Mcdonalds

"Billions served," indeed. McDonald's is the world's #1 fast-food company by sales, with more than 31,000 restaurants serving burgers and fries in almost 120 countries. (Nearly 14,000 Golden Arches locations are in the US.) The popular chain is well-known for its Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, and Chicken McNuggets. Most of its outlets are free-standing units, but McDonald's also has many quick-service kiosk units located in airports and retail areas. Each unit gets its food and packaging from approved suppliers and uses standardized procedures to ensure that a Big Mac purchased in Pittsburgh tastes the same as one bought in Beijing. More than 75% of its restaurants are run by franchisees or affiliates.

Burger King

This king rules a whopper of a fast-food empire. Burger King Holdings operates the world's #2 hamburger chain (behind McDonald's) with more than 11,500 restaurants in the US and more than 70 other countries. In addition to its popular Whopper sandwich, the chain offers a variety of burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and breakfast items. More than 1,300 BK locations are company-owned, while the rest are owned and operated by franchisees. Burger King was founded by James McLamore and David Edgerton in 1954. Investment firms TPG Capital, Bain Capital, and Goldman Sachs together own more than 30% of the company.