9 Growing Restaurant Chains You're About To See Everywhere

Successful restaurant chains don't just suddenly appear overnight. They start with one location on a city's outskirts, then move to the inner city, and eventually open in a strip mall space that was once a hair salon — and before you know it, they're everywhere. But when does a restaurant actually become a chain? It's not necessarily when it has thousands of locations, as you might think. In fact, those four small cafes in your town under the same name can be considered a chain, even though it's a long way from reaching Starbucks-level revenues. You probably don't think of multinational chains as having humble beginnings, but there are many successful franchises where patrons can still visit the original locations to see where it all started.

Of course, not all successful chain restaurants are globe-spanning, and some remain U.S.-only regional gems, such as In-N-Out Burger. Whatever the case, chain restaurants often take off for good reason: they make great food and are accessible. Here, we examine nine growing restaurant chains that have a ton of momentum behind them and are sure to sprout up in your neck of the woods soon, if they haven't done so already.

Cava is a fast-casual style chain that takes the formula and tries to give patrons a slightly elevated experience. It's known for well-made bowls with decent ingredients, all assembled at a brisk pace to allow you to fuel up and get back to your day. Cava also goes toe-to-toe with another chain that has a similar approach — Sweetgreen — while going beyond bowls. It offers patrons the option to customize pitas, as well, all with a decidedly Mediterranean bent.

If Cava isn't in your city yet, it could very well be soon, as plotting the growth trajectory points decidedly upward. In 2023, Cava had opened 72 new locations, and by late 2024, the brand was operating 341 restaurants. Investors took note as the stock shot up a whopping 305% in 2024, riding that growth into 2025, which brought the total number of locations to 440, mostly in the East. Corporate headquarters now claims the goal is to have 1,000 restaurants across the U.S. by 2032, which leads us to believe we're surely going to see Cava everywhere soon.

Sweetgreen is one of those fast-casual chains that you want when your body is craving healthy foods and, to be more specific, greens. If you want a kale salad made to order with a memorable dressing, piled high with a ton of veggies and some roasted tofu, you can get one remarkably fast at Sweetgreen. The chain has signature bowls and salads, but the option to customize your order is what draws many in. While these salads may not be the cheapest out there, they will blow a sad Wendy's salad out of the water with much higher-quality ingredients. You're paying for the fact that the chicken and salmon are antibiotic-free, and the fact that the vegan options taste just as good, if not better, than the meat-based bowls.

But how fast is the chain growing? As of 2025, Sweetgreen has a total of 911 locations scattered across the country, mostly clustered around the Midwest, Northeast, and California. The State of New York is home to the largest number of locations, with a total of 178, which makes up almost 20% of all the Sweetgreens in the country. Needless to say, New York residents have already witnessed the wave of growth that this health-forward chain has experienced; the rest of the country just needs to sit back and wait for the tide to hit them, too.

Jersey Mike's is one of the largest chains on our list, with numerous locations operating across the nation. You're probably already familiar with the name, whether you've had to wolf down one of its subs at the airport before a flight or hit one up on your lunch break at work. They're everywhere. But if you're living in a Jersey Mike's-free zone — which is getting harder to find, but includes the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or parts of the Dakotas — you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Of course, it goes without saying that the chain makes subs, as the name would suggest, in a distinctly New Jersey/East Coast Italian-American style. It offers fresh-sliced cold subs and fresh-grilled hot subs, in a very straightforward manner, with nothing too fancy about them — these are basic sandwiches that will please most.

Is it good? Sure, but at the end of the day, these are fast-food meals that your local Italian grocer could run laps around using better ingredients and bread. The uber-successful chain has nothing to prove at this point, though. As it stands, in 2025, Jersey Mike's has 3,232 total locations across the country, and CEO Peter Cancro wants to hit the ground running in 2026 with a staggering 400 to 450 potential new openings. Perhaps the Upper Peninsula will finally get one?

With locations in 46 States — even up in Alaska — chances are you're already familiar with the tide of Wingstop expansion. The chain is rather successful, dealing in — you guessed it — delicious chicken wings. Its menu is very simple and approachable, but if you're not into wings, you'll be left with few options — perhaps a side of fries or some chicken tenders. But wing fans thrive here, enjoying options like boneless or classic (bone-in) wings and 12 different sauce flavors spanning honey garlic, Cajun, hickory smoked, mango haberno for the spice fans, and more.

It's a winning formula, and the proof is in the pudding: As of the third quarter of 2025, the Wingstop company enjoyed a total of more than $175 million in revenue, with 114 new openings in that fiscal quarter alone. That's a lot of chicken. With a massive presence totalling 2,353 locations in the U.S. alone, the wing craze shows no signs of slowing down. For 2026, the company hasn't officially floated the number of new U.S. openings planned, but given its trajectory thus far — and plans for 1,000 new locations in India, for example — we expect to see more of Wingstop both at home and abroad.

