine. He tried to bring it back under a new model of selling his food through ghost kitchens.
“Arthur Treacher’s, which was founded in 1969, offers hand-dipped fish, chicken, and French fries. The menu, which has been revamped by Nathan’s Famous, will highlight the brand’s traditional menu items while also featuring updated proteins, a more contemporary building, and includes a focus on shrimp in a share of the company’s press release, “.
More Restaurants
The ghost kitchen brand still exists, and a handful of places offer it, according to a search on DoorDash.
Additionally, Pat Franchise Systems, which operates the three remaining Arthur Treacher Fish & Chips Ohio locations, has licensed the name back from Nathan’s Famous.
-
Founded in 1969 in Columbus, OhioArthur Treacher’s grew rapidly as a British-style fish and chip fast-food chain popular in the 1970s. At its peak in 1979 the chain had approx 826 restaurants nationwideaccording to Money Digest.
-
Over the following decades, the chain’s footprint has shrunk dramatically as changing consumer tastes and supply challenges impact its business. By the 2010s only a few restaurants remained, with reports indicating only a few locations before a recent revival, Mashed added.
-
The chain saw a dramatic contraction over decades after the 1970s due to rising costs, ownership changes, and changing consumer tastes, Money Digest reported.
-
From 2025there there are only three solo Arthur Treacher posts left in the United States, all in Northeast Ohio: Cuyahoga Falls, Garfield Heights, and Cleveland Heightsthe franchised version of the brand shared on its website.
It is safe to say that the brand has never competed with McDonald’s or Burger King directly. It was an alternative to traditional fast food like Chick-fil-A or Taco Bell, but it didn’t have the staying power of any of those brands.
Amazon Prime members: Don’t miss this bonus deal from our sponsor (could be worth hundreds)
Arthur Treacher’s fell victim to challenges that were somewhat out of his control.
“Just a few years after its rapid rise, however, Arthur Treacher’s was in trouble due to foreign policy. A territorial dispute over fishing rights between Iceland and the UK sent the cost of cod soaring, drastically affecting the price of the chain’s signature dish,” Mashed reported.
That marked the beginning of the chain’s demise.
“As the complicated history of Arthur Treacher reveals, this moment marked the beginning of its long decline. Like many other seafood chains that are disappearing around the country (among them Kona Grill and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.), this restaurant chain could not withstand rising costs and changing eating habits”, added the food website.
How Arthur Treacher’s responded to the rise in cod prices also hurt its brand.
“The company made a fatal – and now perhaps infamous – move when it replaced the brand’s cod fillets with pollock. The decision saved money, but, according to some, it deteriorated the main equity of Arthur Treacher and turned off loyal guests,” reported QSR Magazine.
Ben Vittoria, owner of Arthur Treacher, closed one of his stores in June 2021.
“I didn’t close because business was bad,” Vittoria shared with Cleveland Scene. “What Covid couldn’t do and whatever corporate mismanagement couldn’t do, the recent labor crisis could do. It’s become increasingly difficult to operate our restaurants.”
New owner Nathan’s Famous has high hopes for the revival of the ghost kitchen.
“We are thrilled to provide operators across the country with the opportunity to add Arthur Treacher’s to their portfolio,” said Senior Vice President James Walker in a press release. “Nathan’s Famous and Arthur Treacher’s have a long relationship and we have worked diligently to maintain the brand’s traditional menu items.”
Related: Struggling bakery, cafe chain quietly shutters dozens of locations
=
This story was originally published by TheStreet on December 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Restaurants section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.