Chick-fil-A has something to crow about.
The Atlanta-based chicken chain, a focus of gay-rights protests three years ago, led the fast-food category in the 2015 American Customer Satisfaction Index restaurant report released Tuesday.
The company had the highest score recorded by a fast-food restaurant with 86 out of 100. The results show an uproar over comments by CEO Dan Cathy and the company’s past donations to anti-gay groups haven’t haunted Chick-fil-A’s reputation.
Chick-fil-A was followed in the rankings by Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., with a score of 83. Rounding out the top three: sandwich purveyor Panera Bread Co. with a score of 80.
The report’s results highlight trends that have been rocking the fast-food industry.
Overall customer satisfaction with fast-food restaurants dropped 3.8 percent to 77, the lowest score in five years, said Forrest Morgeson, director of research for the American Customer Satisfaction Index.