In light of McDonald's decision to team with Wayport, how many other chains are left? In an interview earlier today with Jeff Damir, a VP at Cometa Networks, he noted that there were many, many other quick-service restaurants (QSR) out there to talk to who might have an audience more interested in Wi-Fi hotspots.
Sure enough, QSR Magazine has a list of the top 50 QSR chains by dollar volume as of 2002. Only two of these chains, Starbucks and McDonald's, have a comprehensive Wi-Fi plan. Panera and Schlotzsky's have Wi-Fi in some locations with plans for expansion.
The total number of chain stores in the top 50 are 117,468, a staggering number, of which about 15 percent are committed to have Wi-Fi within a couple of years.