Skyline hits No. 17 on national list for customer service satisfaction

Cincinnati's famed Skyline Chili might be a polarizing topic to some, but it's evidently more popular than you'd think.

The Top 100 Experience Report for 2026

by ChangeUp, a brand strategy and retail design agency, ranked Skyline No. 17 among 50 restaurants for best customer service satisfaction. The Cincinnati-based chili chain wasn't in the top 50 in 2025 – according to the report, a total of 37 of the top 50 restaurant brands are new to the survey this year.

Although the report didn't specifically mention why Skyline was ranked among the top 20 restaurant brands, if you're from Cincinnati or have been to the city, the ranking should come as no surprise. Skyline has become a city staple that's kept customers fed and happy since it first opened

in 1949.

How was the ChangeUp Top 100 Experience Report created?

This year was the second year for the experience report, which ChangeUp calls "a barometer of how well brands are meeting rising expectations." The agency expanded the survey this year from 200 to 300-plus brands, gathering more than 400,000 data points from over 6,500 customers.

Each experience was measured on eight factors to determine how a place makes people feel, rather than what's on the shelf. Those factors include the desire to visit without a specific need, how memorable it was, whether customers would miss a brand if it disappeared, and how well a brand meets practical needs, among others.

Restaurants are judged against a higher bar than they were a few years ago, though. Customers know meals can arrive in minutes, and thanks to rising menu prices, dining out has turned into a "more considered purchase," according to the report.

Customers are looking for more value with their meals, and the restaurant brands that do best "give people something to remember and a reason to want it again."

What are the top 20 restaurant brands?

From coffee shops to sit-down eateries and drive-thru staples, several notable restaurants made the top 50 list, including Skyline Chili. Here's a look at the top 20 restaurants in the report:

1. In-N-Out.
2. Texas Roadhouse.
3. Playa Bowls.
4. Sweetgreen.
5. Chick-fil-A.
6. Chicken Salad Chick.
7. Dutch Bros.
8. Culver's.
9. Raising Cane's.
10. Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant.
11. Torchy's Tacos.
12. Rita's Italian Ice.
13. Caribou Coffee.
14. True Food Kitchen.
15. Eggs Up Grill.
16. 7 Brew Coffee.
17. Skyline Chili.
18. Melting Pot.
19. Portillo's.
20. Taco Cabana.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Skyline hits No. 17 on national list for customer service satisfaction