10 Big Changes Coming To Fast Food Chains In 2026

Fast food has been a part of the American dining landscape since the 1920s, although it didn't become a staple of our routines until the 1950s and '60s, when drive-thrus dominated the landscape. Today, there are dozens of quick-service options for a meal, serving everything from burgers and fries to quesadillas or orange chicken. While those favorites aren't going anywhere, customers are driving new trends in the market, such as more sweet-and-savory foods and items with increased protein content, like these burgers. Many quick-service restaurants also have loyalty programs, making these new items easier (and cheaper) to try. 

The lines between fast food and fast casual restaurants have blurred over the past few years. However, the hallmarks of a fast food joint remain unchanged. Drive-thrus, meals that are ready in minutes, and lower price points than sit-down eateries define fast food places, and those features aren't going anywhere. But as we get deeper into 2026, we'll start to see changes in fast food restaurant menus, ordering, and merchandise.

With people watching their macros and increasingly using GLP-1 medications, protein-rich options are surging onto fast food menus. Papa John's is testing a new protein crust, while Chipotle has introduced an entire protein menu. Debuting in December 2025, the menu includes bowls, salads, a burrito, a taco, and a snack cup of Adobo chicken or steak. The items range from 15 to 81 grams of protein and from 180 to 840 calories. 

Subway and Jack in the Box are also putting protein-basted items front and center for their customers. Subway is rolling out protein pockets, which are tortillas with a variety of fillings, including Baja chicken and an Italian trio. There are four different pockets, each with over 20 grams of protein. Jack in the Box will have protein bowls and wraps. The "Jack Wraps" come in classic and fajita varieties, which can be mixed and matched in pairs for $6. The fajita and teriyaki bowls contain chicken, white or brown rice, vegetables, and up to 35 grams of protein. Even Dunkin is getting in on the fun with the option of adding protein milk to your drink. 

Sustainability isn't just for a restaurant's optics. Good sustainability practices keep brands functioning within budget while helping the environment. While single-use plastic utensils and straws are on the way out, there's still a lot that fast food eateries are doing to become more sustainable. One way quick service restaurants are going green is by offering more plant-based options. Starbucks, Burger King, and Carl's Jr. are just three brands with Impossible Meat products on their menus.

Sustainable packaging is important, as well. Increased attention on microplastics and forever chemicals has made customers wary of excessive waste. A McKinsey & Company analysis shows that nearly half of American consumers will pay more for eco-friendly packaging. Brands like McDonald's, Burger King, and Starbucks have already made moves to replace their packaging with sustainable alternatives.

According to a 2025 McKinsey & Company consumer report analysis, poor quality and small portions are the top factors keeping people from visiting fast food restaurants. To combat this, chains are introducing new value items (more on that in a second) and upping the quality of everything from the meals to the takeout experience. For instance, quick service industry behemoth McDonald's has introduced a "Better Burger Initiative" that uses fresher, higher-quality ingredients and stricter food preparation standards. 

Shake Shack is turning up the heat even higher with an advertising campaign dedicated to showing how the brand cooks its meals to order. The ads go a step further by giving away the company's recipes for home cooks, too. Of course, there are plenty of fast food places that already have an eye on quality, like these chains serving fresh, not frozen, proteins. In-N-Out Burger, Five Guys, and Whataburger all use never-frozen beef patties, while Raising Cane's never freezes the chicken for its tenders.  

AI and digitization are rapidly becoming an integral part of the fast food experience. McDonald's, Wendy's, Chipotle, and countless other brands are incorporating AI into ordering with automated drive-thrus and self-service kiosks. Some, like McDonald's, are even working on systems that will weigh your order before it's given to you, ensuring everything is in the bag that should be. And that's exactly what these chains are looking to AI for — accuracy and speed. 

Papa John's is taking those concepts to the next level with its AI text and voice ordering options across multiple platforms and channels. The AI program will do more than take your order, though. The program is designed to answer questions if you're unsure of what to order and to help you find the best deals through the "Intelligent Deal Wizard" option. Five Guys is making use of conversational AI ordering, while Checkers & Rally's continues to roll out AI ordering across many of its locations. Checkers & Rally's adopted the technology in 2021 and has been integrating it across the country ever since. 

Value meals and menu items are already making a resurgence this year. With inflation in general driving up food prices, customers are only willing to spend on eating out if the value and quality of the meal are worth it. Chains like Wendy's, McDonald's, Arby's, and more are introducing reduced prices in an effort to bring customers back into stores.

