35 Most Famous Fast Food Logos in the US and around the World


 

Fast food restaurants are the most popular restaurants all over the world. Fast food has become the most common choice of food amongst households all over the world. It has grown drastically over the years. Restaurants have seen the demand and have maximally capitalized in this venture. It has resulted in the sprouting of restaurant chains across the globe. These chains try to appeal to the customers with good food, service, and the most critical of all identity. A brand is important. It enables the customer to set it apart from other restaurants and creates a sense of loyalty to it. What is common across the various logos is the use of warm colors. Tones such as orange, reds of all hues, and yellows are used. The tones are associated with comfort, warmth, and coziness. Logos not only aim at appealing to the customers and cultivating familiarity around them. In this list, we are going to take a look at the most iconic fast-food logos from around the world:

1. McDonald’s

This is an American classic. It is one of the biggest restaurant chains in the world, with more than  38,000 locations in over 100 countries. Its logo is simple; golden arches of the letter M on a white background. The letter stands for the company’s and the founder’s surname, Ronald McDonald. In some locations, the former logo which had the ‘M’ on a red background and the name Mcdonald’s embedded on it is still used. Together with the restaurant’s slogan, i’m lovin’, they attract millions of hungry people.

2. Starbucks

Photo by Rafel AL Saadi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/starbucks-stall-grayscale-photo-180066/

This is an American premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Americans love coffee and a visit to Starbucks is done frequently. They say that the coffee at Starbucks is refreshing, the temperature is always right, and relaxing music on speakers in the shop makes it hard not to go back. It seems that not only Americans love their coffee as there are currently more than 32,000 stores in 80 countries. The logo has an unforgettable image, featuring a siren on a simple green background. It is modern and is the most recognizable of various logos in the world.

3. Chick-fil-A

With 2,600 restaurants across 47 states in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, this chicken chain has gone from a cult favorite to a dominating presence on the fast food scene. Its logo is simple but very effective. The words Chick-fil-A are written in red on a white background.  The stylized “C” creates the shape of a chicken, highlighting the main item of the company’s menu. It is modern, elegant, and playful at the same time.

4. Taco Bell

Taco Bell logo. Image by Jon Konrath-Wikimedia

This is a Mexican fast-food restaurant chain. It has experimented with designs of logos over time and I would say it has paid off. The use of purple makes the current logo stand out. Not only is it elegant but also eye-catchy. The logo was based on the name of the Company and its creator, Glen Bell. Customers have always held that the clapper (the part of the bell that rings) was actually in the shape of a taco but it has never been confirmed by the Taco Bell team. Under the bell, the words Taco Bell are written in capital.

5. Burger King

Burger King Logo. Photo by Biso-Wikimedia

Burger King is an American fast-food chain that is famous for its hamburgers and french fries. It operates more than 18,700 locations in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories. It is the 2nd burger chain. During its existence, it has gone through major logo redesigns. In 2021, it was rebranded to feature a bold red wordmark sandwiched between two bun halves. The use of light cream as a background creates a warm friendly look. Brand products, the official website, and mobile apps also took to the new logo.

6. Wendy’s

Wendy’s logo. Image by Jed De La Cruz-Wikimedia

Wendy’s is one of the largest hamburger providers in North America. The company was founded by Dave Thomas. Its logo features a cartoon of a smiling redhead girl. This girl is Dave’s daughter named Melinda Lou but nicknamed Wendy. The logo can be found in over 6500 locations in the world making it the 3rd largest burger chain in the world after Burger King and McDonald’s. The use of the smiling girl makes it friendly and eye catchy. The use of red, light blue, and black on a white background creates a vibrant and attractive contrast. Customers have often depicted that there is a secret word, ‘Mom’ set on the collar of the girl’s top. They have often gone ahead to speculate that it’s a hint of the chain’s attempt to offer the food a home-cooked feel but Wendy’s team says that it was unintentional.

7. Dunkin

Dunkin logo. Image by goodiesfirst –Wikimedia

Dunkin is an American fast food chain famous for donuts and coffee. It was founded by William Rosenberg. It was renamed Dunkin Donuts, from Open Kettle, after he noticed that customers liked dipping their donuts in the coffee. It rebranded in 2018 to prioritize its coffee beverages and speedy service. A new logo came up in a combination of orange and hot pink on a white background. These tones create a happy mood. The words Dunkin appear round and almost plump which instantly captivates as they are almost mouthwatering.

8. Subway

Subway logo. Photo by Håkan Dahlström-Wikimedia

Subway is an American fast-food chain that specializes in sandwiches. Its menu offers limitless sandwich combinations. Fresh food, great marketing strategies, speed, and convenience have helped this restaurant become an international sensation. The logo is popular and that can be attributed to the fact that it has remained the same over the years. The iconic arrows in the logo portray the idea of speed and motion. Subway s great at marketing and its logo can be found everywhere from Subway’s commercials to the papers that they use to wrap the sandwiches in.

