Most Popular Fast-Food Deals in Every State
Google, Gimme the Coupons! Here Are the Most Googled Fast Food Coupons in Each State
Papa John’s dominated the search results for fast food chain coupons in 20 states and is also the most Googled fast food coupon in the U.S.
Little Caesars and Panera Bread were a surprise choice, topping the list of most Googled coupons in three states
Surprisingly, the largest fast-food chains such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s didn’t make the top 10 list, nor were they the most searched in any state
Over time, everything gets gradually more expensive. Even inflation can't keep fast food's affordability sacred.
One solution? People are embracing coupons as often as they can when heading to their favorite fast-food joints.
Refermate, a shopping platform that provides coupon codes, analyzed Google search data over the past year to determine the most searched fast food chain coupons nationwide
Papa John’s – 20 States
Domino's might dominate pizza revenue, but if we're talking coupons, just call Papa John's "Big Poppa." Boasting over 3,000 locations across the US, Papa John's emerged as the clear winner, with a staggering average of nearly 5 million monthly Google searches for coupons.
Additionally, it dominates in 20 states, including Florida and New York, Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, etc. Apparently, plenty of people are after a better deal to go along with the "better ingredients."
Papa Murphy’s – 11 States
Apparently, Papas know their coupons. Although not in the top 5 with the most Google coupon-related searches overall in the US, Papa Murphy’s still averaged 900K monthly searches related to coupons.
Known for its "Love at 425°" concept, the pizza chain topped the search results in 11 states, notably Washington, where it also has the most locations nationwide.
Subway – 8 States
Subway is one of those fast-food joints that always seems to offer coupons — and good ones at that. From buy one get one free footlong deals to three footlongs for less than $20, you can count on the sandwich chain for a good fast-food deal.
Folks search for Subway's coupons about 2.5 million times each month, and the sub joint takes the top search spot in eight states, such as Arizona, Illinois, and Iowa.
Pizza Hut – 3 States
No one pizzas like the Hut, and people want in on the action — by way of a deal, of course. The beloved pizza joint reached an impressive monthly average of 1.9 million coupon-related searches on Google, coming out as the most searched in the three states: Arkansas, Hawaii, and Kansas.
Wingstop – 3 States
Nowadays, we're pretty hard-pressed when it comes to finding good deals on chicken wings, but Wingstop's coupons can come in clutch every now and again.
Wingstop amassed 1.5 million coupon-related searches on an average monthly basis and was the most-searched in three states: Texas (where it was founded and has the most locations), as well as California and Nevada.
Dunkin’ – 2 States
Forget pricey Starbucks: The people want discounted Dunkin'. Dunkin’ has become a staple for its strong coffee and muchkins (donut holes).
With more than 630,000 average monthly coupon-related Google searches, Dunkin’ is the King of Coupon in Massachusetts (naturally, as a Boston original) and New Hampshire.
Panera Bread – 2 States
Panera Bread has delicious pastries, coffee, bagels, and sandwiches, and is perfect for a coffee date, lunch with a friend, or enjoying a healthy and affordable dinner.
There are more than 700,000 coupon-related searches each month for Panera. We can't say we're surprised, because the place isn't known for having the cheapest menu around town. It's the most searched in Connecticut and New Jersey.
Little Caesars – 1 State
We've reached the end of the list of fast food chains topping the list in one or more states.
We have Little Caesars, which is a big pizza chain, ranking third after Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza in the US. With over 1.2 million Google average monthly searches, it's the top-searched fast food chain in Michigan, in its founding state.
The full list of fast food restaurants and states where they ranked 1st for coupon codes:
Fast Food Restaurant | # of Sates Where It Topped the List |
Papa John’s | 20: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia |
Papa Murphy’s | 11: Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
Subway | 8: Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska,New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont |
Pizza Hut | 3: Arkansas, Hawaii, Kansas |
Wingstop | 3: California, Nevada, Texas |
Dunkin' | 2: Massachusetts, New Hampshire |
Panera Bread | 2: Connecticut, New Jersey |
Little Caesars | 1: Michigan |
The full list of fast food restaurants across the US with their average monthly searches:
Fast Food Restaurant | Average Monthly Searches |
Papa John's | 4,772,790 |
Subway | 2,525,730 |
Pizza Hut | 1,906,300 |
Wingstop | 1,565,390 |
Little Caesars | 1,239,470 |
Papa Murphy's | 932,870 |
Domino's | 827,960 |
Popeyes | 780,080 |
Panera Bread | 710,520 |
Dunkin’ | 634,250 |
Chipotle | 467,770 |
KFC | 377,220 |
Burger King | 369,240 |
Arby's | 317,780 |
Taco Bell | 295,740 |
Panda Express | 294,270 |
Jersey Mike's | 238,320 |
McDonald's | 205,440 |
Marco's Pizza | 205,430 |
Jimmy John's | 187,180 |
Krispy Kreme | 169,090 |
Wendy's | 140,110 |
El Pollo Loco | 125,790 |
Boston Market | 108,600 |
Dairy Queen | 103,500 |
Church's Chicken | 98,770 |
IHOP | 94,970 |
Whataburger | 78,460 |
Jack in the Box | 70,940 |
Starbucks | 70,250 |
Raising Cane's | 68,340 |
Moe's | 61,310 |
Sonic Drive-In | 58,870 |
Long John Silvers' | 58,330 |
Culver's | 57,190 |
Qdoba | 50,350 |
Chick-fil-a | 46,880 |
Hardee's | 41,100 |
Five Guys | 37,900 |
Baskin-Robbins | 35,400 |
Carl's Jr. | 28,940 |
Steak 'n' shake | 21,940 |
Firehouse Subs | 21,320 |
Bojangles | 17,610 |
Zaxby's | 8,600 |
A spokesperson at Refermate commented on the findings:
“Analyzing Google searches for coupons provides a unique opportunity to understand consumer preferences and behavior.
In a time when costs have risen and affordability has become important, it’s no surprise that people are turning to digital platforms to seek the best deals and discounts on their favorite fast food options.
As consumers continue to prioritize savings, it remains to be seen whether fast food chains will adapt and innovate their strategies to cater to these evolving demands.”
Methodology
First, the team at Refermate collected the top 45 fast-food chains in the US, based on this year’s report from the QSR, a leading source of information for the quick-service and fast-casual restaurant industries.
The team then obtained information from Google search data regarding which fast food chains had the most coupon-related searches across the US and in which state they ranked 1st.
The study looked at specific keywords and phrases that were searched on Google, such as “Papa John’s coupons”, “Papa John’s coupon code”, “Papa John’s promo code”, and so on. There were at least 500 related keywords per fast food chain.
Sources
Google Search Data
QSR Magazine
ScapeHero (Data Company)
