In 2024, Starbucks was the highest-valued restaurant brand worldwide, with a brand value of 60.7 billion U.S. dollars. McDonald's ranked second with 38 billion dollars in brand value.
Starbucks tops restaurant brands worldwide
Starbucks is a coffee company and global coffee house chain based in the United States. The company opened its first store in Seattle in 1971 and rapidly expanded globally. As of 2023, the number of Starbucks stores reached over 38 thousand locations worldwide. These stores play an essential role in Starbucks' success and appeal. Not only can customers meet and enjoy their drinks inside, but they can also use the space to work remotely. Furthermore, the company has also revamped the image of to-go beverages. As photos of celebrities carrying branded cups in various sizes have flooded the internet in recent years, holding a Starbucks cup has become somewhat of a status symbol to many consumers – even though the product might not stand out from other beverages in terms of quality.
Quick service restaurant giant: McDonald’s
In 2023, McDonald's was one of the largest companies worldwide by market capitalization. The company, whose logo with the golden arches is recognizable around the world, has been dominating the fast-food scene for many decades. Some of the fast-food franchise's most well-known celebrity endorsem*nts over the years have included singers, actors, and athletes like Kobe Bryant, Tony Hawk, and K-pop group BTS. In 2023, the quick service restaurant (QSR) chain’s global advertising spending amounted to approximately 389 million dollars.