This restaurant could be considered more of a mid-tier chain in terms of sheer numbers. It has more locations than Cava, but it's hardly a household name ... yet. For our readers who live in states like Montana, Maine, Wyoming, Vermont, and the Dakotas, where the Raising Cane expansion hasn't appeared yet, we'll explain the vibe. The menu is an exercise in focus, with an intentionally narrow selection of simple yet comforting dishes like chicken fingers, crinkle fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. If you've had a stressful day at work, can't be bothered to cook, and you're craving comfort, a massive order of Raising Cain's chicken fingers would probably soothe you back into homeostasis. Or a food coma. 

Either way, by keeping it simple and familiar, the restaurant has managed to reach a total of 630 American cities, totalling 915 locations from coast to coast. Raising Cain's did $5 billion in sales in 2024 and opened a number of new locations in 2025. It plans to up the ante in 2026 with more expansion. The company has big plans to hit 1,600 total locations across the U.S. by the end of the decade, looking to finally become a true household name. Just as customers turn to Raising Cane's when they want comfort food staples, investors will find lots of comfort in those projections.

Whataburger is a relatively small player in the fast-food burger battlefield, where there are already so many options that it's overwhelming. For those not in the know, this chain is a legendary Texas establishment that lives up to the saying that "everything is bigger in Texas," serving huge portions and some local delicacies. Texas toast, chicken strips, sweet and spicy bacon burgers, and breakfast burritos are just a tiny sample of what's on offer, with the possibility of customizing each item with a ton of add-ons. It does exceptional, Texas-tinged fast food that the majority of the country unfortunately doesn't have access to. Yet.

As of this year, the chain has 1,179 locations across 17 states, mostly clustered in the Deep South. Texas has the most locations with a total of 772 — more than half the total number of franchises in the country — while other states have only a handful in their biggest cities. Perhaps the company will begin to make a push northward and beyond in 2026 — let's see where the 70 new locations slated for next year crop up. Given Whataburger's reputation as a local favorite, combined with some motivation from upper management and investors, we think you'll be seeing more of the chain in the years to come.

Sure, we all know that Taco Bell takes up a lot of space in the Tex-Mex and Cal-Mex style fast-food arena. There's a Taco Bell on practically every corner. While it has a ton of market share (you could argue that it paved the way for restaurants like Torchy's in the first place), we think the more restaurants in this style, the merrier. American palates love Mexican-adjacent fast food spots, as evidenced by the popularity of other chains like Chipotle, Del Taco, and El Pollo Loco. This is why we think you're going to be seeing a lot more of Torchy's Tacos as the years go on.

If you're unfamiliar with the chain, what you won't find here is subtle flavor — this place packs a punch. Originally an Austin favourite as a food truck that opened in 2006, Torchy's now has 132 locations spread over 16 states, with the majority based in Texas. If you're not lucky enough to live in one of those 16 states, you're missing out on a wide array of menu items like Al Pastor pork tacos, salads and bowls, breakfast burritos, guacamole and chips, and so much more. Under the direction of a new CEO, Torchy's wants to blaze a path towards 75 new locations in 2026, with 125 more expected to open by the end of 2030. You might soon have a Taco Bell alternative in your hometown.

Dutch Bros is unique to our list here in that it's primarily a beverage-based restaurant, serving up hot coffee as the company's foundation. If you're not familiar with the chain — which is mostly scattered around the West Coast, Southwest, and Midwest — it makes a mean flavored latte. It is a departure from chains like Starbucks, and perhaps closer to Dunkin' with a maximalist attitude towards high-calorie, sugary drinks. Additionally, it does cold brew, Americanos, and regular lattes that won't send your blood sugar skyrocketing. To that end, if you're really watching your sugar intake, you'll be happy to know that it offers a few sugar-free flavored options like its Pink Flamingo range of iced teas and lemonades. 

As of 2025, Dutch Bros has an impressive 1,088 total locations across 24 states and 548 cities. The company has plans in the works to expand with 175 additional coffee shops to open in 2026, allowing fans of flavorful lattes a Dunkin' alternative when hitting the drive-thru. We think it has a good thing going and will likely become even more popular in the coming years.

OK, who hasn't heard of Shake Shack? At this point, it seems to have been absorbed into the Zeitgeist as a thoroughly celebrated burger spot. But maybe, just maybe, there are a few of you out there who aren't aware of the chain — and for this, you're forgiven. Allow us to break it down for you: picture fast-casual premium hamburgers — more elevated than, say, Wendy's — trying to go toe to toe with In-N-Out and Five Guys, but with even more of a focus on quality. Basically, it wants to seem not-so-fast-food-like, showing customers another, brighter side to the humble hamburger. But this doesn't mean Shake Shack holds back, as shown in The Big Shack, which is the double quarter-pound patty behemoth in its lineup. And as the restaurant name suggests, it makes exceptional milkshakes, too.

Currently, the franchise has 371 total locations spread over 34 different states, found in 244 city centers. Given that it's a New York company, the majority of the locations are found in the Northeast, with outer clusters in California, Texas, Florida, and beyond. While it is a smaller chain in the grand scheme of things, we think its stellar reputation and cult-like following will propel it to new heights. The company apparently has around 40 to 45 new restaurants slated for 2026 opening across the nation. If you're in a Shake Shack-less town, your burger prayers may soon be answered.