Brandwave

Fast food chains in New Zealand:Which brands are most popular in search?

In August 2026, KFC was the most searched among fast food chains in New Zealand, with an estimated 301K branded searches and 28.5% estimated Share of Search within this set.

Share of Search, August 2026
  1. KFC28.5%
  2. McDonald's26.1%
  3. Burger King14.5%
  4. Taco Bell6.9%
  5. Subway4.9%
  6. Wendy's4.4%
  7. Popeyes3.9%
  8. Carl's Jr.3.4%
  9. Pita Pit2.9%
  10. Nando's2.8%
  11. +2 more

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Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the fast food chains New Zealanders choose between for burgers, chicken, subs and tacos. 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 fast food chains in New Zealand, by month

Share of Search by month for KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, Wendy's, Popeyes, Carl's Jr., Pita Pit, Nando's. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthKFCMcDonald'sBurger KingTaco BellSubwayWendy'sPopeyesCarl's Jr.Pita PitNando'sZambreroMexicali Fresh
Oct 202534%25.7%14.5%4.4%3.8%3.9%3.5%3.8%2.7%2.1%0.83%0.62%
Nov 202531%28.5%13.5%4.8%4.2%4.2%3.8%3%3.1%2.2%0.93%0.66%
Dec 202528.2%31.8%13.5%6%4.2%3.9%3.4%2.5%2.7%2.1%1%0.59%
Jan 202623.8%32.5%14.8%6.4%4.8%4.4%3.7%2.8%3.1%2.2%0.93%0.65%
Feb 202625.8%32.1%14.2%6%4.3%3.9%3.4%3%3.5%2.2%1%0.7%
Mar 202625.2%31.1%14.3%6.1%5.1%4.7%3.3%2.9%3.3%2.4%0.99%0.67%
Apr 202625.5%31.4%14.4%6.2%5%4%3.6%3%2.8%2.5%0.99%0.57%
May 202627.4%27.1%16.7%6.4%4.4%3.9%3.7%3.1%2.8%2.8%1%0.6%
Jun 202628.8%25.8%15.5%6.7%4.7%4.2%3.8%3.3%2.8%2.7%1%0.62%
Jul 202629.1%25.9%14.4%7.3%4.6%4.4%3.7%3.3%2.9%2.9%0.94%0.64%
Aug 202628.5%26.1%14.5%6.9%4.9%4.4%3.9%3.4%2.9%2.8%0.95%0.67%
Sep 2026————————————

This month’s ranking, August 2026

  1. 1.KFC

    28.5%

    held 1st · 301K estimated branded searches · -4.2% vs prior month · -0.5 points

  2. 2.McDonald's

    26.1%

    held 2nd · 276K estimated branded searches · -1.5% vs prior month · +0.2 points

  3. 3.Burger King

    14.5%

    held 3rd · 153K estimated branded searches · -1.4% vs prior month · +0.1 points

  4. 4.Taco Bell

    6.9%

    held 4th · 72.9K estimated branded searches · -7.5% vs prior month · -0.4 points

  5. 5.Subway

    4.9%

    held 5th · 51.3K estimated branded searches · +2.4% vs prior month · +0.2 points

  6. 6.Wendy's

    4.4%

    held 6th · 46.9K estimated branded searches · -1.6% vs prior month · 0 points

  7. 7.Popeyes

    3.9%

    held 7th · 41.2K estimated branded searches · +4% vs prior month · +0.2 points

  8. 8.Carl's Jr.

    3.4%

    held 8th · 36.1K estimated branded searches · -0.08% vs prior month · +0.1 points

  9. 9.Pita Pit

    2.9%

    moved from 10th to 9th · 31K estimated branded searches · +0.62% vs prior month · +0.1 points

  10. 10.Nando's

    2.8%

    moved from 9th to 10th · 29.2K estimated branded searches · -7.7% vs prior month · -0.2 points

  11. 11.Zambrero

    0.95%

    held 11th · 10K estimated branded searches · -2.3% vs prior month · 0 points

  12. 12.Mexicali Fresh

    0.67%

    held 12th · 7.1K estimated branded searches · +2.3% vs prior month · 0 points

Compare search popularity between leading brands

Which brand is most popular in search among fast food chains in New Zealand?

