KFC tops third year in a row as Jollibee makes biggest leap in F&B brand rankings
Despite a challenging year for the food and beverage sector, where many brands saw declines in brand health scores, KFC remained resilient, reaffirming its stronghold in the market.
HCM CITY — KFC has once again claimed the top spot in Decision Lab’s Best F&B Rankings 2025, maintaining its position as Việt Nam’s leading quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand for the third consecutive year with 26.5 points.
Despite a challenging year for the food and beverage sector, where many brands saw declines in brand health scores, KFC remained resilient, reaffirming its stronghold in the market. Chicken and coffee chains continued to dominate consumer preferences, with Highlands Coffee (22.6 points) and Trung Nguyên Legend (19.9 points) holding on to second and third positions, respectively.
But the biggest story of the year is Jollibee. The Filipino-origin QSR brand jumped four spots to claim the No.4 position, earning recognition as the most improved brand of the year with a 2.2-point rise in brand health.
“We’re proud to continue leading Việt Nam’s QSR segment in such a dynamic and competitive market,” a representative from KFC Vietnam said.
“This reflects the evolving tastes of Vietnamese consumers and motivates us to keep innovating and delivering quality experiences.”
Decision Lab, YouGov’s exclusive partner in Việt Nam, compiles the annual rankings using the YouGov BrandIndex, which tracks six key metrics: Impression, Quality, Value, Satisfaction, Recommendation and Reputation.
The rankings revealed a split landscape between restaurants and coffee chains. While full-service restaurant brand Haidilao (12.9 points) continued to gain momentum, moving up one spot in the top 10, coffee chains faced a tougher year. Phúc Long (15.5 points) and The Coffee House (12.6 points) saw noticeable drops, even as Starbucks quietly closed the gap with local rivals, matching The Coffee House’s score.
In addition to the overall rankings, the Top 5 Improvers list highlighted Jollibee and Popeyes, which posted the largest gains in brand health. Popeyes rose by 1.0 point and continues to expand its presence and appeal in Việt Nam.
“Ranking among Decision Lab’s top improvers confirms we’re on the right track,” said Phạm Minh Chi, Chief Operating Officer of Popeyes Vietnam.
“Our guests can expect even more bold Cajun flavours and breakthrough campaigns in the months ahead.”
The rankings cover the period from March 1, 2024, to February 28, 2025, based on daily data from YouGov’s online panel representing Vietnamese adults aged 18 and above.
The full report is available at Decision Lab’s website. — VNS
