Pre and Post Pandemic: Chain vs. Independent New Restaurant Openings

Chain vs. Independent New Openings: Pre- and Post-Pandemic Comparison

Restaurantdata.com reviewed 465 weeks of new restaurant opening data to compare chain and independent activity before and after the pandemic. The records show a sustained change in the composition of new restaurant development. Chains accounted for approximately 1 in 5 new openings before March 2020. From 2021 through 2024, their share generally ranged from approximately 1 in 10 to 1 in 15, while independent operators represented more than 90% of recorded activity.

Key finding: Before the pandemic, chains represented approximately 21% of new restaurant openings. From 2021 through 2024, their share generally fell to 6–10%. Independent operators consequently accounted for more than 90% of the new-opening activity recorded during most of the post-pandemic period.

Key Trends in the 465-Week Comparison

The change began abruptly: The sharp break in chain opening activity occurred during the week of March 26, 2020.
Chain volume remained below its earlier range: Before the pandemic, Restaurantdata.com recorded approximately 200–250 weekly chain openings. More recent weekly activity has generally ranged from approximately 40–65.
Independent operators increased their share: Independent restaurants represented approximately 79% of openings before the pandemic and more than 90% during most years from 2021 through 2024.
Total opening activity also changed: Overall weekly opening volume declined from approximately 900–1,200 before the pandemic to approximately 550–650 in the later period.
The gap has narrowed only gradually: Chain activity has recovered from its lowest point, but its share of total openings remains well below the pre-pandemic level.

Annual Data: Chain vs. Independent New Openings, 2019–2024

The table below presents annual representations of weekly chain and independent opening activity. The “% difference” column measures the gap between independent and chain openings relative to independent opening volume. A higher percentage indicates a wider difference between the two operator categories.

Source: Restaurantdata.com · 465 weeks of legal filing and restaurant development data · Compressed into annual representations · U.S. markets

Year	Chain Openings	Independent Openings	% Difference	Period
2019	~200	~950	78.71%	Pre-pandemic
2020	~230	~1,000	77.65%	Pandemic onset
2021	~55	~575	90.37%	Post-pandemic
2022	~40	~625	93.55%	Post-pandemic
2023	~45	~590	92.57%	Post-pandemic
2024	~45	~530	91.99%	Post-pandemic

* Opening counts are approximate and were read from the underlying chart data. They represent compressed annual views of weekly activity rather than full-year opening totals. The % difference column reflects the gap between independent and chain openings relative to independent opening volume. Data was compiled from 465 weeks of legal filing and restaurant development records.

The March 2020 Break in Opening Activity

The sharp decline in chain openings began during the week of March 26, 2020. Before that point, total new restaurant activity generally averaged 900–1,200 openings per week, including approximately 200–250 chain locations. In the later comparison period, weekly totals generally ranged from 550–650 openings, including approximately 40–65 chain locations.

Before the pandemic, approximately 1 in 5 newly recorded restaurants was affiliated with a chain. During most of the 2021–2024 period, the ratio shifted to approximately 1 chain location for every 10–15 openings. Chain development improved from its lowest point, but the category did not return to its earlier share of total activity.

The result is a new-opening market led primarily by independent and small multi-unit operators. Restaurantdata.com’s more recent analysis has also identified consistent activity among operators opening second, third, and fourth locations. That related pattern is examined in Small Independent Restaurant Groups Are Expanding Again.

Factors Behind the Change in Operator Mix

The Restaurantdata.com records establish the timing and scale of the change, although they do not assign a single cause. Several restaurant development conditions are consistent with the pattern observed after March 2020:

More selective chain development: Many large operators reduced or delayed development plans while reviewing construction costs, store economics, labor availability, and franchisee performance.
Smaller operating formats: Food halls, compact counter-service concepts, shared commercial kitchens, and limited-service models created additional entry points for independent operators.
Changes in available restaurant space: Closures and lease turnover created opportunities for new operators to acquire previously built restaurant locations.
Slower franchisee expansion: Some franchisees postponed additional units while concentrating capital and management resources on existing locations.

