You've spent three hours hiding plastic eggs in the backyard and another four hosting a brunch that left your kitchen looking like a flour-coated war zone. Now, it's 4:00 PM on Easter Sunday. You’re starving. The ham is gone. The dishes are piling up. You just want a burger and a large soda.
But then that nagging thought hits: is anything even open?
Easter is a weirdly inconsistent holiday for the food industry. Unlike Christmas, where basically everything except Chinese takeout and movie theaters shuts down, or Thanksgiving, where it’s a total ghost town, Easter falls into this gray area. Since it's always a Sunday—a day when many businesses are already on a "weekend schedule"—it's easy to get confused.
The short answer is yes, most major chains will feed you. But "most" doesn't mean "all." If you're banking on a specific chicken sandwich, you might be out of luck.
What Fast Food Places Are Open on Easter?
If you’re driving around looking for a quick fix, your odds are actually pretty good. Most of the heavy hitters in the fast-food world treat Easter like a normal Sunday. They know families are traveling, and let’s be honest, not everyone wants to spend the whole day cooking a traditional lamb dinner.
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The Big Three (McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s)
McDonald’s is the most reliable bet here. Most locations are independently owned franchises, and the vast majority stay open. You can almost certainly get your McNuggets or a Big Mac. The only catch? Some might open an hour later or close a couple of hours early.
Burger King and Wendy's generally follow the same playbook. They stay open because the demand is there. However, if you're visiting a location inside a shopping mall, you’re at the mercy of the mall's holiday hours. If the mall is closed for Easter, the food court is closed too.
Taco Bell and Sonic
Taco Bell is usually open. They only officially close for Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, if you're craving a Crunchwrap after the church service, you're likely in the clear. Sonic Drive-In is another safe choice, though since they are heavily franchised, a few rural locations might give their staff the day off.
Pizza Chains
Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s live for holidays. They are almost always open. In fact, Easter is often a busy day for delivery because people get tired of "holiday food" by dinner time and just want a pepperoni pizza.
The One Place You Definitely Can’t Go
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Chick-fil-A.
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Don't even bother driving there. Seriously.
Chick-fil-A is famously closed every single Sunday, regardless of whether it’s a holiday or just a random weekend in July. Since Easter is always a Sunday, they are 100% closed. Every year, people forget this and pull into the drive-thru only to be met with those familiar "Closed on Sunday" signs. Save yourself the gas.
Coffee and Breakfast Availability
If you need caffeine to survive the family gathering, you're mostly in luck.
- Starbucks: Most stand-alone locations are open, but they often use "reduced hours." This might mean opening at 7:00 AM instead of 5:00 AM or closing at 4:00 PM. Grocery store kiosks (like the ones inside Target) will depend on whether the host store is open.
- Dunkin’: Usually open for the full day. They know people need their coffee and donuts for the road.
- Waffle House and Denny’s: These are the "never-close" champions. If the world is still turning, they are serving hashbrowns.
Why Some Locations Might Surprise You
Honestly, the "is it open" question isn't always about corporate policy. It's about staffing. In 2026, we’re still seeing local managers make "game-time decisions" based on how many people actually showed up for their shift.
Regional differences are real too. In the Bible Belt or highly religious rural areas, you'll find a much higher percentage of closed restaurants compared to a place like New York City or Los Angeles. It’s a culture thing. A franchise owner in a small town in Georgia might decide it’s just not worth the hassle to open for four hours when everyone is at a community picnic.
Expert Tip: Check the app. Don't trust the hours listed on a generic Google search result. The brand’s official app (like the McDonald's or Taco Bell app) is usually synced to the local store's Point of Sale system. If the app says you can't place a mobile order, the store is likely closed.
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Actionable Steps for a Hungry Easter Sunday
- Check the app before you leave the house. It's the only way to be 95% sure.
- Call ahead if you're heading to a "casual dining" spot like Applebee's or Chili's. They are more likely to have weird holiday hours than a drive-thru.
- Avoid mall locations. They are the most likely to be shut down for the day.
- Target gas station fast food. Locations attached to Wawa, Sheetz, or Buc-ee's are almost guaranteed to be open 24/7.
- Download a delivery app. Even if you don't want delivery, looking at DoorDash or Uber Eats will show you which restaurants are currently accepting orders in your immediate area.
If you really need that specific chicken sandwich, you’ll have to wait until Easter Monday. For everything else, the drive-thru is calling.