Revealed: The US restaurant chains with the happiest employees

Business & Finance
12 Jun 2025 • 5:37 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • A William Blair study, encompassing over 530,000 reviews across nearly 90 restaurant chains, has revealed the U.S. restaurant chains with the highest and lowest employee satisfaction rates.
  • In-N-Out ranked first for the tenth consecutive year, with 91% of employees recommending their job to a friend, a 5% increase from last year.
  • Raising Cane’s secured the second position with 82% of employees recommending their job, while Dutch Bros and Chuy’s tied for third at 78%.
  • Peet’s Coffee & Tea ranked fourth (76%), and Caribou Coffee and Lazy Dog tied for fifth (75%).
  • McDonald’s had a 60% recommendation rate, while Dunkin’ Donuts had 44%; Chipotle, Wendy’s, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Pret-A-Manger, and Red Lobster all had rates of 53% or less.
  • The study indicated that while wages have increased, non-monetary factors like culture, values, and work-life balance are more strongly correlated with employee satisfaction.

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