Top 10 fastest-growing retail brands in the U.S., according to Yelp

The new restaurant on your block may look familiar.

Chains owned by publicly traded restaurant companies made up half of the 10 fastest-growing retail brands in the United States last year, according to a new report from Yelp.

Review site Yelp compiled the list using a combined metric that includes net new openings, searches on its platform from 2022 to 2023, and consumer interest measured by page visits, photos posted, and written reviews. Of the 50 fastest-growing chains in Yelp’s report, 35 were restaurant brands.

Jack in the box, First watch And Dutch brothers were among the public restaurant chains included in the report, but they did not make the top 10. Publicly traded retailers included Levi Strauss, Nordstrom And Costco.

Here are the 10 fastest-growing brands, according to Yelp research:

The Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain went public 10 months ago, raising nearly $318 million. Cava said in a regulatory filing that it plans to use the proceeds from the offering for opening new locations, as well as for general corporate purposes. It opened 30 net new locations in the second half of 2023 and plans to open at least 48 this year.

The Midwestern coffee chain was founded in 1998 in Nebraska, but only recently began expanding aggressively through franchises. Its standard drive-thru location is only 664 square feet. The restaurant’s small size makes it less expensive to operate and quicker to build, helping the chain and its franchisees rapidly accelerate their development.

Scooter’s net new locations jumped 53% between 2022 and 2023, giving it the highest growth percentage of any restaurant brand on the list, according to Yelp.

THE Darden Restaurants The steakhouse had more than 560 locations nationwide at the end of Darden’s 2023 fiscal year. Since the start of the pandemic, the casual dining chain’s sales have consistently outperformed the restaurant industry average, fueled in part by strong growth in its takeout business.

Parent company Darden plans to open at least 50 new locations across all of its brands in fiscal 2024.

When Yum Brands bought the California-based burger chain in 2020, its footprint was less than 280 restaurants, dwarfed by Yum’s other chains: Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC. But Yum has continued to accelerate Habit Burger Grill’s development since closing the deal. At the end of 2023, the chain had 378 locations on the East and West coasts.

Although Wawa is a convenience store and gas station chain, its loyal fans probably know it more for its cheesesteaks and hoagies. The chain has expanded outside its Philadelphia stronghold into new markets along the Atlantic coast. It also opened drive-thru locations, further encroaching on restaurant territory.

THE International restaurant brands The chain’s famous chicken sandwich has helped fuel the growth of its new restaurants across the United States and beyond. Popeyes’ higher sales have encouraged franchisees to open more locations and led new operators to join the brand, Restaurant Brands executives said previously.

In 2023, Popeyes surpassed KFC as the second most popular chicken chain in the United States by sales, behind Chick-fil-A.

Private equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partners purchased the Midwest fast-casual chain in 2021 for an undisclosed amount. Under its new ownership, Freddy’s has accelerated its development, opening restaurants in new locations such as airports and recruiting new franchisees. Last year, the burger restaurant opened 62 new locations, setting a new development record for the chain and surpassing 500 locations in total.

Rally House is the only clothing retailer to make the top 10 in Yelp’s report. The store, which sells team equipment and sportswear for professional and college teams, set its own record for new openings. In August, it opened seven locations in a single weekend. Although its footprint is largely concentrated in the Midwest, its stores now stretch from Pennsylvania to Arizona.

The Italian-inspired chain is the jewel of Darden Restaurants‘ portfolio, representing almost half of the company’s overall turnover. It’s also the rare casual dining chain to open locations, adding about 20 new restaurants in its 2023 fiscal year.

Jersey Mike’s is the second largest sandwich chain in the United States, behind Subway in terms of number of stores. Its current footprint hovers around 2,700 restaurants, but it’s growing rapidly. And despite its name and origin, most of its restaurants are now in California, Texas and Florida.

The privately held sandwich chain is also reportedly looking for a buyer, according to a Wall Street Journal article published last week. Blackstone’s interest in Jersey Mike’s has reportedly waned, but a new owner could further accelerate the chain’s development.