16 fast -growing chicken chains that you are about to see everywhere
Everything comes from chicken. According to online catering, 20 channels have launched a new version of the chicken sandwich on their menus, including fast food beer like McDonald’s and Burger King. In addition, restaurant chains that concentrate their entire commercial model on chicken have experienced impressive growth in recent years. The lasting price of chicken as an ingredient compared to more expensive ingredients like beef helps keep the chicken chains competitive, as revealed by a Washington Post report.
With wider margins and strong competition between brands, it is no secret these days that chicken chains are exploding in popularity nationally. Light your local news, and you’ve probably seen a story in the past year or two chicken chains opening their first locations on your respective market. As you will read below, there does not seem to be prevented these channels from expanding their footprint and bringing new customers. Larger chains that seek to maintain market share in smaller regional chains that find their way in new markets, the following chicken chains are ready to be more than ever in street corners in the years to come.
Hayy Magoos
The impressive growth of chicken chains across industry has reached large and small businesses. Huey Magoos, a channel based in Florida, has developed in new markets, notably Texas, Arizona and Virginia in 2024. With hundreds of development restaurants, Huey Magoos should continue to grow in the coming years. Its imprint extends as far to the west as Nevada, giving this chicken chain a real national scope.
Crazy chicken
El Pollo Loco looked at its 500th location at the opening at the end of last year, and the chicken brand shows no sign of slowdown in its growth. Known for its grilled chicken, El Pollo Loco prioritizes new markets, notably Boisse, El Paso, Kansas City and Seattle-Tacoma. With new restaurant conceptions also in preparation, El Pollo Loco makes known his intention to be considered one of the best modern chicken chains.
Thin chickens
Slims Chicken has more than 1,200 development restaurants in March 2024, with 70% growth in the restaurant, according to QSR magazine. The regions that can expect to see Slims Chicken Open in the coming months include Florida, South Carolina, Alabama and Arizona. Expansion on current markets like Michigan is also in preparation. This still leaves much more than 1,000 restaurants in preparation, which means that customers could see Slims Chicken with continuous growth for years to come.
Wingstop
Wingstop opened hundreds of new locations in 2024, cementing its place like a prompt casual chicken wing chain. According to Fast Company, Wingstop has almost doubled its growth over the past six years, totaling more than 2,300 restaurants at the end of its second quarter during the year 2024.
Snob
There is rigid competition in the world of chicken wings, with great players like Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingsop to face. Wing Snob is up to the task, opening dozens of new locations in 2024. By 2025, Wing Snob could develop even faster, with 100 new locations which should open, according to food and hospitality.
Zaxby
The georgia -based chicken chain, Zaxby’s already has nearly 1,000 locations, but there is still a lot of space for growth. The chain is now heading to the northeast and middle regions of the United States Atlantic, bringing its chicken and wings to more customers than ever. The first of the three restaurants in Maryland is coming this year, with an expansion also on the deck for Delaware and the New Jersey. Its beginnings in New Jersey will start in the southern state region before moving further north, according to a press release.
Krispy Krunchy chicken
With nearly 3,000 locations in 47 states, you could say that the Krispy Krunchy chicken is already almost everywhere. But this belief is put to the test this year while the chain is looking at a rapid expansion. The fast service channel, specialized in fried chicken with cajun spices, opened 500 new locations in 2023 only. He intends to go beyond this growth in 2024 with 700 new expected additional stores.
Chicken salad chicken
When you think of chicken chains, chicken sandwiches and fried chicken probably come to mind. Not only does the chicken salad chick return the notion of what a chicken chain could be on its head, but it is ready to push significantly. The chain, specializing in chicken salad, has increased to around 250 locations since its opening in 2008. Soon, around 50 others could reach the ranks, thanks to its franchisees. Its growth is not limited to a particular region of new American locations should open in States from Texas to Illinois to Virginia.
Campero chicken
Pollo Campero has existed for over 50 years, opening his first location in Guatemala in 1971, according to Diving. Growth has been slow at first, but lately, the chain has appeared in more places. Serving chicken with bone, fried and toasted, as well as chicken sandwiches and a range of sides, the brand has already exceeded 100 locations in the United States and continues to grow.
Rack
Depending on where you live in the United States, Raison Cane is hardly a new concept. The fast food chicken chain is appreciated by its passionate customers, also known as “Caniacs”. Its fans base will surely increase in the coming years when Cane breeding continues its rapid expansion. This includes the opening of its new flagship location in the heart of Times Square. Other New York locations are planned, as well as new restaurants in Florida, California and Tennessee. With record growth in 2024, the momentum is there to raise canes.
Papeyes
More customers than ever can “like this chicken of popeyes”. Last year, Popeyes expected the growth of 3,400 stores in 2023 to more than 4,200 by 2028, according to QSR magazine. This includes the opening of restaurants on new markets and 160 new restaurants in 2024 only. Part of its growth strategy is to simplify operations in all its restaurants, with plans to have POS systems and kiosks based on the cloud in each popeyes by 2026.
Leap
If you’ve never heard of a Bonchon, it could soon change. Known for its ultimate-off double fried birds, the Korean fried chicken chain aims to have more than 1,000 locations worldwide over the next five years, 500 of them being in the United States. It is completely the jump of about 130 locations that it currently operates in the United States, but the plans are to extend its scope in the regions surrounding New York, Chicago, Denver, Houston, and beyond.
Dave hot chicken
If there is a doubt on the chicken chains which become the rising stars of fast food, look no further than the hot chicken from Dave.
Serving tenders and cursors through a wide range of spicy heat levels, Dave’s was the third chain of growing restaurants in America by 2023 while it increased its 76%footprint, according to Technomic Top 500 data. It aims to open more than 100 additional restaurants this year and has around 950 development locations in total. The mainly franchised chain operators continue to add more stores to their development transactions, so the total could very well increase.
Bojangles
You are more likely to familiarize yourself with Bojangles if you live in the southeast of the United States, but that will probably change in the coming years. The fried chicken chain aims to develop west, with 20 restaurants coming to Las Vegas alone. Additional locations are provided for Arizona. This “Bojangles West” initiative, as well as its other expansion plans, could bring the total number of 1,000 outdated locations (800 are currently in service).
Gilded chick
Golden Chick may not have the volume of restaurants like giants like Kentucky Fried Chicken, but that does not mean that the chain does not develop. In 2023, Golden Chick exceeded 200 locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and Louisiana, according to QSR magazineWith more added to the fleet in 2023. It marks a historic year of growth for the chain, which has existed since 1967. With so much momentum under its feet, Golden Chick could soon be put for the four states where it is currently found.
Chick-Fil-A
Depending on where you live, you may already have the impression of seeing Chick-Fil-A everywhere, with more than 3,000 restaurants nationwide. However, the quickly casual chicken chain still finds new markets to enter and existing markets to develop. These new markets include international locations, to open restaurants in Europe and Asia in 2025 with continuous growth to a total of five international markets by 2030. It all starts with locations in the United Kingdom and Singapore as well as expansion in its existing Canadian and gable marketes.
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