The 27 Fastest-Growing Restaurant Chains Right Now
Will chain restaurants ever stop working to grow bigger and better than ever before? If the past is any indication, the answer is probably no.
Year after year, restaurant chains toil to expand their footprint throughout the world. Growing allows these brands to continuously reach new customers, which is extremely important for emerging chains looking to make a name for themselves in the industry. However, even the most massive chains are never really content to stop growing as they seek to maintain their status amid the increasing competition from rivals.
We're just about four months into 2024, but a slew of planned chain restaurant openings have already been announced for this year and beyond. The expanding eateries include some of the world's largest and most popular fast-food chains, as well as smaller brands working to make a name for themselves.
Read on to discover the 27 fastest-growing restaurant chains right now, and keep an eye out for future openings in your corner of the country!
McDonald's
As the biggest burger chain in the world, it should come as no surprise that McDonald's has some aggressive expansion plans in the pipeline. The fast-food giant announced in December that it has a lofty goal of expanding to 50,000 restaurants worldwide by the end of 2027.
McDonald's ended 2023 with more than 40,000 restaurants, so this means that roughly 10,000 additional restaurants could pop up worldwide over the next couple of years if all goes to plan. This will "mark the fastest period of growth" in the company's history, per the announcement.
Starbucks
Starbucks is already the largest coffee chain in the world, but the company wants to get much, much bigger in the coming years.
In November 2023, Starbucks revealed grand plans to open 17,000 additional locations by 2030. Starbucks also ultimately wants to expand to a whopping 55,000 locations worldwide, significantly higher than its current total of about 38,000.
The coffee chain is planning for 4% net new store growth in the United States alone for the 2024 fiscal year. Since Starbucks ended its latest quarter with 16,352 locations in the United States, 4% net growth would see Starbucks end the 2024 fiscal year with roughly 650 more U.S. locations. The company's long-term goal for expansion in the United States is to reach 20,000 locations.
Wendy's
Wendy's not only has hundreds of restaurants slated to open in 2024, but the new locations will boast a new-and-improved design.
Last August, the company unveiled a brand-new type of restaurant called Global Next Gen. These locations are designed to make the experience as streamlined and efficient as possible for Wendy's customers, whether they're ordering in stores, through the app, or via a delivery service. For example, Global Next Gen restaurants will feature digital kiosks where customers can order food, as well as conveniently located shelves where digital customers and delivery drivers can easily grab orders.
Wendy's has only opened a handful of stores with the new design so far, but it expects to debut more than 200 Global Next Gen locations throughout 2024.
Chipotle
Chipotle fans, rejoice! Customers will have even wider access to the chain's, burritos, bowls, and famous guacamole as it plans for rapid expansion this year.
Chipotle has projected that it will open between 285 and 315 new restaurants in 2024, assuming that "utility, construction, permit and inspection delays do not worsen." That could turn out to be an even larger total than the 271 locations that Chipotle opened in 2023.
Papa Johns
Papa Johns currently operates more than 5,900 restaurants across the world, but over the next couple of years, fans of the pizza chain will see a significant number of new locations pop up globally.
Papa Johns has set a goal to open a whopping 1,150 to 1,400 new stores by the end of 2025, QSR Magazine reported. The chain has already made notable progress on that objective. Papa Johns recently announced that it will open a net total of 210 new units for its full 2023 fiscal year, including 57 net openings in North America and 153 net openings in international markets.
The chain beefed up its expansion plans even more in April 2024 upon inking a deal with franchisee Nadeem Bajwa and his company, The Bajco Group, to open 50 new stores by 2028. These planned locations will be located throughout the Midwest, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
Texas Roadhouse
Several big changes are being rolled out at Texas Roadhouse in 2024. And in great news for fans of the popular steakhouse chain, the list of developments includes a slew of new restaurant openings.
CEO Jerry Morgan announced during a February earnings call that they're looking to open about 30 new company-owned restaurants in 2024. Those will include some Texas Roadhouse locations, plus new restaurants for the steakhouse chain's sister brands—the burger and pizza chain Bubba's 33 and the burger and chicken chain Jaggers.
