Consumers are spending freely at fast-food restaurants these days. That preference for eating away from home has helped shares of both Chipotle Mexcian Grill (NYSE: CMG) and McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) outperform the S&P 500 so far in 2022.

But investors have divergent views over the prospects for these two businesses, which are increasingly clashing in the drive-thru and delivery spaces. Let's take a closer look at which of the two stocks seems more appetizing as a long-term investment today.

Both companies are benefiting from a selling environment that's characterized by strong demand for fast food. Chipotle's recent earnings report showed an 8% increase in comparable-store sales through late September. McDonald's noted a 10% spike in its global business over the same period, and a 6% jump in the U.S. market.

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Source Fool.com