Brandwave

Chick-fil-A vs Nando's:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Chick-fil-A had more branded searches than Nando's among fried chicken chains worldwide. Chick-fil-A had about 24.9 million branded searches, while Nando's had 44,400. Chick-fil-A made up 42.8% of all fried chicken chain searches we track, and Nando's accounted for 0.08%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about fried chicken chains, Chick-fil-A appeared in all three answers and Nando's in none.

Among fried chicken chains worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Chick-fil-A, about 561 searches for every 1 for Nando's

Chick-fil-A 24.9M searchesNando's 44.4K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Chick-fil-A, mentioned in every answer we collected

Chick-fil-A in 3 of 3Nando's in 0 of 3

Who does AI recommend more?

Chick-fil-A, the only one of the two named

Chick-fil-A first in 3Nando's never named

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Top fried chicken chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Chick-fil-A appeared in all three answers. Nando's did not appear in any of the three answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Popeyes1st
  2. Chick-fil-A2nd
  3. Raising Cane’s3rd
  4. KFC4th
  5. Nando's–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Chick-fil-A3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • KFC3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Popeyes3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Raising Cane’s2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Nando's0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

See every answer about fried chicken chains

3 answers
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which fried chicken chain should I shop at?”

    1. 1Popeyes
    2. 2Chick-fil-A
    3. 3KFC
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best fried chicken chains?”

    1. 1Popeyes
    2. 2Chick-fil-A
    3. 3Raising Cane’s
    4. 4KFC
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best fried chicken chain for a quick dinner?”

    1. 1Popeyes
    2. 2Chick-fil-A
    3. 3Raising Cane’s
    4. 4KFC
  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “fried chicken chains”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “best fried chicken”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is Chick-fil-A or Nando's more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Chick-fil-A and Nando's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five fried chicken chains we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Chick-fil-A and Nando's among fried chicken chains worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Chick-fil-A, Nando's. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthChick-fil-AKFCPopeyesRaising Cane’sNando's
Oct 202542.1%42.1%12.6%3.1%0.09%
Nov 202537%45.2%13.6%4.1%0.1%
Dec 202538.3%46.7%11.5%3.4%0.08%
Jan 202641.8%41.8%12.6%3.8%0.08%
Feb 202638%46.4%11.4%4.2%0.09%
Mar 202641.8%41.8%12.6%3.8%0.08%
Apr 202642.1%42.1%12.6%3.1%0.08%
May 202642.8%42.8%10.5%3.8%0.09%
Jun 202643.1%43.1%10.6%3.2%0.09%
Jul 202643.1%43.1%10.6%3.2%0.09%
Aug 202639.1%47.7%9.6%3.5%0.08%
Sep 202642.8%42.8%10.5%3.8%0.08%

How has the Chick-fil-A and Nando's comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Chick-fil-A was ahead of Nando's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chick-fil-A’s share of searches among fried chicken chains worldwide moved from 42.1% to 42.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 24.9M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nando's’ share of searches among fried chicken chains worldwide moved from 0.09% to 0.08%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 54.2K to 44.4K.

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

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, Chick-fil-A overtook KFC to become the leader among fried chicken chains worldwide, with 42.8% of the searches.

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

How are branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Chick-fil-A’s and Nando's’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Chick-fil-A

2 branded search terms

  • chick fil a
  • chickfila

Nando's

2 branded search terms

  • nando s
  • nandos chicken

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among fried chicken chains

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