In early 2026, Wendy's rolled out new $4, $6, and $8 value menus. Each option lets you select from a list of items to mix and match your meal. Guests at Checkers & Rally's can choose from three sandwich options to accompany a value fry, an apple pie, and a small drink for the chain's new $5 MVP meal. Arby's now has a Meat & 3 value box for just under $8. You can pick between a roast beef or a chicken sandwich to go with the new peach cobbler roll, curly fries, a small drink, and two mozzarella sticks. Another $5 offering is from KFC. The brand has value bowls with bases of mashed potato, mac and cheese, fries, and cheese curds that are topped with chicken and ingredients like corn, gravy, or a three-cheese blend.

Taco Bell and McDonald's are leading the charge of reintroducing fan favorites back onto the menu permanently. McDonald's brought back its Snack Wrap to resounding success in 2025, and Taco Bell brought back its popular crispy chicken nuggets, too. Chick-fil-A added two new items to its permanent menu this January that were previously off-menu "hacks": its frosted sodas and floats. These old-fashioned concoctions take Icedream, the company's soft-serve ice cream, and combine it with the soda flavor of your choice for a creamy treat. 

McDonald's is introducing the Big Arch burger to the year-round menu across America in March of 2026. The burger first appeared in Portugal in mid-2024 and quickly became a favorite across Europe. The burger made its U.S. debut in Chicago last year and earned its spot on the brand's roster. Other brands, like KFC, are bringing back customer favorites for trial runs before making a decision on whether or not to bring the item back permanently. The chicken chain tested its potato wedges in late 2025 and will determine if they make the year-round cut later this year. 

Jack in the Box and Chick-fil-A are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2026, and both brands are rolling out limited-edition, collectible merchandise for the occasion. Jack in the Box will have four separate merchandise releases in 2026, including t-shirts, hats, and more. The brand joined forces with The Hundreds, another Los Angeles brand, and released the first of these drops in late January with a "Jack Was Here!" sweatshirt and trucker hat.

Chick-fil-A, on the other hand, will offer collectible cups with retro designs. A new design will be available every few weeks for the Georgia-based chain's 80th anniversary, and the 3,000 lucky individuals who find a Golden Fan Cup will receive free food items for a year. The winning cups will have a slip of paper inside informing the customer of their prize. The company will even be releasing stuffed cow plushies on the brand's website throughout 2026, alongside apparel and accessories. 

One of the ways fast food restaurants are hoping to improve this year is by remodeling. This includes everything from updating drive-thrus to add mobile order pickup lanes to refreshing dining rooms for a more welcoming experience. Burger King helped kick off the trend in 2024 when it began remodeling hundreds of stores in the U.S. and Canada. So far, the strategy to refresh equipment and dining rooms is working, with the brand showing positive growth. 

Other chains are also looking to increase sales and customer loyalty by remodeling. For instance, White Castle has opened a prototype called the Castle of Tomorrow. The new restaurant opened in Ohio in 2025 and has a double drive-thru, hospitality doors for delivering food to customers, and revamped interior lighting. It also has an industry first: a sign that transitions from saying "White Castle" during the day to "Night Castle" after the sun sets. 

Over 1,000 Jack-in-the-Box stores will be undergoing a multi-year reimagining, as will more than 1,000 Starbucks locations in 2026. Long John Silver's will be revamping its interiors with self-service kiosks and digital menu boards. And McDonald's is overhauling more than 27,000 drive-thru locations, with many of them getting multiple lanes. 

In 2025, many fast food restaurants lost sales as inflation raised food prices. But one item surprised everyone by rising in sales — beverages. Whether people wanted a quick refreshment, an energy boost, or an indulgent treat, they overwhelmingly chose a drink over a food item. Often a more economical choice, beverages complement a meal, letting you cool your mouth after a spicy bite or cut a sour taste. They're also becoming more flavorful, more caffeinated, and more Instagrammable.

To capitalize on the trend, Chick-fil-A created the Daybright beverage concept, which has opened a storefront in Georgia. The eatery has smoothies, teas, protein coffees, and fresh juices for people on the go. Starbucks' winter menu includes two drinks based on the Dubai chocolate bar that went viral in 2025. It also offers several pistachio-based drinks, alongside two caramel protein offerings. But not every new drink will be seasonal. In February, the coffee chain is putting two new beverages on the menu year-round: the banana bread matcha and the iced double berry matcha. 

New flavors are coming to complement the still-strong hot honey trend. McDonald's introduced its hot honey menu in January, following the rollout of a Buffalo ranch sauce in November 2025. Wingstop is throwing its hat into the flavor ring with two hot honey-based sauces. One has garlic, and the other is a spicy sriracha. Taco Bell is also bringing the heat with its new Diablo ranch sauce. The spicy concoction is marketed with the brand's crispy chicken nuggets, which are a fan favorite.

Wendy's has a milder sauce appearing later this spring when it brings back its sweet and sour sauce. Another fan favorite, the sauce has been missing from the menu since chicken tenders were added in 2025. Luckily, the tangy flavor will be an option for nuggets again soon.