McDonald's has emerged as the new leader in the latest Restaurant Social Media Index Top 100.
Starbucks had held the top spot since the quarterly ranking began, but for the first time, another brand jumped to the No. 1 position in the fourth-quarter index.
The RSMI Top 100 has seen McDonald's rise in the consumer sentiment part of the index, as well as in social consumer engagement. The brand's strength has grown on Twitter and Facebook, almost tripling the growth of Starbucks on those social media platforms.
Below, meet the rest of the new top 100-ranked restaurant brands, based on activity in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Learn more on the RSMI homepage, including a breakdown of what's behind the numbers, the index methodology and a video presenting the latest insights in social media brand building. Also check out the previous quarter's Top 100.
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| Company Name | RSMI Score | Company Name | RSMI Score |
| 1. McDonald's | 239.57 | 51. Wolfgang Puck | 181.33 |
| 2. Starbucks | 237.13 | 52. Caribou Coffee | 181.10 |
| 3. Wendy's | 234.77 | 53. Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels | 180.25 |
| 4. Buffalo Wild Wings | 227.54 | 54. Dairy Queen | 179.31 |
| 5. Subway | 223.2 | 55. Wingstop | 179.13 |
| 6. Jimmy John's | 223.12 | 56. Red Lobster | 179.02 |
| 7. Hard Rock Cafe | 220.38 | 57. Taco John's | 178.83 |
| 8. Chick-fil- A | 217.75 | 58. Sweetgreen | 177.92 |
| 9. Red Mango | 216.66 | 59. Denny's | 177.77 |
| 10. Taco Bell | 214.52 | 60. Jason's Deli | 176.29 |
| 11. Chipotle Mexican Grill | 212.42 | 61. Whataburger | 176.17 |
| 12. Bonefish Grill | 211.72 | 62. California Pizza Kitchen | 175.94 |
| 13. Pizza Hut | 210.2 | 63. Five Guys Burgers and Fries | 175.79 |
| 14. Applebee's | 209.54 | 64. Wow Bao | 175.6 |
| 15. Panera Bread | 208.56 | 65. Carl's Jr. | 175.34 |
| 16. Sonic | 205.43 | 66. Smashburger | 175.12 |
| 17. Outback Steakhouse | 203.14 | 67. Tender Greens | 175.11 |
| 18. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers | 201.72 | 68. Cold Stone Creamery | 175.09 |
| 19. Firehouse Subs | 201.71 | 69. Jersey Mike's Subs | 174.81 |
| 20. Chili's Grill & Bar | 201.37 | 70. Baja Fresh Mexican Grill | 174.80 |
| 21. Peet's Coffee & Tea | 198.83 | 71. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen | 174.72 |
| 22. Papa John's | 198.26 | 72. Wildflower Bread Company | 174.70 |
| 23. Tasti D-Lite | 196.84 | 73. In-N-Out Burger | 174.69 |
| 24. Hooters | 196.42 | 74. Yard House | 174.03 |
| 25. Olive Garden | 196.13 | 75. Uno Chicago Grill | 173.44 |
| 26. Boudin Bakery | 195.53 | 76. Seasons 52 | 172.87 |
| 27. KFC | 195.42 | 77. P.F. Chang's China Bistro | 172.81 |
| 28. Shake Shack | 195.39 | 78. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. | 172.48 |
| 29. Cinnabon | 194.83 | 79. Hardee's | 172.43 |
| 30. The Cheesecake Factory | 193.04 | 80. Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza | 172.28 |
| 31. Pinkberry | 192.93 | 81. Famous Dave's | 172.12 |
| 32. AJ Bombers | 192.79 | 82. Alamo Drafthouse | 171.22 |
| 33. Maggiano's Little Italy | 191.54 | 83. Johnny Rockets | 171.16 |
| 34. Dunkin' Donuts | 190.81 | 84. Little Caesars Pizza | 170.84 |
| 35. Qdoba Mexican Grill | 189.43 | 85. Tropical Smoothie Café | 170.59 |
| 36. Jamba Juice | 188.63 | 86. Moe's Southwest Grill | 170.45 |
| 37. El Pollo Loco | 188.07 | 87. Pizza Fusion | 170.32 |
| 38. Krispy Kreme | 186.69 | 88. Jack in the Box | 170.11 |
| 39. Burger King | 186.10 | 89. Twin Peaks | 170.04 |
| 40. Sbarro | 185.83 | 90. Benihana | 169.90 |
| 41. Arby's | 184.94 | 91. Salsarita's Fresh Cantina | 169.79 |
| 42. Which Wich | 184.89 | 92. Zaxby's | 169.14 |
| 43. Domino's Pizza | 184.01 | 93. Brio Tuscan Grille | 168.74 |
| 44. Texas Roadhouse | 183.31 | 94. White Castle | 168.64 |
| 45. On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina | 183.15 | 95. Zoup! Fresh Soup Company | 168.63 |
| 46. T.G.I. Friday's | 183.12 | 96. Buca di Beppo | 168.60 |
| 47. Baskin-Robbins | 182.81 | 97. Mellow Mushroom | 168.45 |
| 48. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf | 182.11 | 98. Quiznos | 168.41 |
| 49. Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes | 182.03 | 99. Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill | 168.11 |
| 50. Rainforest Cafe | 181.65 | 100. Native Foods Café | 168.07 |
Source: All data provided by DigitalCoCo
