Least Trusted Restaurant Chain in America Has 7 Idaho Locations

If you’ve got picky eaters in the family, there’s nothing worse than getting home and opening your fast food order to discover that they messed something up. If it happens once, shame on you for not checking the bag before you left. If it happens twice? Shame on the restaurant for betraying your trust. 

Idaho, especially the Treasure Valley, has dozens of amazing restaurants that have been open for decades. While we always prefer sitting down and enjoying a full meal at one of those locally owned and operated restaurants, it’s inevitable that we’re going to hit a fast food joint every now and then. Whether it’s picking up a late dinner for the family after all the kids' practices or games are over or grabbing a real lunch instead of a granola bar out of the break room vending machine, fast-food chains can be a lifeline when you need them. 

Idaho Didn’t Always Have Some of America’s Favorite Fast Food Chains

No one will soon forget just how many people showed up for the grand opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first Idaho location in 2023. Crowds waited up to eight hours to wrap their hands around a Double-Double that day. In-N-Out might be one of the newer fast food options in the Treasure Valley, but some of us remember a time before some of America’s most well known fast food chains had locations in Idaho.

Take Chick-Fil-A for example. The beloved restaurant was in 38 states before they opened their first location in Idaho in 2010. That first location wasn’t your traditional, drive thru restaurant. It was a counter inside the Boise State Student Union. It was almost two years before they opened their first stand alone restaurant near Eagle and Fairview in 2012. Today, they have 10 locations across the Gem State. 

Chipotle didn’t come to Boise until the next year when they opened their first location near Boise Towne Square Mall. They’re up to nine stores now, most of which are in the Boise area. 

Panera finally came to Idaho four years later when they opened their first location in Nampa in 2015. We were really excited about that one, because we were once paid for voice over work with a $75 Panera gift card. It was generous, but we couldn’t use that gift card where we lived! Now Panera has seven locations in Idaho. 

Panera Named Least Trusted Restaurant Chain in America

Not all fast-food chains are created equal and a website called Clarify Capital set out to find which ones Americans trusted the most and the least. We think that’s sort of subjective, but they used resources at the Better Business Bureau and also surveyed Americans about which brands they consider trustworthy. 

READ MORE: America's Least Favorite Grocery Store Has 26 Locations in Idaho

We’re big fans of Panera, especially their mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, so we were pretty stunned to see them listed as the “least trusted restaurant chain in America.” 20% of the survey respondents say that Panera Bread is the fast food chain that they trust the least.

Chipotle and Sonic tied for the second. In fact, Chipotle ranked as the least trusted brand across all categories, including technology, finance, health care and media, with Baby Boomers born between 1946-1964. 

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What bothers us about the study is that they really don’t explain WHY Panera ranked so low. They mentioned that Chipotle has had food safety issues over the last few years, but didn’t offer any real reasons why Americans don’t trust Panera. If you feel this way, we’d love you to share why! 

Pizza Hut, KFC and McDonald’s were ranked as the most trusted restaurant chains in America.