These Chain Restaurants Will Start Popping Up Everywhere

If drive down any street in America, you will likely pass by some of the more iconic fast food brands, like McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, and Starbucks. While it feels like some chains are on every block in town, others are just starting to grow, and are quickly expanding across the country. Depending on where you live, some of them might already be familiar, but for others, you may have never heard of them.

Fast-growing restaurant brands appear to be more prevalent now as the industry climbs its way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept families at home instead of eating out. That new-found surge in business has helped many brands expand their horizons, growing their footprint across the United States. Some of this growth could disrupt the long-standing popular fast food restaurants, especially as consumers seek healthier options when they want to go out to eat. The following restaurant brands are growing quickly, and you may soon see some of them in your town if you haven't already.

If you do not live on the west coast, you may have never visited a Jollibee. That could soon change, however, as the Filipino restaurant chain is experiencing fast growth across America with no signs of slowing down. Most recently, its brand value has quickly grown to $1.6 billion per Brand Directory. Jollibee has its sights on opening nearly 500 locations over the next few years, meaning you could soon see a restaurant in your neighborhood.

Jollibee specializes in fried chicken dishes and its menu includes many items you would find at other fried chicken establishments, like six-piece buckets with legs and thighs. Customers can also order Filipino-inspired items such as Spaghetti and Palabok Fiesta, which is a traditional Filipino noodle dish. Currently, most Jollibee locations in the United States are concentrated around California, but with its rapid growth plan, it could soon spread to other regions of the country.

With over 200 locations in the United States, Shake Shack has already seen considerable growth. Outside of the major regions of New York, California, and Texas, you may not have a Shake Shack nearby, however, it does have plans for growth in the coming years.

Shake Shack's growth is not simply a wide-cast net approach where it opens restaurants all over the country. Instead, the burger chain specifically wants to grow in its drive-thru division. By the end of 2023, Shake Shack hopes to have opened 20 to 25 new drive-thru locations. This would mean stepping away from its urban-centric strategy to its locations and moving more into a suburban landscape. 

The Habit Burger Grill is popular in its home state of California, but outside, it is not widely known. While the count currently states at roughly one dozen states with The Habit Burger locations, it is definitely a west coast mainstay. It seems like The Habit Burger wants to break that mold, with its sights set on growing from approximately 300 locations as of July 2022 to over 2,000 in the United States over the next several years.

Growth for The Habit Burger will be interesting to watch, as prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, dine-in sales accounted for a staggering 60% of total revenue, according to QSR Magazine. While most fast food restaurant chains see the big bucks come from the drive-thru and to-go orders, The Habit Burger will have to scale its business while accounting for consumer behavior. 

In the world of deli-style sandwich chains, Jersey Mike's is a fan favorite. Perhaps it is due to its hand-sliced meats and cheeses adding freshness to each bite. Or maybe it has something to do with the bread that is baked fresh in its restaurants each day. Either way, Jersey's Mikes has plenty to be excited about when it comes to growth, which is fueled by that fan enthusiasm.

In 2021, Jersey Mike's set an ambitious goal to open upwards of 500 locations over the course of two years. In 2023, it set yet another huge milestone goal of opening 350 locations in one year alone; there are roughly 2,400 Jersey Mikes locations today. That growth has been partly due to an ever-evolving marketing campaign, taking unique avenues such as partnering with Division I sports programs and launching ads featuring Danny DeVito. Thanks to its fresh ingredients, however, Jersey Mike's walks the walk, and customers take notice.

Crispy fried chicken finger aficionados will attest that Raising Cane's is among the best. The fast food chain opened in 1996 on the radical concept that a restaurant can be successful on chicken fingers alone. The gamble paid off, and nowadays customers can find hundreds of Raising Cane's restaurants on their travels or in a strip mall near home.

Its menu has expanded to include more than just chicken fingers, and Raising Cane's continues to grow, expanding into new markets such as the first Michigan location that opened in 2022. That location was one of 100 that Raising Cane's had set out to open that year. Looking ahead, the chain seeks to enter more markets in the Northeast corridor of the U.S., including Boston and Philadelphia. It recently hit the milestone of opening its 600th location in California, so Raising Cane's shows no signs of slowing down.

In the mood for a poke bowl? The rice bowl known for its raw tuna topping has grown in popularity in the United States, so much so that restaurants and fast food chains have begun to emerge that base their menu entirely around the dish. Namely, Pokeworks opened its first location in 2015 and had grown its presence to 20 states by 2022.

Fueled by its success in the U.S., Pokeworks is now looking to expand in several of its current markets. This includes nearly one dozen new locations in New York, Texas, and California. The company has also begun its international expansion with locations in Taiwan and Mexico. In addition, the chain is on its way to open restaurants in Canada. Soon, it may seem like for every burger shop you see, there will be a poke bowl-centric restaurant chain right around the corner.

Do not let the name deceive you –- Tropical Smoothie Cafe is not like your typical Jamba Juice that focuses mainly on refreshing smoothies. Those are, of course, a key part of its business model, but you will also find salads, wraps, and flatbreads. Tropical Smoothie Cafe's menu has resonated with customers, giving the company the boost it needed over the years for continued growth and expansion.

As of 2023, the chain has opened nearly 1,300 locations across the United States, many of which are operated by existing franchisees. In fact, one franchise in Arkansas is responsible for 100 locations alone. With nearly 100 new locations opened in the first two quarters of 2023, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is full steam ahead when it comes to expansion. Do not be surprised if you see a restaurant open in your neighborhood in the near future.

Walk through any mall in America, and you will likely smell the wafting scent of a freshly-baked pretzel. The handheld snack is a convenient quick bite when you need something to munch on or share with friends, which is part of the reason why pretzel stands are so popular -– that, and they are just really tasty. Wetzel's Pretzels has enjoyed steady growth, with a three-year improvement of 35% for same-store-sales growth, according to Nation's Restaurant News.

That growth in sales translates to more locations for Wetzel's Pretzels. The pretzel chain has 50 restaurants in development for 2023, which includes its 400th location. The company has been strategic in this growth, not only sticking to traditional sites for its locations but also adding them in airports, Walmarts, Macy's, and even food trucks.

Before a fast food chain can reach the number of locations that industry juggernauts McDonald's and Burger King have, it must start small and grow strategically. That is where True Food Kitchen is at right now. The wellness-centric chain has opened roughly 50 locations since it launched 15 years ago, but do not discount it as lacking momentum.

With its 44th location opening in March 2023 in Los Angeles, True Food Market continues to grow. And a recent investment to the tune of $100 million should only spur more growth. True Food Market has received a celebrity lineup of investments, including funds from Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, as well as Oprah Winfrey.

True Food Kitchen focuses on a menu featuring anti-inflammatory foods, a philosophy championed by Dr. Andrew Weil. Its locations can be found across the United States, with even more coming soon.