The longer-term pattern can also be compared with the January–June 2026 U.S. Restaurant Opening Cross-Tab Analysis, which examines operator size, service type, geography, location type, and regional concentration across 9,541 restaurant development records.

Weekly Restaurant Opening Alerts

Restaurantdata.com reviews restaurant development activity from legal filings, alcohol applications, building permits, planning records, corporate registrations, regional publications, and direct research. Verified chain, independent, and multi-unit restaurant records are issued in weekly CSV and PDF reports.

Request Access or a Sample Report →

Continue Exploring Restaurant Opening Research

The RestaurantData Research Center brings together Restaurantdata.com reports, methodologies, indexes, and market analysis in one place for readers following restaurant openings, operator development, expansion activity, executive changes, ownership records, franchise disclosure documents, and longer-term restaurant industry trends.

These related reports provide additional context on independent restaurant formation, regional development patterns, and year-to-year changes in U.S. restaurant opening activity.

Related Restaurant Opening Reports

Usage & Distribution Terms

This report may be shared and distributed on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis.

Preferred citation: “Source: Restaurantdata.com, Chain vs. Independent New Openings: Pre- and Post-Pandemic Comparison, based on 465 weeks of U.S. restaurant development records.”

Restaurant Franchise Disclosure Document Analysis Top 20 Brands

Chain vs. Independent New Openings: Pre- and Post-Pandemic Comparison

Restaurantdata.com reviewed 465 weeks of new restaurant opening data to compare chain and independent activity before and after the pandemic. The records show a sustained change in the composition of new restaurant development. Chains accounted for approximately 1 in 5 new openings before March 2020. From 2021 through 2024, their share generally ranged from approximately 1 in 10 to 1 in 15, while independent operators represented more than 90% of recorded activity.

Key finding: Before the pandemic, chains represented approximately 21% of new restaurant openings. From 2021 through 2024, their share generally fell to 6–10%. Independent operators consequently accounted for more than 90% of the new-opening activity recorded during most of the post-pandemic period.

Key Trends in the 465-Week Comparison

The change began abruptly: The sharp break in chain opening activity occurred during the week of March 26, 2020.
Chain volume remained below its earlier range: Before the pandemic, Restaurantdata.com recorded approximately 200–250 weekly chain openings. More recent weekly activity has generally ranged from approximately 40–65.
Independent operators increased their share: Independent restaurants represented approximately 79% of openings before the pandemic and more than 90% during most years from 2021 through 2024.
Total opening activity also changed: Overall weekly opening volume declined from approximately 900–1,200 before the pandemic to approximately 550–650 in the later period.
The gap has narrowed only gradually: Chain activity has recovered from its lowest point, but its share of total openings remains well below the pre-pandemic level.

Annual Data: Chain vs. Independent New Openings, 2019–2024

The table below presents annual representations of weekly chain and independent opening activity. The “% difference” column measures the gap between independent and chain openings relative to independent opening volume. A higher percentage indicates a wider difference between the two operator categories.

Source: Restaurantdata.com · 465 weeks of legal filing and restaurant development data · Compressed into annual representations · U.S. markets

Year	Chain Openings	Independent Openings	% Difference	Period
2019	~200	~950	78.71%	Pre-pandemic
2020	~230	~1,000	77.65%	Pandemic onset
2021	~55	~575	90.37%	Post-pandemic
2022	~40	~625	93.55%	Post-pandemic
2023	~45	~590	92.57%	Post-pandemic
2024	~45	~530	91.99%	Post-pandemic

* Opening counts are approximate and were read from the underlying chart data. They represent compressed annual views of weekly activity rather than full-year opening totals. The % difference column reflects the gap between independent and chain openings relative to independent opening volume. Data was compiled from 465 weeks of legal filing and restaurant development records.

