Brandwave

Fried chicken chains:Which are searched most?

In September 2026, KFC was the most searched among fried chicken chains worldwide, with an estimated 24.9M branded searches and 80.2% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. KFC80.2%
  2. Popeyes19.7%
  3. Nando's0.14%

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Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the fried chicken chains people order from. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for KFC, Popeyes. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthKFCPopeyesNando's
Oct 202576.8%23.1%0.17%
Nov 202576.8%23.1%0.17%
Dec 202580.1%19.7%0.13%
Jan 202676.8%23.1%0.15%
Feb 202680.1%19.7%0.16%
Mar 202676.8%23.1%0.15%
Apr 202676.8%23.1%0.15%
May 202680.1%19.7%0.18%
Jun 202680.1%19.7%0.16%
Jul 202680.1%19.7%0.16%
Aug 202683.1%16.7%0.13%
Sep 202680.2%19.7%0.14%

This month’s ranking, September 2026

  1. 1.KFC

    80.2%

    Held 1st. 24.9M estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -3 points.

  2. 2.Popeyes

    19.7%

    Held 2nd. 6.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +3 points.

  3. 3.Nando's

    0.14%

    Held 3rd. 44.4K estimated branded searches, -9.9% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare search popularity between leading brands

Which brand is most popular in search among fried chicken chains worldwide?

In September 2026, KFC was the most searched among fried chicken chains worldwide, with an estimated 24.9M branded searches and 80.2% estimated Share of Search within this set. Popeyes is in 2nd place, 60.5 percentage points behind at 19.7% Share of Search.

Global fried chicken chains, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
KFC76.8% → 80.2%83.1%Aug 202676.8%Oct 20251st
Popeyes23.1% → 19.7%23.1%Jan 202616.7%Aug 20262nd
Nando's0.17% → 0.14%0.18%May 20260.13%Dec 20253rd

Each finding as a sentence

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide increased from 76.8% to 80.2%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Popeyes’ estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide decreased from 23.1% to 19.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide peaked at 83.1% in August 2026 and was lowest at 76.8% in October 2025.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Popeyes’ estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide peaked at 23.1% in January 2026 and was lowest at 16.7% in August 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nando's held steady: its estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

How did search popularity change for fried chicken chains worldwide in September 2026?

  1. In September 2026, Popeyes gained estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide, from 16.7% to 19.7%.

  2. In September 2026, KFC lost estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide, from 83.1% to 80.2%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Nando's worldwide fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 54.2K to 44.4K in September 2026.

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