The list might surprise you. No Golden Arches, Burger King or Pizza Hut on the list compiled by Business Insider and Restaurant Business.

So how did the brands who are rated make it on to the list?

For starters it takes more than phenomenal sales figures. Almost 100 of the largest US chains were evaluated on three criteria: financial performance, customer satisfaction and overall value.

The result is a list which takes into account the customer trend for more specialised and regional brands offering a better experience, with affordable, fresh food.

Just three names familiar to the Aussie franchise scene have been included: Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream at number 24, Krispy Kreme doughnuts in sixth place, and Jersey Mike’s Subs, a newcomer to our shores and listed at number five.

In the US Ben & Jerry’s achieved sales of $78m, has 235 outlets and scores top for value.

The glazed doughnut business Krispy Kreme notched up a US turnover of $708m through its 294 outlets.

In fifth place, Jersey Mike’s Subs, which recently launched in the Gold Coast, has a staggering 1046 US restaurants, bringing in $675m. It has big expansion plans – aiming for a total of 2000 locations by 2019.  Restaurant Business’ sister research firm Technomic rated it in the top 10 for customer satisfaction.

And who was the kingpin in the list? Chick-Fil-A – the largest chain on the list and the only brand to rank in the top five for each of the criteria categories.

Check out the whole list here.