As the Q1 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the traditional fast food industry, including Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) and its peers.

Traditional fast-food restaurants are renowned for their speed and convenience, boasting menus filled with familiar and budget-friendly items. Their reputations for on-the-go consumption make them favored destinations for individuals and families needing a quick meal. This class of restaurants, however, is fighting the perception that their meals are unhealthy and made with inferior ingredients, a battle that's especially relevant today given the consumers increasing focus on health and wellness.

The 12 traditional fast food stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.4%.

While some traditional fast food stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 3.5% since the latest earnings results.

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX)

Started by three friends in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is a globally-renowned coffeehouse chain that offers a wide selection of high-quality coffee, beverages, and food items.

Starbucks reported revenues of $9.53 billion, up 8.8% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 4.3%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 9.7% since reporting and currently trades at $106.73.

Is now the time to buy Starbucks? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO)

With a name that translates into ‘The Crazy Chicken’, El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO) is a fast food chain known for its citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken recipe that hails from the coastal town of Sinaloa, Mexico.

El Pollo Loco reported revenues of $126.2 million, up 5.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.2%. The business had a stunning quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA and revenue estimates.

However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $13.52.

Is now the time to buy El Pollo Loco? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Papa John's (NASDAQ: PZZA)

Founded by the eclectic John “Papa John” Schnatter, Papa John’s (NASDAQ: PZZA) is a globally recognized pizza delivery and carryout chain known for “better ingredients” and “better pizza”.

Papa John's reported revenues of $478.6 million, down 7.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and revenue estimates.

Papa John's delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 4.2% since the results and currently trades at $35.21.

Read our full analysis of Papa John’s results here.

Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN)

Founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, Wendy’s (NASDAQ: WEN) is a renowned fast-food chain known for its fresh, never-frozen beef burgers, flavorful menu options, and commitment to quality.

Wendy's reported revenues of $540.6 million, up 3.3% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also put up an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA and revenue estimates.

Wendy's scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The stock is up 16.6% since reporting and currently trades at $8.11.

Read our full, actionable report on Wendy's here, it’s free.

Restaurant Brands (NYSE: QSR)

Formed through a strategic merger, Restaurant Brands International (NYSE: QSR) is a multinational corporation that owns three iconic fast-food chains: Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes.

Restaurant Brands reported revenues of $2.26 billion, up 7.3% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. It was a strong quarter as it also logged a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and same-store sales in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 6.3% since reporting and currently trades at $76.49.

Read our full, actionable report on Restaurant Brands here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.