In August 2026, KFC was the most searched among fast food chains in New Zealand, with an estimated 301K branded searches and 28.5% estimated Share of Search within this set. McDonald's is in 2nd place, 2.4 percentage points behind at 26.1% Share of Search.

New Zealand fast food chains, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
KFC34% → 28.5%34%Oct 202523.8%Jan 20261st
McDonald's25.7% → 26.1%32.5%Jan 202625.7%Oct 20252nd
Burger King14.5%16.7%May 202613.5%Nov 20253rd
Taco Bell4.4% → 6.9%7.3%Jul 20264.4%Oct 20254th
Subway3.8% → 4.9%5.1%Mar 20263.8%Oct 20257th → 5th
Wendy's3.9% → 4.4%4.7%Mar 20263.9%Dec 20255th → 6th
Popeyes3.5% → 3.9%3.9%Aug 20263.3%Mar 20268th → 7th
Carl's Jr.3.8% → 3.4%3.8%Oct 20252.5%Dec 20256th → 8th
Pita Pit2.7% → 2.9%3.5%Feb 20262.7%Dec 20259th
Nando's2.1% → 2.8%2.9%Jul 20262.1%Dec 202510th
Zambrero0.83% → 0.95%1%Jun 20260.83%Oct 202511th
Mexicali Fresh0.62% → 0.67%0.7%Feb 20260.57%Apr 202612th

Each finding as a sentence

  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, KFC’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand decreased from 34% to 28.5%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Taco Bell’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand increased from 4.4% to 6.9%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Subway’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand increased from 3.8% to 4.9%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Wendy's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand increased from 3.9% to 4.4%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Nando's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand increased from 2.1% to 2.8%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, KFC’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand peaked at 34% in October 2025 and was lowest at 23.8% in January 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, McDonald's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand peaked at 32.5% in January 2026 and was lowest at 25.7% in October 2025.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Burger King’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand peaked at 16.7% in May 2026 and was lowest at 13.5% in November 2025.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Taco Bell’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand peaked at 7.3% in July 2026 and was lowest at 4.4% in October 2025.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Subway’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand peaked at 5.1% in March 2026 and was lowest at 3.8% in October 2025.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Carl's Jr.’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand peaked at 3.8% in October 2025 and was lowest at 2.5% in December 2025.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Subway rose from 7th to 5th among fast food chains in New Zealand.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Wendy's fell from 5th to 6th among fast food chains in New Zealand.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Popeyes rose from 8th to 7th among fast food chains in New Zealand.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Carl's Jr. fell from 6th to 8th among fast food chains in New Zealand.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, McDonald's, Burger King, Pita Pit, Zambrero and Mexicali Fresh held steady: their estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand fast food chains in August 2026?

  1. In August 2026, KFC lost estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand, from 29.1% to 28.5%.

  2. Wendy's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.9% to 4.4% in August 2026.

  3. In August 2026, Pita Pit rose from 10th to 9th among fast food chains in New Zealand.

  4. In August 2026, Nando's fell from 9th to 10th among fast food chains in New Zealand.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Taco Bell in New Zealand rose 24.4% over 11 measured months, from 58.6K to 72.9K in August 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Carl's Jr. in New Zealand fell 30.1% over 11 measured months, from 51.6K to 36.1K in August 2026.

  7. Estimated monthly branded searches for Burger King in New Zealand fell 21.6% over 11 measured months, from 195K to 153K in August 2026.

  8. Estimated monthly branded searches for McDonald's in New Zealand fell 20.4% over 11 measured months, from 346K to 276K in August 2026.

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