Ranking · Q3 2026
The most AI-advanced franchises in 2026
Ranked by the verified AI Adoption Score across 58 tracked global franchise systems. McDonald's leads at 87/100; the industry average is 63/100. Every score is sourced and free to cite.
McDonald's
87/100QSR / Fast Food · North America · 45,356 units
Tested automated voice ordering with IBM in more than 100 U.S. drive-thrus, then ended the test, with the technology switched off no later than 26 July 2024
Starbucks
85/100QSR / Coffee & Bakery · North America · 40,990 units
Green Dot Assist, a generative-AI barista assistant built with Microsoft Azure OpenAI, piloted in 35 U.S. stores from June 2025 and was among the new tools Starbucks says it launched during fiscal 2025.
Domino's
83/100QSR / Fast Food · North America · 22,142 units
Tested DOM, an AI voice-recognition assistant that takes phone orders, in 20 U.S. stores in April 2018
Marriott
81/100Hospitality · North America · 9,805 units
Ask Bonvoy, an AI-powered search experience for trip discovery, launched in beta in June 2026 on Marriott.com and the Marriott Bonvoy app, with a full global release planned for later in 2026
KFC
79/100QSR / Fast Food · North America · 33,897 units
Yum China introduced an AI menu at KFC in China that gives personalized menu recommendations (announced March 2019)
Hilton
79/100Hospitality · North America · 9,158 units
Hilton AI Planner: a generative AI-powered digital concierge for trip planning, launched in beta on hilton.com in March 2026 to a small pool of U.S. site traffic
Taco Bell
78/100QSR / Fast Food · North America · 9,030 units
Voice AI drive-thru ordering in more than 890 U.S. restaurants across 38 states, from a partnership with Omilia that began in 2023 — figures published by the vendor in July 2026
Wendy's
76/100QSR / Fast Food · North America · 7,397 units
FreshAI drive-thru voice ordering, piloted with Google Cloud in Columbus, Ohio from June 2023 and live at more than 160 U.S. restaurants by May 2025, with franchisees piloting it from 2024 and a target of 500-plus locations by the end of 2025
7-Eleven
74/100Convenience Retail · APAC · 86,939 units
AI ordering system forecasts demand using weather, day-of-week, and past sales data to set per-store stock levels; rolled out to all Seven-Eleven Japan stores from 2023, cutting order-related work time by about 40%.
IHG Hotels
74/100Hospitality · Europe · 6,963 units
Announced (Apr 2024) a Google Cloud-built generative AI trip planner for the IHG One Rewards app, using Vertex AI and Gemini models, targeted for H2 2024 launch.
Full ranking — all 58 systems
| # | Brand | Sector | AI Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McDonald's | QSR / Fast Food | 87/100 |
| 2 | Starbucks | QSR / Coffee & Bakery | 85/100 |
| 3 | Domino's | QSR / Fast Food | 83/100 |
| 4 | Marriott | Hospitality | 81/100 |
| 5 | KFC | QSR / Fast Food | 79/100 |
| 6 | Hilton | Hospitality | 79/100 |
| 7 | Taco Bell | QSR / Fast Food | 78/100 |
| 8 | Wendy's | QSR / Fast Food | 76/100 |
| 9 | 7-Eleven | Convenience Retail | 74/100 |
| 10 | IHG Hotels | Hospitality | 74/100 |
| 11 | Wingstop | QSR / Fast Food | 72/100 |
| 12 | Chick-fil-A | QSR / Fast Food | 72/100 |
| 13 | Anytime Fitness | Fitness / Wellness | 71/100 |
| 14 | FamilyMart | Convenience Retail | 71/100 |
| 15 | Accor | Hospitality | 70/100 |
| 16 | Lawson | Convenience Retail | 70/100 |
| 17 | MINISO | Retail / Lifestyle | 69/100 |
| 18 | Choice Hotels | Hospitality | 69/100 |
| 19 | RE/MAX | Real Estate | 68/100 |
| 20 | Wyndham | Hospitality | 68/100 |
| 21 | Burger King | QSR / Fast Food | 67/100 |
| 22 | Home Instead | Health / Senior Care | 67/100 |
| 23 | Pizza Hut | QSR / Fast Food | 66/100 |
| 24 | Keller Williams | Real Estate | 66/100 |
| 25 | H&R Block | Tax & Business Services | 66/100 |
| 26 | Carrefour | Retail / Grocery | 66/100 |
| 27 | Papa John's | QSR / Fast Food | 65/100 |
| 28 | Circle K | Convenience Retail | 64/100 |
| 29 | F45 Training | Fitness / Wellness | 63/100 |
| 30 | Tim Hortons | QSR / Coffee & Bakery | 63/100 |
| 31 | Popeyes | QSR / Fast Food | 62/100 |
| 32 | Dunkin' | QSR / Coffee & Bakery | 61/100 |
| 33 | Kumon | Education | 61/100 |
| 34 | Century 21 | Real Estate | 60/100 |
| 35 | Paris Baguette | QSR / Coffee & Bakery | 59/100 |
| 36 | Neighborly | Home Services | 59/100 |
| 37 | O Boticário | Retail / Beauty | 59/100 |
| 38 | Subway | QSR / Fast Food | 58/100 |
| 39 | Best Western | Hospitality | 58/100 |
| 40 | Ace Hardware | Retail / Hardware | 57/100 |
| 41 | Little Caesars | QSR / Fast Food | 56/100 |
| 42 | Jollibee | QSR / Fast Food | 55/100 |
| 43 | The UPS Store | Business Services | 55/100 |
| 44 | Snap Fitness | Fitness / Wellness | 54/100 |
| 45 | Tous les Jours | QSR / Coffee & Bakery | 54/100 |
| 46 | Gong cha | F&B / Bubble Tea | 53/100 |
| 47 | Mathnasium | Education | 52/100 |
| 48 | Krispy Kreme | QSR / Coffee & Bakery | 52/100 |
| 49 | SERVPRO | Restoration Services | 52/100 |
| 50 | Chatime | F&B / Bubble Tea | 51/100 |
| 51 | Dairy Queen | F&B / Ice Cream | 50/100 |
| 52 | Guardian | Health & Pharmacy | 49/100 |
| 53 | Planet Fitness | Fitness / Wellness | 49/100 |
| 54 | Five Guys | QSR / Fast Food | 48/100 |
| 55 | Baskin-Robbins | F&B / Ice Cream | 47/100 |
| 56 | Crestcom | B2B / Leadership Training | 45/100 |
| 57 | Kiddie Academy | Education / Childcare | 44/100 |
| 58 | Jan-Pro | Commercial Cleaning | 43/100 |
Verified 2026-07-12. Methodology: How we score AI adoption → · Browse by the full Index →
Unit counts, growth rates and founding years are approximate public figures compiled from company reports and press (2025–26). They are published by third parties, compiled as-is, and may change; we do not independently verify the underlying data — check the company’s own filing before acting on it. The AI Adoption Score is FranchisePulse’s own editorial metric (operations 35% · data infrastructure 30% · marketing 20% · training 15%), not a measured industry statistic — see the open methodology. For reference only; not legal, tax, or investment advice.