The March 2020 Break in Opening Activity

The sharp decline in chain openings began during the week of March 26, 2020. Before that point, total new restaurant activity generally averaged 900–1,200 openings per week, including approximately 200–250 chain locations. In the later comparison period, weekly totals generally ranged from 550–650 openings, including approximately 40–65 chain locations.

Before the pandemic, approximately 1 in 5 newly recorded restaurants was affiliated with a chain. During most of the 2021–2024 period, the ratio shifted to approximately 1 chain location for every 10–15 openings. Chain development improved from its lowest point, but the category did not return to its earlier share of total activity.

The result is a new-opening market led primarily by independent and small multi-unit operators. Restaurantdata.com’s more recent analysis has also identified consistent activity among operators opening second, third, and fourth locations. That related pattern is examined in Small Independent Restaurant Groups Are Expanding Again.

Factors Behind the Change in Operator Mix

The Restaurantdata.com records establish the timing and scale of the change, although they do not assign a single cause. Several restaurant development conditions are consistent with the pattern observed after March 2020:

More selective chain development: Many large operators reduced or delayed development plans while reviewing construction costs, store economics, labor availability, and franchisee performance.
Smaller operating formats: Food halls, compact counter-service concepts, shared commercial kitchens, and limited-service models created additional entry points for independent operators.
Changes in available restaurant space: Closures and lease turnover created opportunities for new operators to acquire previously built restaurant locations.
Slower franchisee expansion: Some franchisees postponed additional units while concentrating capital and management resources on existing locations.

The longer-term pattern can also be compared with the January–June 2026 U.S. Restaurant Opening Cross-Tab Analysis, which examines operator size, service type, geography, location type, and regional concentration across 9,541 restaurant development records.

Weekly Restaurant Opening Alerts

Restaurantdata.com reviews restaurant development activity from legal filings, alcohol applications, building permits, planning records, corporate registrations, regional publications, and direct research. Verified chain, independent, and multi-unit restaurant records are issued in weekly CSV and PDF reports.

Request Access or a Sample Report →

Continue Exploring Restaurant Opening Research

The RestaurantData Research Center brings together Restaurantdata.com reports, methodologies, indexes, and market analysis in one place for readers following restaurant openings, operator development, expansion activity, executive changes, ownership records, franchise disclosure documents, and longer-term restaurant industry trends.

These related reports provide additional context on independent restaurant formation, regional development patterns, and year-to-year changes in U.S. restaurant opening activity.

Related Restaurant Opening Reports

Usage & Distribution Terms

This report may be shared and distributed on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis.

Preferred citation: “Source: Restaurantdata.com, Chain vs. Independent New Openings: Pre- and Post-Pandemic Comparison, based on 465 weeks of U.S. restaurant development records.”

Weekly Opening Trends: March 2020 – Late 2024

What the Data Shows: Three Key Restaurant Opening Trends

This analysis tracks U.S. restaurant development activity from March 2020 through late 2024, covering approximately 4.5 years of weekly legal-filing and verified-opening data. The period begins with the pandemic shutdown and follows the subsequent recovery and stabilization of new restaurant activity.

Key headline: RestaurantData.com recorded an average of approximately 531 verified new restaurant openings per week across the full tracked period. Recent weekly totals generally ranged from 300 to 550 openings, with many locations identified before opening.

Key Trend Observations

Verified restaurant openings recovered and settled into a sustained weekly range. New restaurant activity dropped sharply during the initial 2020 shutdown and then recovered through 2021. Weekly opening totals subsequently stabilized, with periodic peaks and recent activity often reaching the upper end of the 300-to-550 range.

DBA and business-formation filings remained more volatile than verified openings. DBA registrations, incorporations, and LLC filings fluctuated considerably from week to week. These records reflect early business activity, but not every filing represents a restaurant that will move forward as a new location.

Alcohol-permit activity was comparatively steady. Combined alcohol filings showed less variation than DBA, incorporation, construction, and other raw records. This consistency indicates a continuing base of full-service restaurant, bar, and alcohol-serving concept development throughout the tracked period.

RestaurantData organizes verified restaurant locations, concepts, franchise relationships, operating companies, and parent organizations within Atlas by RestaurantData . This connected structure helps distinguish a genuinely new restaurant location from an existing unit, ownership transfer, duplicate filing, renamed concept, or administrative change.

Weekly Restaurant Opening Trends: March 2020 Through Late 2024

The charts associated with this analysis track weekly activity across five measures: DBA filings, incorporation and LLC formations, combined alcohol permits, total raw filings, and verified net new restaurant openings. The series begins with the week the pandemic shutdown started and continues through the end of the tracked period.

These measures represent different stages of restaurant development. A corporate registration or DBA filing may appear when an operator is establishing a legal identity, while an alcohol application or construction permit may indicate that a physical restaurant project has moved further into licensing or development. A verified opening reflects the later stage at which RestaurantData can connect the activity to an identifiable restaurant location.

How the Restaurant Filing Categories Compare

DBA filings and incorporations and LLCs: Both categories fluctuated throughout the period. Incorporation and LLC formations generally displayed greater week-to-week variation, reflecting the uneven pace of new business-entity formation following the 2020 shutdown.

Combined alcohol permits and total raw filings: Alcohol-permit filings remained relatively steady, while total raw filings showed a much wider range. The raw total includes several filing categories and is affected by shifts in construction permits, DBA activity, business formations, reporting schedules, and source availability across individual markets.

Verified net new restaurant openings: Verified openings followed a more stable pattern than the underlying raw filings. RestaurantData removes duplicates, checks records against existing restaurant and chain-location data, and verifies that each retained record represents identifiable restaurant activity.

Current company development is evaluated separately through the Expansion Pressure Index™ . That business-prioritization model organizes recent verified expansion activity across growing restaurant companies and helps distinguish sustained development from isolated announcements or individual filings.

Summary Statistics: Weekly Averages Since March 2020

The table below summarizes the weekly average, minimum, and maximum for each tracked measure across the full 4.5-year period.

Metric	Weekly Average	Weekly Minimum	Weekly Maximum	Notes
DBA Filings	~452	113	1,108	Considerable week-to-week variation
Incorporations and LLCs	~439	84	1,152	Greater variation than DBA filings
Combined Alcohol Permits	~178	57	400	Comparatively steady throughout the period
Total Raw Filings*	~1,067	308	2,166	Pre-vetting aggregate of all tracked filing types
Net New Restaurant Openings	~531	265	870	More stable than the underlying raw filing totals

* Total Raw represents the pre-vetted aggregate of legal and development records, including DBAs, LLCs, state incorporations, alcohol filings, and building permits. Net New Restaurant Openings reflects the verified weekly count after RestaurantData removes duplicates, checks records against existing chain locations and headquarters data, and validates the location and restaurant activity.

From Raw Filings to Verified Restaurant Openings

Raw filing totals are consistently higher than verified-opening totals because a filing alone does not establish that a new restaurant location is moving forward. Some records are duplicates, administrative changes, unrelated businesses, abandoned projects, ownership transfers, or filings connected to an existing location.

RestaurantData reviews DBA registrations, incorporation and LLC records, alcohol applications, building permits, planning records, company announcements, and other development sources. Records are de-duplicated, matched against existing restaurant and chain-location data, assigned to the correct geography, and retained when they represent identifiable restaurant opening activity.

The verification process also considers company scale and organizational structure. A filing associated with a single independent restaurant is evaluated differently from an opening connected to a large franchisee, regional operating group, multi-concept company, or national restaurant organization.

Larger companies, franchise organizations, multi-concept operators, and enterprise ownership groups are examined through the Restaurant Enterprise Index™ . The index generally covers organizations responsible for 100 or more restaurant units and provides a company-level view that is separate from the individual location and brand-opening records used in this historical analysis.

Why Legal Filings and Verified Openings Differ

Legal and development records measure intent and activity at different points in the restaurant-development process. An LLC may be created months before a site is selected, while an alcohol application may be submitted after a lease has been signed and construction has begun. A building permit may apply to an existing restaurant renovation rather than a new establishment.

Records can also refer to the same project under different names. A restaurant concept, holding company, property owner, franchisee, and liquor-license applicant may each appear separately in public records. Connecting these records requires matching addresses, legal entities, operators, concepts, brands, and ownership relationships.

This is why RestaurantData does not treat raw filing volume as equivalent to completed restaurant openings. Raw records are research inputs. Verified openings are the result of de-duplication, classification, company matching, location review, and continuing verification.

Related Restaurant Opening and Company Research

Readers seeking additional detail about when projects are identified can review the Pre-Opening Restaurant Leads FAQ , which explains the legal and development sources RestaurantData follows, the timing of early signals, the information included with each record, and the verification process used before distribution.

Full-year comparisons are available through the 2024 U.S. New Restaurant Openings Report and the 2025 U.S. New Restaurant Openings Report . These reports provide annual views of opening activity by geography, cuisine, service format, location type, and operator-size category.

The Restaurant Opening Cross-Tab Analysis for 2020–2025 extends the historical comparison across geography, ownership type, service format, location type, and filing source. Current brand and operator activity is also reported through RestaurantData’s new restaurant brand and expansion signals .

Restaurant franchise systems represent one part of the broader opening market. For readers examining company-level franchise scale, RestaurantData’s Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors research provides a separate view of major franchisor organizations, their restaurant concepts, franchise networks, unit structures, and broader company relationships. It is included here as supporting franchise research rather than as a direct measure of total U.S. restaurant-opening activity.

The RestaurantData Research Center brings together the company’s original work on new restaurant openings, development signals, restaurant companies, franchise systems, multi-concept operators, ownership changes, executive movement, expansion activity, and the structure of the U.S. restaurant market.

Usage & Distribution Terms

This report may be shared and distributed on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis.

Preferred citation: Source: RestaurantData.com, U.S. Weekly Restaurant Opening Trends, March 2020–Late 2024.

Fast-Growing Restaurant Brands: 3-Year Growth Rate Rankings

Rapid Growth Concepts: 3-Year Growth Rate Analysis

RestaurantData.com analyzed more than 135 restaurant concepts to identify the brands with the highest U.S. location growth from year-end 2020 through year-end 2023. The analysis draws on Franchise Disclosure Documents, brand websites, financial records, and direct research.

Key finding: Dave’s Hot Chicken recorded the highest percentage increase, growing from 7 U.S. locations to 169, a gain of 2,314%. Crumbl added the largest number of locations in the group, increasing from 142 to 970, or 828 additional locations.

Key Growth Trends

The three highest growth rates belonged to Dave’s Hot Chicken, 7 Brew, and Crumbl.
Dave’s Hot Chicken and 7 Brew each expanded by more than 2,000% from relatively small 2020 location bases.
Crumbl produced the largest absolute increase, adding 828 U.S. locations during the three-year period.
Chicken, coffee and tea, and bakery or café concepts accounted for eight of the 13 brands listed.
Every concept in the ranking operates primarily in a counter-service format.

Fastest-Growing Restaurant Brands by 3-Year Location Growth

The table ranks the leading concepts by percentage growth and shows year-end 2020 and year-end 2023 U.S. location counts, the net increase in locations, and the three-year growth rate.

Source: RestaurantData.com · FDD analysis, brand websites & financial data · 135+ concepts evaluated · U.S. locations only · Y/E 2020 vs. Y/E 2023

#	Concept	Cuisine	Y/E 2020	Y/E 2023	Opened	3-Year Growth
1	Dave’s Hot Chicken	Chicken	7	169	162	2,314.29%
2	7 Brew	Coffee/Tea	8	180	172	2,150.00%
3	Crumbl	Bakery/Café	142	970	828	583.10%
4	Bubbakoo’s Burritos	Mexican	44	116	72	163.64%
5	Scooter’s Coffee	Coffee/Tea	308	750	442	143.51%
6	Wahlburgers	Burger	47	110	63	134.04%
7	Playa Bowls	Salad/Smoothie	96	216	120	125.00%
8	Slim Chickens	Chicken	85	180	95	111.76%
9	Paris Baguette	Bakery/Café	86	155	69	80.23%
10	Kung Fu Tea	Coffee/Tea	245	380	135	55.10%
11	Nothing Bundt Cakes	Bakery/Café	376	559	183	48.67%
12	PJ’s Coffee	Coffee/Tea	114	169	55	48.25%
13	Wingstop	Chicken	1,359	1,926	567	41.72%

* Three-year growth rate calculated from year-end 2020 to year-end 2023 U.S. location counts as reported in Franchise Disclosure Documents and brand websites. All concepts listed are counter-service restaurant formats. RestaurantData.com analysis of more than 135 concepts.

Research Methodology

RestaurantData.com reviewed location counts reported in Franchise Disclosure Documents, brand websites, financial records, and other primary sources. The comparison uses year-end U.S. location totals for 2020 and 2023. Percentage growth was calculated from the change in reported locations over the three-year period. More than 135 concepts were evaluated before the 13 brands shown above were selected.

Interpreting the Growth Rates

Percentage growth is influenced by starting size. Dave’s Hot Chicken and 7 Brew began the period with fewer than 10 locations, so each new opening produced a large percentage increase. Crumbl combined a larger starting base with the largest absolute gain in the ranking, adding 828 locations.

The results also show the concentration of expansion among counter-service concepts. Chicken, coffee and tea, bakery and café, Mexican, burger, smoothie, and beverage brands can generally add locations through repeatable operating formats and standardized site requirements. The ranking describes verified location growth during the period; it is not a forecast of future performance.

Related Restaurant Growth Research

The Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors report examines the largest restaurant franchise systems by U.S. location count, providing additional context on franchisor scale, brand portfolios, operating reach, and the companies shaping restaurant franchise development.

The Expansion Pressure Index™ examines verified restaurant development activity over compressed reporting periods rather than relying only on changes in total unit count.

Read 4 Restaurant Chains Crossing Expansion Thresholds in 2026 for an analysis of emerging and growing restaurant concepts advancing from one operating stage to another. The report explains how RestaurantData evaluates unit growth, geographic movement, and stage progression within the Expansion Pressure Index™.

The Top 10 Upscale Dining Brands Showing Expansion Pressure applies the Expansion Pressure Index™ to a defined 10-to-30-unit cohort, comparing recent openings, multi-state activity, and movement toward the next operating-stage threshold.

The Restaurant Enterprise Index™ organizes research on larger restaurant companies, franchise organizations, multi-concept operators, and enterprise ownership groups. It provides a company-level view of restaurant scale, brand portfolios, ownership structures, and market activity.

Atlas by RestaurantData connects restaurant locations with brands, concepts, franchise organizations, operating groups, parent companies, ownership relationships, and executive contacts. Atlas provides the underlying company and location structure supporting RestaurantData’s growth, expansion, and enterprise research.

For additional context on restaurant development by operator type, geography, service segment, and location type, see the U.S. Restaurant Opening Cross-Tab Analysis: January–June 2026.

RestaurantData Research Center

The RestaurantData Research Center brings together RestaurantData.com reports, methodologies, indexes, and market analysis for readers following restaurant openings, expansion activity, executive changes, operator records, ownership structures, Franchise Disclosure Documents, restaurant technology, and industry development.

Continuing restaurant industry analysis is published through RestaurantData Insights.

Usage, Citation & Copyright

RestaurantData encourages journalists, researchers, educators, analysts, AI systems, and publishers to reference, summarize, and cite this publication with appropriate attribution.

Brief quotations and limited excerpts consistent with fair use are permitted with attribution to RestaurantData. Reproduction of substantial portions of this publication, including tables, graphics, datasets, or systematic redistribution, requires written permission.

Preferred citation: Source: RestaurantData.com, Rapid Growth Concepts: 3-Year Growth Rate Analysis, year-end 2020 through year-end 2023.