Texas Roadhouse's franchise partners are also expected to open up to 14 international and domestic locations this year, including four new Jaggers units. That should total 44 new restaurants across the three brands, though the company didn't provide a breakdown of how many locations each one will receive.
Outback Steakhouse
While several underperforming Outback Steakhouse locations had to shut their doors for good earlier this year, the chain is bouncing back with plans to ramp up expansion this year. Parent company Bloomin' Brands announced during a February earnings call that they expect to nearly triple the number of Outback openings in the United States this year compared to 2023. Since six new Outback restaurants opened in America last year, that means up to 18 additional locations could begin serving customers in 2024.
Bloomin' expects to open 40 to 45 total new locations this year across all of its restaurant brands, which include Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, in addition to Outback.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened a record 62 new restaurants throughout 2023, including its 500th location. The burger chain has no intention of letting its momentum slow now that 2024 has arrived.
The chain currently has more than 550 restaurant development commitments and more than 140 locations that have either started construction, purchased land, or signed leases, QSR Magazine reported. Freddy's plans to open about 65 new restaurants this year alone.
Looking beyond 2024, the burger-slinger has an overarching goal of reaching the 800-restaurant milestone by 2026. That means that hundreds of new locations could pop up over the next couple of years if the company stays on track with its growth goals.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
If you don't currently have a Tropical Smoothie Cafe within driving distance, don't be too surprised if that changes in 2024. The smoothie chain saw an impressive year of growth in 2023, with 176 openings across the country, according to a press release. Tropical Smoothie Cafe also scored 258 franchise agreements in 2023, which it said provides "a robust pipeline of growth for the years ahead."
Considering that 2023 was also the 12th consecutive year in which the chain has recorded positive same-store sales, per the release, Tropical Smoothie Cafe seems to be on the right track for more explosive growth in 2024.
Slim Chickens
Slim Chickens may not boast the broad name recognition and reach of some of the other eateries on this list, but that could all change very soon. The regional chicken chain—which is concentrated in the South, Midwest, and parts of the West—has been exploding in size for years. It only operated 84 units as of the summer of 2019, per QSR Magazine. But nowadays, that total has skyrocketed to more than 245, according to Slim Chickens' franchise site.
CEO Tom Gordon recently told QSR Magazine that the company has set its sights on reaching a whopping 1,000 American restaurants and 500 international locations. In 2024 alone, Slim Chickens expects to open more than 70 restaurants in 2024 and has 1,200 in total in development right now. The Slim Chickens website currently lists upcoming openings in Albany, Ga.; Decatur, Ala.; Montgomery, Ala.; Mountain Home, Ark; Peoria, Ariz.; San Antonio, Texas; Columbia, S.C.; Glendale, Ariz.; and Albertville, Ala.
Jack in the Box
In 2023, Jack in the Box set itself up for a period of speedy growth in the coming years. The regional burger chain, which primarily operates on the West Coast and in Texas, signed commitments for 123 new restaurants throughout the year. Van Ingram, the vice president of franchise development for Jack in the Box and Del Taco, told the Franchise Times in January 2024 that those locations will be developed over the next two to seven years.
The expansion will see Jack in the Box enter four new states: Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and Wyoming. The chain also announced a commitment in May 2023 to open 22 locations in Mexico, its first franchise agreement in the country in decades.
Del Taco
Del Taco, which was acquired by Jack in the Box in 2022, is growing right alongside its parent company. The regional Mexican-style chain scored 138 new restaurant commitments during the 2023 fiscal year, according to a press release.
Del Taco will enter several brand-new markets as it expands, including Texas, Montana, and Wyoming. In Florida, which already boasts a handful of locations, Del Taco has inked 52 additional restaurant commitments.
Dutch Bros. Coffee
Dutch Bros. Coffee touts itself as one of the fastest-growing brands in the quick-service beverage industry—and for good reason.
The coffee chain opened an impressive 159 new shops throughout 2023, including 37 in the fourth quarter alone. Dutch Bros. plans to one-up itself in 2024 by opening between 150 and 165 new stores. Since the company ended 2023 with 831 locations, this year's opening should bring the total store count up to nearly 1,000.
