The Giant Potato Supplier Behind Most Fast Food Fries (Including McDonald's And Burger King)

It's no hot take to say that golden, delicious french fries are one of the best parts of getting fast food. What sparks debate is which restaurant makes the best fries. But hold that order — it may come as a shock to learn that most of those fries come from the same place. The J.R. Simplot Company provides potatoes to many of the chains that people claim have the best fast food fries, including McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC. And it seems like the company's share of the fast food potato market keeps growing.

Simplot has been supplying a portion of Chick-fil-A's famous waffle fries since the chicken sandwich chain expanded rapidly in recent years. Even though Wendy's has changed its french fry formula several times, the chain has been getting its potatoes from Simplot since at least 2016.

The company doesn't exclusively work with fast food restaurants. Simplot signed a multi-year deal with Kraft Heinz in 2022 to become the exclusive provider for Ore-Ida frozen foods. And while Simplot's name may not be on the menu, its products may be familiar to sports fans visiting Yankee Stadium. Simplot Maple City Waffle Fries, RoastWorks Peppers & Onions, and Harvest Fresh Chunky Pulp are all used as ingredients in the iconic venue's food offerings.

J.R. "Jack" Simplot started his namesake business in the 1920s trading pigs, cattle, and horses, eventually using the profits to get into farming. By the 1930s, Simplot was providing potatoes for soldiers during World War II, and later helped introduce frozen french fries to the mass market. The key move that transformed the company's future came in 1967, when McDonald's signed on to buy Simplot's frozen fries. This was likely the springboard for Simplot's modern-day success in the fast food industry.

McDonald's and Burger King also get spuds from leading potato producers Lamb Weston and Canada-based McCain. Together with Cavendish Farms and Simplot, these four companies control an astonishing 97% of the frozen potato market. That dominance has also brought scrutiny. According to complaints, the companies artificially inflated the price of frozen potato products by 47% between 2022 and 2024. The legal proceedings are still ongoing, and while it may not stop anyone from chowing down on a side of fries, the case makes for interesting conversation on your next fast food run.