How the Average McDonald’s Makes Twice as Much as Burger King

McDonald’s may recently have struggled to lure customers, but it still does far more business at each location than rival burger chains. The average McDonald’s restaurant in the U.S. drew $2.6 million in revenue last year. Average sales for No. 2 chain Burger King: $1.2 million, according to data from its largest franchisee, Carrols Restaurant Group.

What accounts for this more-than-a-million gap? “Everything from marketing and site selection to product initiatives and franchisee selection have been historical factors,” said Nick Setyan, vice president in charge of equity research at Wedbush Securities, in an e-mail. Here are four factors that drive higher sales volumes at McDonald’s: