Fastest growing QSR brands in 2026: The playbooks behind their expansion

The quick service restaurant (QSR) industry is undergoing a period of change, and the associated turbulence is apparent in the list of chains that are going into 2026 ready to grow. Dave’s Hot Chicken, Wingstop and Popeye’s for instance are all on a growth trajectory. Additionally, the category itself is changing, as brands like Buc-cee’s and Kwik Trip are increasingly destinations for meals rather than road-trip snacks.

Let’s dive in and see: 

• Which QSR brands are growing

• What is driving that growth

• How marketers can capture QSR growth 

• What to watch for 2026 and beyond

QSRs are facing new challenges. Consumers are worried about the economy, technology upgrades are adding to costs and the market is more than saturated. Along with decreasing traffic, the QSR industry is seeing higher labor costs, rising food prices and uncertainty about the economic impacts of government policy decisions. Some of that can be combatted through offering value items and promotions, but other growth levers can be effective as well. 

But even with those significant challenges, some brands are growing. 

For example, differentiation and specialization can help diminish the effects of market saturation. The coffee brand 7 Brew focuses on making their drive-thru offer a fun experience. The menu is simple and the entire concept is repeatable, allowing the chain to grow quickly. 

Getting a coffee at 7 Brew is different compared to getting a coffee at Dunkin’ or Starbucks, and that is intentional. It’s a drive-thru-only establishment, so it’s not a traditional coffee-house—and the experience of the drive-thru includes pop music, employees walking up to car windows to take orders and a general sense of energetic and cheerful peppiness.

Differentiation combined with using technology, like an app that offers incentives, perks and special offers, is another winning combination. Social media, digital ordering and developing a digital-first culture are some of the ways growing brands are using technology to deliver a unique and pleasant experience. 

Let’s take a deeper look at which QSR heroes are poised to dominate in 2026.

Plenty of QSR brands have expansion plans in 2026, despite the difficulties the category is currently facing. Here’s some examples of brands that are innovating in interesting ways that support growth. 

Bitesize Greggs

Greggs has been selling sandwiches and pastries in the United Kingdom for more than 80 years and has advanced from delivering eggs and yeast (by bicycle!) to more than 2,000 locations, collaborations with other QSR brands like KFC and now innovating the QSR format and pursuing aggressive growth.

“After a record-breaking 2024, Greggs entered 2025 facing a more complex landscape. Consumer confidence softened, cost pressures persisted, and erratic weather patterns affected footfall, particularly in early winter and late spring. Still management remained focused on long-term execution, prioritizing estate expansion, product innovation, and digital engagement. The brand’s diversification beyond the high street, including into travel hubs, petrol forecourts, and supermarkets, continues to open new pathways for growth and resilience.” - David Beren, writing for TIKR 

Greggs’ target is more than 3,000 locations, and in order to reach that goal, the chain is investing heavily in innovation, logistics and technology. The chain opened the first of several planned smaller-format stores in the Sevenoaks Railway Station. Busy travel hubs can’t accommodate a regular, full-size store, so Greggs is opening what they call Greggs Bitesize, which will carry the most popular products and be geared toward foot traffic.

The smaller format Bitesize locations are just one example of how the brand is innovating, adding self-serve kiosks is another.

Dave’s Hot Chicken

Chicken is having a moment in the spotlight generally, and Dave’s Hot Chicken is a good example of growth in this specific category. This seven-year-old brand stepped into a challenging industry and has been growing relentlessly. Starting with a folding table in a parking lot, the brand now has 260 locations, with between 145-155 new stores opening in 2025, and 1,000 more planned. They currently have locations in six countries, with plans in motion to add India, Mexico and additional European countries to their list. 

Their goals for sales are ambitious, too. For 2025, they expect sales to reach $1.2 billion, and are aiming for $1.6 billion in 2026. 

Social media and technology are important to the brand’s growth strategy, but quality remains the most important element. One of the ways Dave’s Hot Chicken measures customer satisfaction is by closely monitoring ratings and reviews. Their average score improved from 3.8 to 4.7 stars, and they’ve set a goal of reaching 4.8 in the next year. 

Two key partnerships have helped improve their average score, one with Ovation, a guest experience platform, and the other with Reality Based Group (RBG), a mystery shopping service. Industry experts also credit the leadership of President and COO, as being instrumental in the continued improvement.

“Our North Star is mind-blowing chicken,” Jim Bitticks, COO, told QSR Daily. “It’s gotta look like this, it’s gotta taste like this…We’ve been focused on not screwing up the food.” 

Buc-cee’s

Innovation and disruption should be expected under challenging market conditions, and a brand adding a category shows both. Buc-cee’s, the convenience store known for the massive size of its locations, has been ranked as the top QSR by data science firm dunnhumby in their Retailer Preference Index QSR Edition. 

“We are clearly seeing that the majority of consumers now see convenience stores as legitimate, and sometimes preferable, quick-service meal destinations. For traditional QSRs, this shift underscores the importance of understanding what today’s customers truly want and taking strategic steps to deliver on those expectations. The brands that recognize this evolving landscape and focus on the right areas will be best positioned to meet customer needs in an increasingly competitive market.” - Matt O’Grady, President of the Americas, dunnhumby. 

Like other thriving brands, Buc-cee’s uses social media well to reach consumers. The organization also represents another trend—the hybrid restaurant-retail concept. Giving consumers a one-stop shop option appears to be a growing trend. 

Other examples include True Food Kitchen, where a retail area offers pre-made snacks and meals (or customers can enjoy the dine-in area) and the Starbucks-Amazon Go collaboration in New York City which offers flexibility in how people order and pay.

Looking at those QSR brands that are doing well in 2025 and that are expected to grow in 2026, some of the growth drivers become clear. For example, many of the brands flourishing under current conditions focus on doing one thing very well. Good examples include Crumbl Cookie, which focuses not just on cookies, but on one specific type of cookie, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Jersey Mike’s. The brands increasing sales and growing are using technology in new ways also, creating digital cultures instead of digital ads. Social media isn’t a way for these brands to advertise, but serve as a way to engage consumers and build fandoms. 

Making it simple for customers to reorder their favorite items, enjoy perks offered only on an app or social media, or get special offers builds loyalty and allows QSRs to tap into trends like value and convenience, health and nutrition and remain relevant to customers.  

Format innovation is another common theme. Whether it’s in reducing size, as Greggs is doing with Bitesize, or by harnessing the restaurant-retail format as Buc-cee’s is doing. Other areas of innovation include optimizing the drive-thru to create a smoother, more enjoyable experience. 

Finally, looking for opportunities for international expansion can be a growth lever. Dave’s Hot Chicken is an example of a company looking beyond the US border as well as Domino’s Pizza, who plans to expand across India under parent company, Jubilant Foodworks.  

The most appropriate growth levers depend on numerous factors. For instance, the three brands we discussed above operate at different scales and in different markets, so direct comparison is difficult, but it is possible to see that they are set for expansion. Greggs demonstrates how a mature organization can grow in a sure and steady way, Dave’s Hot Chicken is growing explosively and Buc-cee’s shows how an established brand can innovate and enter a new category.

The QSR brands ready to grow in 2026 have one thing in common, and that is the ability to test and scale quickly. A great idea or concept is one thing, but testing and scaling are separate, challenging processes. Establishing systems for creating, testing and iterating is crucial for developing new formats. 

The same is true for digital and loyalty strategies. The most well-conceived and executed strategy can fail if consumers don’t respond positively. Social media may spur some sales, but the real value is when those new customers keep coming back. Investing in strategies that work together to both drive sales and retain customers is a clear  path to growth—and testing concepts in a way that yields rich consumer feedback helps clear that path even further. 

Marketing campaigns can tap into growth drivers and build brand momentum, but such campaigns don’t just happen. They require careful concept development, testing with audiences and adjusting and optimizing to consumer preferences. Every part of a campaign, from format and distribution, to packaging and more can impact its success or failure. 

Another common thread in QSR growth stories is that they focus on more than unit count. Buc-cee’s is opening new stores, but with each opening, there’s a strong focus on the brand. Similarly—yet at the other end of the size spectrum—Bitesize Greggs locations offer the brand’s bestsellers. These brands are growing, but they are doing so deliberately, with attention to format viability and customer retention. Zappi’s connected consumer insights platform offers solutions built to help QSR brands evaluate the strength of concepts, assess risks, test and iterate strategies, campaigns and viability of formats.

From understanding what keeps your consumers coming back for their favorites to staying attuned to customer expectations, Zappi helps QSRs remain competitive, adaptable and customer-focused.

Despite the challenging economic headwinds, the QSR industry is expected to continue growing at a rate of about 6.8% annually. That growth is likely to happen in waves and be driven by fast-growing brands that address specific customer concerns such as sustainability and dietary preferences. Brands that integrate technology in ways that improve the customer experience are also likely to be successful. 

Coffee shops, restaurants that specialize in chicken and Mexican-inspired spots are some of the current hot categories within the QSR space. Preferences come and go and trends grow and fade, so it’s reasonable to expect a different list of emerging categories in the next five years. Still, it’s likely that global flavors and brands that focus on one specific item or specialty exclusively, whether that’s healthier options or breakfast foods, will be successful. 

But numerous risks exist for QSR brands. For example, labor shortages, due to retirement, lingering effects of the pandemic and high turnover, appear to be the new normal and although technology presents opportunities, it also brings about risks such as cybersecurity concerns. Plus, supply chain concerns that began during 2020 have changed but certainly not gone away. 

Mitigating those pitfalls and others requires developing a comprehensive risk management program that is regularly reviewed and updated. Each element of a brand’s growth strategy should be balanced by thorough risk management. Instituting a technology that can smooth ordering within an app might be successful with consumers, but does it introduce potentially devastating cybersecurity risks? 

Strong growth in the QSR sector is both possible and likely, especially with strategic planning, consumer testing and iteration. The industry has proven extremely resilient and there’s no reason to think that will change as we move into the future.