9. Dominos Pizza

This pizza powerhouse has stores in over 83 countries and 5,701 cities worldwide. The logo is one of the most literal. It is simply a domino. However,  there is a secret meaning behind the three dots. They represent the original three locations. The company had the plan to include a new dot for every new restaurant. I guess they did not think they would get to have 15,000, right? Thank God they dropped the idea. The colors in the logo are a combination of red, white, and blue. They portray love, energy, and reliability while the shape makes the brand easily recognizable and memorable.

10. Chipotle

Chipotle logo. Image by Mjs92984 –Wikimedia

Chipotle is an American brand with a Mexican flavor. The word Chipotle in the Nahuatl language is a smoked and dried jalapeño chili pepper. It serves only natural foods. Its logo is one of the most compelling logos in the world. It brings to mind the idea of healthy, earthy, and organic food. It features a chili pepper and the brand’s name with colors associated with food; brown white and red. It gives the idea of clean, healthy food cooked with passion. This well-thought logo is in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and France making it one of the high-ranking and richest brands in the world.

11. Pizza Hut

A logo for Pizza Hut. Image by Pizza Hut-Wikimedia

This famous fast food chain has always been associated with bright and strong simplicity. It specializes in pizza and has more than 18,000 locations worldwide. After many variations of the logo over the years, it settled back to an old logo. It features a red hat which was inspired by a hat-like roof of a building.  Below the hat is the brand’s name in black. The red hat evokes warmth and love. The colors red, black, and yellow represent the company’s trust, professionalism, and welcoming nature.

12. Arby’s

Arby’s is an American fast-food sandwich restaurant chain with more than 3,300 restaurants. It is in the same league as McDonald’s and Pizza Hut but looks more humble. The logo is simple and contains few design elements. This makes it easily recognizable and versatile. It is also memorable, relevant, and timeless. It features a cowboy hat and the brand’s name. The hat portrays safety, heroism, power, nobility, and respect. It also associates it with America as cowboy hats are from American West pop culture. The colors are red and white which are common in the food industry.

13. KFC

Image by Denys Vitali from Pixabay

It is an American fast-food chain that specializes in fried chicken. In terms of sales, it is second after McDonald’s. It belongs to Yum! Brands that also own Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. The logo features Colonel Sanders, the founder of the company. The monochrome color pallet makes it stylish and timeless. Its last redesign was done in 2018. The shape was changed and the portrait was refined on a white and red background. It also has three vertical lines and the Colonel’s face in black contour is placed on the white line with KFC written under it. This logo is bright and welcoming and creates a sense of warmth and friendliness.

14. Baskin Robbins

It is an American ice cream chain with more than 8000 locations in nearly 50 countries. it is the most popular brand of ice cream. It is known for its delicious ice cream and pink spoons. A redesign of the logo was done in 2022. the logo features the letters BR in blue and pink. The letters are fun and bright exuding a happy mood. If you look closely you will notice that there is a hidden number 31 in the letters. This represents the 31 flavors of ice cream they have.

15. Cold Stone Creamery

It is an American ice cream parlor chain that offers the ultimate ice cream experience. It also offers ice cream cakes, shakes, and smoothies. It is one of the biggest ice cream chains with over 1300 stores in 20 countries across the world. The logo features ice cream in a cone in red and yellow on a red circle background. Underneath it is the brand’s name in red capital letters shadowed with yellow. It expresses innovation, wild combinations, and a fun colorful personality.

16. DQ

Dairy Queen is an American fast-food chain that specializes in ice cream milkshakes, hot dogs, and French fries. It has more than 7000 locations in the US, Canada, and more than 20 other countries.  The last time the logo was redesigned was in 2007. It is featured by the two letters DQ on a red background in the shape of a lip and an orange line on the upper part of the logo and a blue line on the bottom. It is elegant, confident, and shows love. The two lines vamp up the look by adding energy and representing growth.

17. Krispy Kreme doughnuts

This famous doughnut brand has been in the market for more than 80 years. It has stores in over 1,100 locations and 30 countries.  Its logo is conservative and has had only slight modifications over the years. It is an updated version of the previous logo. It features the brand’s name, Krispy Kreme is beautifully handwritten in red on a white background.  The ‘K’ top left extended to the end of each word. The word doughnuts is written underneath in white on a green background. The three words are then enclosed in a frame that resembles an open book.

