Chick-fil-A is the most beloved fast-food chain in America, according to a brand intimacy survey

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Chick-fil-A is winning over customers' hearts and stomachs.

• Chick-fil-A took the No. 1 spot among fast-food chains in marketing agency MBLM's annual Brand Intimacy study.
• Chick-fil-A ranked tenth of all brands analyzed by MBLM, the highest of any food or beverage brand.
• 26.7% of people who visit Chick-fil-A said they were willing to pay up to 20% more at the chain, compared to 14.5% on average at other fast-food chains.

Chick-fil-A is winning over customers' hearts and stomachs.

The chicken chain rose to the No. 1 spot among fast-food chains in MBLM's 2019 Brand Intimacy study. The marketing agency analyzes people's emotional bonds with brands, surveying 6,200 people in the US, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.

Chick-fil-A ranked tenth of all brands analyzed by MBLM, the highest of any food or beverage brand. Dunkin' was the second most intimate of the fast-food brands, Starbucks was third, and McDonald's was fourth.

Read more: Chick-fil-A's CEO signed a covenant with his father - the founder - pledging to remain a committed Christian, keep the company private, and never open on Sunday

MBLM found that Chick-fil-A had a wide appeal among various demographics. 26.7% of people who visit Chick-fil-A said they were willing to pay up to 20% more at the chain, compared to 14.5% on average at other fast-food chains.

"Chick-fil-A is clearly an intimate brand to watch," MBLM wrote in a report released on Wednesday.

"It has climbed into the Top 10 Most Intimate Brands for the first time and is building a strong profile among a broad range of consumers: women, men, millennials, boomers, and people with a variety of incomes," the report continues. "It has extremely high rates of fusing and price resilience, which demonstrates the attachment users have to the brand."

Chick-fil-A grew revenue by 16.7% in 2018, reaching nearly $10.5 billion in annual sales and becoming the third-largest chain in the US by systemwide sales.

Read the full story of how Chick-fil-A used Christian values and a 'clone army' to build a booming business that's defying the retail apocalypse and taking over America here.