Illinois Subway and Starbucks Locations Rank Among Worst

A new study identifies two Illinois eateries as being among the lowest-rated locations in the country as of October 2026.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Dining Out

Bold vector editorial illustration of a generic disposable cup and plastic-wrapped sandwich, representing franchise food quality. — A new report identifies a Lockport Subway and an O'Hare Airport Starbucks as having the lowest consumer ratings among U.S. chain locations. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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A Subway in Lockport and a Starbucks at O'Hare International Airport were named among the 10 lowest-rated locations in the U.S. in a report published on October 29, 2026. The findings were based on Google review data collected through October 7, 2026.

Why it matters

The poor rankings highlight the varying quality of franchise operations and the common challenges faced by airport establishments, such as service speed and captive customer bases. These findings provide a look into consumer sentiment across thousands of popular chain outlets.

The Lockport Subway maintains a 2.02 star average from 178 reviews, while the O'Hare Starbucks has a 1.84 star rating from 118 reviews. Researchers analyzed 13,612 Subway and 11,580 Starbucks locations nationwide.

The players

Subway

This global fast-food franchise operates over 13,000 locations in the United States.

Starbucks

This international coffeehouse chain is currently planning to renovate 1,000 stores across North America.

HMSHost

This company operates dining and retail facilities in airports, including the licensed Starbucks at O'Hare International Airport.

The details

The Lockport Subway is a franchise location on East 9th Street, while the Starbucks at O'Hare Terminal 1 Concourse B is operated under license by HMSHost. The study encompassed nearly 3 million Subway reviews and 5.7 million Starbucks reviews to determine the rankings.

Review data for the rankings was compiled through October 7, 2026.
The analysis of consumer reviews was conducted in October 2026.
The full report detailing the store rankings was published on October 29, 2026.

Culture Shift

This report follows the established trend where airport dining outlets consistently struggle with lower consumer ratings compared to traditional urban stores. The findings reflect ongoing challenges for travel-based hospitality as chains attempt to standardize service across diverse environments.

While the Lockport Subway remains open for local customers, the O'Hare Starbucks operates within a high-traffic travel hub. Residents should be aware that Starbucks intends to renovate 200 locations in the Chicago area as part of a broader corporate improvement effort.

The takeaway

Consumers using travel hubs or local franchises may encounter inconsistent service levels compared to other chain locations. Maintaining awareness of public review platforms can help diners identify potential service issues before visiting high-traffic or underperforming outlets.