The US is comparable to all of Europe,. In addition to national chains there are ton of regional (small number of states) and local chains (generally within one state). Fried chicken is extremely popular.

So probably hundreds of fried chicken fast food chains exist even if there are only a handful that are nationally known.

The US is huge dude.

Im not from the states but I know regional chains are also a thing. Theres some places that only really exist in one state or one area of the country.

Have a look at the Joshua Weismann videos on YT where he tries burgers from all the major chains he can think of. Pretty interesting.

Extrapolating from prior statistics, somewhere around 200,000...

https://www.statista.com/statistics/196619/total-number-of-fast-food-restaurants-in-the-us-since-2002/

I mean, we kinda invented them 😂

A lot. Just fried chicken chains are quite numerous:

https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/largest-chicken-chains-us

It's one of their main cultural divisions.

Think of your biggest number then triple it

Oh man I could not even estimate. How many locations until it is considered a chain? There is a bar on my block that has a two other locations, is that a chain?

Wish granted! Air fryer fried chicken

Personally, I use sous vide to cook the seasoned chicken at 155F for 90 minutes, then coat it in batter/oil mix, roll it in seasoned panko and put it in the air fryer at 450F for 10-15 minutes. No pot of oil or grease splattered all over the stove. Chicken is tender, juicy, well-seasoned, has a crispy, crunchy crust, and is never raw at the bone.

I've eaten at Popeye's three times, and gotten food poisoning from them three times. Don't let it be said I can't take a hint. 🤮

It's such a shame, because I've always liked his cartoons.