Here are the 5 fast-food chains that teens are obsessed with

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Here are the 5 fast-food chains that teens are obsessed with

Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich

Hollis Johnson

Chick-fil-A reigns supreme among the teens.

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  • Chick-fil-A is officially teens' favorite restaurant, according to Piper Jaffray's biannual survey.
  • The chicken chain has knocked Starbucks from the top spot among average- and upper-income teens.
  • Here are the five restaurant chains that teens love the most.

Chick-fil-A has fully won over the teens.

On Monday, Piper Jaffray released its biannual survey of teen preferences. And, for the first time ever, Chick-fil-A is finally the supreme leader among the teens.

In April, Chick-fil-A took the top spot of preferred restaurant brands among upper-income teens in Piper Jaffray's biannual survey. Now, Chick-fil-A has taken the top spot among average-income teens as well, ranking No. 1 with both groups in Piper Jaffray's latest report.

Winning over Gen Z is crucial to the future of restaurant chains, as the industry grow increasingly competitive. With 24% of upper-income teens' spending dedicated to restaurants, the teenage diner is a valuable customer.

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Here are the top five restaurants among average teens in the US:

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5. Taco Bell

5. Taco Bell

Taco Bell has worked to stay on the cutting edge of culture, in whatever bizarre and twisted form that may take.

That means testing frozen rosé in restaurants, adding fries to the menu, and beefing up its vegan options. Now, the chain is installing kiosks in all of its more than 6,000 restaurants across the country by the end of 2019.

4. Chipotle

4. Chipotle

Chipotle is making a comeback among teens as the chain invests in tech to win back customers.

Chipotle launched a partnership with DoorDash in April. The chain has been pushing for customers to download its app with incentives such as free guacamole and tweaking the format of stores to better fit the needs of customers picking up mobile orders. Chipotle is even testing drive-thrus exclusively for mobile order at a handful of locations.

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3. McDonald's

3. McDonald's

Teens continue to love the fast-food behemoth.

McDonald's has been trying to improve its reputation in recent years. The chain has made menu tweaks such as cutting artificial ingredients from food, as well as remodeling restaurants, adding table service, and installing kiosks.

2. Starbucks

2. Starbucks

This fall, Starbucks surrendered its top spot among average-income teens for the first time since 2010.

The company's reputation took a hit this year when two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia location while waiting for a business meeting. In May, Starbucks announced plans to open up its stores — including bathrooms — to everyone, even if people do not make a purchase.

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1. Chick-fil-A

1. Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A has long topped rankings of food quality and customer service. It is one of the most profitable chains in America, with average sales per restaurant reaching $4.4 million in 2016, according to a report from QSR magazine. For comparison, KFC sold $1.1 million per restaurant in the same period.

Teens' growing appreciation for the chain is most likely tied to the chain's aggressive growth in recent years. While Chick-fil-A has an established cult following in the South, the chain is now gaining fans in places such as New York City and the Midwest.

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