Let’s dig into the relative performance of Papa John's (NASDAQ: PZZA) and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q1 traditional fast food earnings season.

Traditional fast-food restaurants are renowned for their speed and convenience, boasting menus filled with familiar and budget-friendly items. Their reputations for on-the-go consumption make them favored destinations for individuals and families needing a quick meal. This class of restaurants, however, is fighting the perception that their meals are unhealthy and made with inferior ingredients, a battle that's especially relevant today given the consumers increasing focus on health and wellness.

The 12 traditional fast food stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.4%.

While some traditional fast food stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 4.8% since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q1: Papa John's (NASDAQ: PZZA)

Founded by the eclectic John “Papa John” Schnatter, Papa John’s (NASDAQ: PZZA) is a globally recognized pizza delivery and carryout chain known for “better ingredients” and “better pizza”.

Papa John's reported revenues of $478.6 million, down 7.7% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and revenue estimates.

Papa John's delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth of the whole group. The stock is down 3.1% since reporting and currently trades at $32.74.

Read our full report on Papa John's here, it’s free.

Best Q1: El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO)

With a name that translates into ‘The Crazy Chicken’, El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO) is a fast food chain known for its citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken recipe that hails from the coastal town of Sinaloa, Mexico.

El Pollo Loco reported revenues of $126.2 million, up 5.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.2%. The business had a stunning quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and revenue estimates.

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 1.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $13.73.

Is now the time to buy El Pollo Loco? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Domino's (NASDAQ: DPZ)

Founded by two brothers in Michigan, Domino’s (NASDAQ: DPZ) is a globally recognized pizza chain known for its creative marketing and fast delivery.

Domino's reported revenues of $1.15 billion, up 3.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1%. It was a slower quarter as it posted a slight miss of analysts’ same-store sales and revenue estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 15.6% since the results and currently trades at $310.57.

Read our full analysis of Domino’s results here.

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX)

Started by three friends in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is a globally-renowned coffeehouse chain that offers a wide selection of high-quality coffee, beverages, and food items.

Starbucks reported revenues of $9.53 billion, up 8.8% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 4.3%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also logged a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

The stock is up 4.2% since reporting and currently trades at $101.34.

Read our full, actionable report on Starbucks here, it’s free.

McDonald's (NYSE: MCD)

With nicknames spanning Mickey D's in the U.S. to Makku in Japan, McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) is a fast-food behemoth known for its convenience and broken ice cream machines.

McDonald's reported revenues of $6.52 billion, up 9.4% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. It was a strong quarter as it also put up an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 1.6% since reporting and currently trades at $279.67.

Read our full, actionable report on McDonald's here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

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