Jersey Mike's Subs
Out of all the chains featured on this list, Jersey Mike's Subs has one of the most aggressive growth agendas. CEO Peter Cancro told QSR Magazine late last year that the company plans to open 350 locations in 2024. Jersey Mike's intends to follow that up with roughly the same number of openings in 2025 and then 400 to 450 openings in 2026.
Afterward, the company plans to start expanding its unit count by 13% to 15% annually. That's no small feat considering that Jersey Mike's already operates more than 2,600 restaurants throughout the United States, per data company ScrapeHero.
Qdoba
Chipotle isn't the only fast-casual Mexican chain looking to grow bigger this year and beyond. Qdoba, a 755-unit Chipotle rival, announced this past August that it plans to double in size over the next decade.
Qdoba said in August that it would kick off the growth spurt with a planned 40 restaurant openings in 2023. It also expects to open 60 restaurants in 2024 and then 80 or more annually starting in 2025.
"We are in the process of aggressively accelerating new restaurant development in partnership with existing and new franchisees. Once our pipeline is fully established, we expect to sustain a 10% annual growth rate through new restaurant development," John Cywinski, CEO of Qdoba's parent company Modern Restaurant Concepts, said in a statement in August.
Bonchon
This past year has been a major one for Bonchon, the popular Korean fried chicken chain with more than 430 restaurants across nine countries. It achieved its strongest new store sales in its history in 2023, according to a Jan. 18 press release. It also signed more than 40 locations for development throughout the year and plans to enter several new markets in 2024 as it expands, including southern Florida; Little Rock, Ark.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Ann Arbor, Mich.
The chain already opened four new restaurants in the first quarter of 2024, including two in California, one in New York, and one in Massachusetts. Additionally, it has inked 20 additional deals for future store openings since the start of the year. Bonchon currently has 130 restaurants in the United States but wants to grow its footprint to 500 American locations and 1,000 international locations within five years.
"We look forward to breaking into new territories and exploring possibilities in the years to come," Suzie Tsai, who was just named Bonchon's U.S. CEO, said in a January statement.
Fogo de Chão
Fogo de Chão will make its Brazilian steakhouses even more accessible to consumers as it expands significantly over the next couple of years. The chain announced on Jan. 8 that it plans to open more than 20 new locations globally throughout 2024 and 2025. These openings will put Fogo de Chão on track to open its 100th restaurant by the end of this year.
Among the cities slated to get a new Fogo de Chão over the next couple years are Santa Monica, Calif.; Nashville, Tenn.; San Antonio, Texas; and Oklahoma City, Okla. Make sure to check out the company's announcement if you want more details on where the chain is headed.
Wingstop
Wingstop, known for its wide array of wing flavors and chicken sandwiches, is gearing up for plenty of growth this year. After opening 255 net new stores throughout 2023, the chain aims to do even better in 2024 with plans to open an additional 270 net new locations globally.
Since the chain ended 2023 with 2,214 global locations, 1,926 of which are in the United States, these planned openings should put it close to a 2,500-store milestone. Wingstop also has a long-term goal of reaching 7,000 units, though it could be quite some time before it reaches that benchmark.
Crumbl Cookies
Crumbl Cookies recently made major headlines upon revealing that it closed several of its shops in 2023 and early 2024—the first-ever closures in company history. However, that doesn't mean the chain is shrinking by any means.
Crumbl previewed plans to open 122 new locations throughout 2024 in its latest franchise disclosure document. Notably, that total isn't quite as high as the number of Crumbl openings in recent years. The chain opened 184 shops in 2023, 363 in 2022, and 184 in 2021. Still, 122 openings would still be one of the largest growth pushes out of any chain on this list if Crumbl manages to meet its goals.
Culver's
Culver's, a popular regional burger chain in the Midwest, is bringing its famous ButterBurgers and frozen custard to plenty of additional markets in 2024. The chain recently filed a new franchise disclosure document that unveiled plans to open 51 stores this year. Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin are all slated to receive one or a handful of new Culver's locations. Additionally, the chain will grow particularly fast in Florida and Indiana as it aims to open 18 and eight new stores in those states, respectively.