18. The Cheesecake Factory

It is legendary just like its cheesecakes and desserts. This popular restaurant is known for its extensive menu and indulgent desserts. The American company has locations all over the world including in UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Mexico, and the Chinese Mainland. The logo is simple but effective. It has the brand name written in gold on a white background. The Windsor font makes it friendly and fun.

19. IHop

Photo by RoFra-Wikimedia

It is an American house of pancakes. Its logo has seen massive changes in the 74 years it has been operational. The latest IHop logo is fun and catchy. It evokes warmth and happy mealtime memories. The brand name is written in a fun font blue on a white background. Below the letters, O and P is a red curved line which makes it appear as a smiley face. It gives a lighter, more modern, and younger aura.

20. Cinnabon

It started as a mission to get the best Cinnabon bun rolls. Now it is available in over 1000 locations and almost 50 countries. It has an extensive menu that teases the customers with amazing Cinnabon bun rolls. The rolls are even available in grocery stores. The logo is simple and the color pallet is different. The brand’s name is written in white and in capital letters enclosed in a deep blue badge with smooth lines and sharp peaks, in a double outline. The letter “C” is enlarged and its tail is curved to represent the shape of the roll.

21. Panera Bread

Panera Bread. Photo by Phillip Pessar-Wikimedia

It is an American food chain that has over 2000 locations all over the US and Canada. Since its opening in 1987, it has had only 5 logos.  What has remained constant in the logo is the woman holding the bread. The current logo has the woman in yellow tint facing the front. Underneath is the brand name. Both are enclosed in a green arch that resembles a piece of bread while some say it looks like the mouth of an oven. The green color stands for the natural products used in their recipes. The logo is mother inspired which makes customers feel at home, loved, and warm.

22. Popeyes

Popeyes. Photo by Tdorante10-Wikimedia

Founded in New Orleans in 1972, and now has over 3,400 restaurants in 25 countries, such as Switzerland, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. It has seen both rainy and sunny days but it has weathered the storm. Presently, it has three logos;  the Popeyes horizontal dancing letters logo (the primary one); the horizontal Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen logo with the fleur-de-lis symbols; the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen seal (a circle containing the fleur-de-lis symbols and the dancing “P” icon). We can agree that all look youthful, fun, happy, and friendly. The colors range from red, orange, and white.

23. Outback Steakhouse

Outback Steakhouse. Photo by CCFoodTravel.com-Wikimedia

It is the home of juicy and delicious steaks, spirited drinks, and Aussie hospitality. The chain has over 1,000 locations in 23 countries throughout North and South America, Asia, and Australia. The logo is quite simple and minimalistic. Its color pallet is red and white to signify warmth and hospitality. It features the word outback and under it the word steakhouse. On top of the brand’s name is a horizon-like image that looks like the top of mountains. They are all in red and on a white background.

24. Olive Garden

Olive Garden logo. Image by Tdorante10-Wikimedia

It is an American chain that serves steaks, salads, pasta, and breadsticks. Its cuisine is Italian with an American touch. It operates 900 locations worldwide. Its logo is hospitable and evokes light fragrant olive oil, pasta, and other Italian dishes. It is inviting and attracts you to their space to enjoy a nice bowl of pasta.

25. Red Lobster

Founded in 1979, this American chain is known for its endless shrimp and affordability. It operates all over the US and is a hit for seafood lovers. It is famous for its consistency in taste and generous portions. The lo has seen changes over time but the iconic red lobster image remains. Currently, the red lobster was smoothened and under it the brand’s name. At last the bottom the words fresh ‘Fish. Live Lobster’ is written then all are enclosed in a black background. This logo screams fresh and delicious. It is attractive and warrants you to try seafood.

26. Sonic

It is an American drive-in fast-food chain since 1953. Its menu consists of hamburgers and French fries as well as onion rings, corn dogs, chili dogs, and breakfast toaster sandwiches. In 2020 it was rebranded and the new look became a hard pill to swallow for its customers. This caused them to change it into a new look. Currently, it features the name of the brand in bright red. Then there is a background shape that has been likened to everything from a dog bone to the Budweiser bowtie. However, the current one is simple and Sonic remains successful being ranked 14th in QSR Magazine’s rankings of the top 50 quick service and fast casual restaurant brands in the nation.

27. Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel. Image by Mike Mozart –Wikimedia

It is an American fast-food chain of restaurants and gift stores with a Southern country theme. Founded in 1969, it has expanded across the US and operates 663 stores in 45 states. Its menu consists of traditional Southern cuisine and stores have the appearance of an old-fashioned general store. The logo shows a white man sitting by a barrel, next to the words ‘Cracker Barrel’. A long line connects one of the ‘R’s in the barrel to the ‘K’ in ‘cracker’. This logo has been caught in controversies. A claim was made that ‘cracker’ means whip in slang and whips were sold out of barrels in country stores. This is a reference to American slavery. The dubious claim went viral and the company stated that it does not condone racism or any other discriminatory acts.

