In a job market where company culture matters more than ever, one fast-food chain continues to stand tall: In-N-Out Burger. The iconic California-based burger joint has claimed the #1 spot for employee satisfaction among major U.S. restaurant chains—for the 10th year in a row.
The ranking comes from an in-depth annual study conducted by investment bank William Blair, which analyzed over 530,000 employee reviews across nearly 90 different restaurant brands over 11 years. The results were published by Nation’s Restaurant News and further detailed by QSR Magazine.
In this year’s findings, 91% of In-N-Out employees said they would recommend working at the chain to a friend—up 5% from the previous year. That kind of employee loyalty is rare, especially in the fast-paced, high-turnover food service industry.
The Top 10 Chains for Employee Satisfaction in 2025
Here’s how the rankings shook out this year:
| Rank | Restaurant Chain | % of Employees Who’d Recommend It |
|---|
| 1 |
In-N-Out |
91% |
| 2 |
Raising Cane’s |
82% |
| 3 |
Dutch Bros |
78% |
| 4 |
Chuy’s |
78% |
| 5 |
Peet’s Coffee & Tea |
76% |
| 6 |
Caribou Coffee |
74% |
| 7 |
Lazy Dog |
74% |
| 8 |
Portillo’s |
73% |
| 9 |
LongHorn Steakhouse |
73% |
| 10 |
Chick-fil-A |
72% |
At the bottom of the list? Hardee’s, ranking 39th overall.
What’s Driving Job Satisfaction?
Interestingly, the study found that pay and benefits weren’t the biggest factors in determining job satisfaction. Instead, the top three drivers were:
While raises and bonuses are nice, they’re not enough to keep employees happy on their own. “Business is tough,” one California fast-food franchise owner told NRN, “but creating a positive culture makes a big difference.”
In-N-Out’s Secret Sauce? Consistency and Culture
In-N-Out is also the only restaurant chain to appear in the top 10 every single year of the study’s 11-year history. That kind of consistency suggests a deeply ingrained culture that prioritizes employee satisfaction.
From hands-on training to clear career advancement opportunities, In-N-Out has built a reputation for treating its workers well—and it’s paying off.
In an industry known for burnout and high turnover, these results are a powerful reminder: when companies invest in their people, it shows.
Frank