Culver's ended 2023 with 944 locations, so this year's anticipated openings should push it much closer to the 1,000-store milestone.
Bojangles
Bojangles has spent most of its history as a regional chicken chain confined to the South, but it's now making some major expansion moves into new markets. Over the past year, Bojangles has announced deals to open 30 new stores in the Los Angeles area, 20 new stores in Phoenix, and 30 new locations across Las Vegas and other Western markets. California, Nevada, and Arizona don't currently have any Bojangles locations, so the chain will be entering all three states for the first time.
Bojangles added a whopping 270 restaurants in total to its growth plans throughout last year, which should put the roughly 800-unit chain on track to surpass 1,000 locations in the future.
Smoothie King
Tropical Smoothie Cafe isn't the only smoothie chain working to grow its footprint right now. Rival brand Smoothie King also has some big expansion plans in the works, with a whopping 100 new locations expected to debut in 2024 alone.
Las Vegas is one of the markets where Smoothie King is expanding its presence. The chain recently inked a franchise agreement that will see it open seven new stores in the Sin City area. Since Smoothie King currently only operates three locations in the Las Vegas market, these openings will more than triple its presence there. The first of the seven planned locations is expected to open in 2024, but the timeline for the other six openings wasn't specified in the Smoothie King announcement.
From Slim Chickens to Wingstop, scores of chicken chains are expanding at a rapid clip in 2024—and that includes Pollo Campero. The chain, which was founded in Guatemala in 1971 but began opening stores in the United States in 2002, recently opened its 100th location in the United States. It's aiming to keep up the growth momentum in 2024 with 25 planned store openings. That would be more than double the 11 restaurants it opened in 2023.
Local media outlets have reported that Minnesota, Tennessee, and New York are among the markets where Pollo Campero is expanding or plans to expand.
First Watch
There's good news in store for any consumers on the hunt for a new go-to breakfast spot. First Watch, known for its rotating seasonal menus and high-quality ingredients, expects to open 51 to 57 net new locations in 2024. It ended 2023 with 524 restaurants, so this year's planned openings should bring its total unit count up to around 580.
First Watch has been expanding at a rapid clip in recent years, growing its footprint by a sizable 42% since 2019. First Watch CEO and President Christopher Tomasso revealed during a March earnings call that they're looking to break into new markets such as Las Vegas and New England as they continue to grow.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken
Out of all the chains on this list, Krispy Krunchy Chicken has some of the most aggressive expansion goals for 2024. The chain, which operates quick-service restaurants inside convenience stores and other retailers, grew at a record pace in 2023 by debuting nearly 500 new locations. It wants to set a new record this year with plans to open an additional 700 new locations.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken currently boasts nearly 3,000 locations across 47 states. It's aiming to reach 3,500 units by the end of 2024, though a press release on its growth plans didn't specify where in the United States it plans to expand.
Port of Subs
Some lucky Midwesterners will soon have a new sandwich shop in their area to sample. Port of Subs, a Nevada-based sandwich chain concentrated in the West, recently inked a development deal for 60 new shops throughout Minnesota. Local entrepreneur Pat Mancuso and his daughter, Ashley Mancuso, will lead the development of the new stores.
They're aiming to open their first Port of Subs location in the next few months and at least 12 additional locations in the next year and a half. This new expansion deal comes less than a year after the sandwich chain scored another franchise agreement to open 40 new stores in Utah.
Mountain Mike's
The Western pizza chain Mountain Mike's recently unveiled exciting plans to open a handful of locations in Wisconsin, where it doesn't currently have a presence. However, Mountain Mike's planned Wisconsin openings are only a small portion of its aggressive growth pipeline.
The chain expects to open more than 30 restaurants in 2024 and surpass the 300-unit milestone by the middle of the year. It's also aiming to reach 400 locations by the end of 2026, according to a press release. If it succeeds, Mountain Mike's will have grown its footprint by 120% just since 2017.
This story has been updated to include new information, additional entries, fact-checking, and copyedits.
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