28. Apple Bees

It is an American casual dining with classic drinks and local drafts. Recently it added drive-through windows to satisfy the fast food market. The first logo appeared in 1980 and had the company’s original name, T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles and Elixirs. In 1986, it was replaced by a better version featuring a red apple that has remained the centerpiece ever since. Presently, the logo features the red apple, underneath there is the brand’s name, and below a tagline is ‘Grill & Bar. The tagline was adopted in 2017 and adds a touch of professionalism and elegance. Its whole vibe is playful and attractive. The colors are red and dark grey, almost black.

29. Marrie Callender’s

Marie Calender started by making pies at home and selling them to nearby restaurants. Her pies were so good that demand soured. She opened a small pie and coffee shop which consistently expanded into a chain. However, the company fell into some bad financial times and in 2011, it sold its trademark to Conagra Foods. The pies seem to speak for themselves as the company’s logo has remained the same since 1948. The brand name is written in a green frame which looks like a handkerchief/towel. On the top left it features a grandmother teaching her granddaughter how to make a pie, I presume. At the bottom, the words ‘since 1948’ are connoted. The logo evokes a warm homey feeling. I can almost smell the warm pie. The grandmother makes me picture my nana showing me the ropes in the kitchen years ago. Good memories.

30. Nando’s Peri Peri

It is a Portuguese dining place that is more of a casual restaurant than a fast food chain. It is very popular in the US and is often referred to as just Nando’s. it has over 1000 locations in more than 30 countries all over the world. It specializes in chicken dishes and its signature is peri peri marinade. It is well known for the generous portions that can easily feel a couple! In 2016, the company’s logo got a complete makeover. It features a black chicken with a few modifications. The heart of the chicken is red and pronounced. The solid red tail of the bird has several white dots placed around its perimeter.  The wood mark is ragged giving it an authentic look. We cannot but mention the so-called peri-apostrophe which looks like African bird’s eye chili. This logo tells the restaurant’s story just with one look.

31. Jollibee

It is a Philippine fast food chain with a trademark,  ‘Chicken Joy’ which is a breaded crispy fried chicken meal. It is well known for juice chicken dishes and is a hit with kids. It has an international presence in countries like Canada, the US, Brunei, Qatar, Vietnam, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In the Philippines, it is a giant and often gives McDonald’s and KFC a run for their money. The company’s logo features a Jollibee, which is a large anthropomorphic bee in a chef’s hat, and below it is the brand’s name. The logo is fun, inviting, and optimistic. The idea behind it is that the bee flies around and produces sweet things in life, and is happy regardless of being busy.

32. Freshii

It is a Canadian fast-food chain that is all about healthy food choices. It offers freshly made burritos, wraps, soups, frozen yogurt, and salads. It has stores in the US, Austria, and the United Arabs Emirates. The company’s logo is simple and screams fresh. The woodwork is on a green background and is written in simple geometric text.

33. Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

Little ship in Mangolian Hotpot. Image by Shwangtianyuan-Wikimedia

It is a Chinese Mongolian fast food chain that serves delicious hot pot dishes. It has stores in China, Taiwan, Japan, the US, the UK, and Canada. It serves lamb, beef, and other specials paired with Mongolian wine. It offers great take-out options as we know hot pots are great for groups as well as in cold weather. Its logo features a white happy-looking lamb on a circular border with the brand’s name written in white on a green background.

34. Giraffas

Founded in Brazil this fast food chain has steadily grown to 358 stores and serves one of the best burgers there is. It has locations in both Paraguay and Miami. Their hamburgers are unique in that they have a fried egg on top. Another popular choice on its menu is black beans with rice. Orders in the restaurant are taken over the counters and served on open plates. Its logo features two white giraffes on a yellow circular border. The brand’s name is connoted in yellow. This logo evokes fun, friendliness, and freshness at the same time.

35. Pollo Campero

POLLO CAMPERO. Photo by baldov-Wikimedia

Founded in Guatemala, this fast food chain offers the best in Latin American cuisine. It has locations in New Jersey, Shanghai, El Salvador, and Spain. The Guatemalans often refer it to Pollo Ganjero. Its logo has come from far with old-fashioned variations over the years. Now, it is modern, simple, and speaks volumes. It features the brand’s name ‘Pollo’ in white and underneath it ‘Campero’ in yellow. The names are on two green and red overlapped rectangular shapes. These colors and the simplistic overall look evoke a relaxed environment where anyone would love to chill and enjoy their wide range of chicken!