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Charleston’s fast-food scene isn’t just growing—it’s booming. Using data sourced from Placer.ai, which analyzes real-world foot traffic through mobile data, we’ve ranked the ten most-visited chains in the region over the past 12 months. Unsurprisingly, legacy brands like McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A lead the pack, followed by other household names such as Wendy’s, Sonic, and Taco Bell. Rounding out the list are regional favorites like Zaxby’s and Bojangles, along with rising stars Raising Cane’s and Cook Out, both of which continue to expand across the Southeast.
These rankings reflect a deepening consumer demand in the Charleston region coming on the heels of consistent population growth and increased suburban development. For landlords and investors, this data signals opportunity: national QSR tenants with a proven ability to draw sustained traffic are doubling down on their presence here, especially in high-growth corridors. The Charleston region’s demographic trends are directly fueling this surge—and QSR chains are paying close attention.
Total Visits (12 month): 16.83M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 31
Average Visits Per Location: 542.8K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $68.8K
Highest Ranked Location: 307 N. Fraser - Georgetown, SC (922.6K Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 11.95M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 15
Average Visits Per Location: 849.1K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $83.5K
Highest Ranked Location: 1312 N. Main Street - Summerville, SC (1.2M Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 4.91M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 19
Average Visits Per Location: 260.7K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $71.5K
Highest Ranked Location: 515 Hwy 52 North - Moncks Corner, SC (391.9K Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 3.54M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 14
Average Visits Per Location: 253K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $69.5K
Highest Ranked Location: 300 N. Longstreet - Kingstree, SC (363.4K Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 3.53M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 20
Average Visits Per Location: 176.7K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $73.6K
Highest Ranked Location: 708 N. Main Street - Summerville, SC (340.8K Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 3.33M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 12
Average Visits Per Location: 277.3K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $72K
Highest Ranked Location: 320 Azalea Square Blvd - Summerville, SC (416.1K Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 2.69M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 12
Average Visits Per Location: 223.9K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $69.9K
Highest Ranked Location: 1305 N. Fraser - Georgetown, SC (444.5K Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 2.21M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 3
Average Visits Per Location: 736.8K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $81.3K
Highest Ranked Location: 1777 N. Hwy 17 - Mt. Pleasant, SC (835.8K Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 2.05M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 6
Average Visits Per Location: 341.6K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $73K
Highest Ranked Location: 8970 University Blvd - North Charleston, SC (442.9K Visits)
Total Visits (12 month): 2.05M
Number of Locations (Charleston MSA): 12
Average Visits Per Location: 179.7K
Average Household Income of Visitors: $58.9K
Highest Ranked Location: 1103 Bells Hwy - Walterboro, SC (366.2K Visits)
When we zoom in on singular locations rather than overall brand performance, the story gets even more compelling. The top 10 highest traffic locations are dominated by just two players: Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s. Nine of the top ten QSR spots are Chick-fil-A locations—underscoring the brand’s deep loyalty and operational efficiency in high-volume environments. Upstart Raising Cane’s has performed incredibly well with two of their locations coming in 11th and 12th place.
And here’s the kicker: the highest-ranking non-Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, or Raising Cane’s location doesn’t appear until 34th place—occupied by Bojangles. This massive drop-off reveals a striking disparity in consumer behavior and brand pull. For CRE professionals, it highlights not just who the winners are, but where to look when targeting high-performance retail pads and drive-thru-centric developments.
Regardless of chain, here are the Top-10 singular locations from brands mentioned in the above in terms of foot traffic:
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