Summer 2026 Growing Restaurant Companies and Emerging Concepts

17 enterprise-scale companies and 6 emerging concepts drawn from 4,382 verified U.S. location records with expected opening dates from June through September 2026

Published September 19, 2026. Clarified October 1, 2026: Table labels and analytical wording updated to distinguish verified location records from total company openings and comparative growth rates. Underlying counts are unchanged.

RestaurantData verified 4,382 net-new restaurant location records with expected opening dates between June 1 and September 30, 2026. 1,395 records came from multi-unit operators, representing 1,195 distinct concepts. This report identifies enterprise-scale companies with repeated verified location records and a selection of emerging concepts outside the enterprise index. The company table also relates captured records to the system sizes recorded in the index. Every count describes records in this research file; the file is not an exhaustive account of company openings.

Owner names, titles and contact details are excluded. Cross-tabs of the same file by state, region, service style, site and cuisine follow in a separate report.

Terms in this report follow the Restaurant Data Dictionary, including the operating cohorts used for the operator tiers.

What these figures measure. Counts represent specific locations identified and verified by RestaurantData with expected opening dates from June through September 2026, as recorded in the September 19 research snapshot. They are not each company’s total openings or a count of confirmed completed openings. Coverage varies by company, so records per 100 REI units describe captured activity, not comparative brand growth rates.

Key findings

1. 17 growing restaurant companies with a Restaurant Enterprise Index profile each recorded 4 or more verified location records in the summer file. Within this dataset, CAVA (1.68), Potbelly Sandwich Works (1.49) and 7 Brew Coffee (1.26) have the highest recorded ratios per 100 REI units. Chick-fil-A has the highest captured count, with 19 records. These figures do not establish which brands grew fastest overall.
2. Each of the 17 companies has at least 1 Texas location record, and 12 of the 17 have at least 1 in Florida. The 4 largest systems in the table, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Dunkin’ and Taco Bell, have recorded ratios of 0.02 to 0.07 per 100 REI units in this file. These low captured ratios do not establish low overall expansion activity.
3. A selection of 6 emerging concepts outside the enterprise index each recorded repeated verified location records; all 6 are counter-service formats and 5 of the 6 have records in Texas.
4. 90 multi-unit concepts each recorded 2 or more verified locations in the window and account for 290 records (20.8% of captured multi-unit activity). 59 of the 90 have records across 2 or more states.
5. 24.5% of independent openings had any website, Instagram, Facebook, Yelp or LinkedIn presence at the time of research. Multi-unit openings had 93.5%. Instagram exceeds Facebook in every operator tier.

17 growing restaurant companies with 4 or more verified location records

70 of the 1,195 multi-unit concepts in the summer file belong to companies with a published Restaurant Enterprise Index profile. Those 70 concepts account for 220 verified location records, 15.8% of captured multi-unit activity. 17 of them each recorded 4 or more locations with expected opening dates from June through September. The table shows those index-profiled companies and is sorted by verified records per 100 REI units. This ratio provides context for the records captured against system size. Coverage differs across companies, so the table order does not measure their actual opening totals, expansion pace or net growth.

Table scope: Verified location records with expected opening dates from June 1 through September 30, 2026, as captured by September 19. Counts and ratios describe this research file, not complete brand opening totals or comparative growth rates.

REI units are the rounded system counts used in this report. The ratio is verified location records divided by REI units, multiplied by 100. It is a record-to-unit ratio, not a measured growth percentage. Each counted record is tied to a specific location and supported by vetted filings, permits or other public evidence. Companies may have additional projects or openings outside this file. The weekly cut column links to the most recent Restaurant Pipeline research sample in which the company appeared; address-level records are published there.

Within the captured records, CAVA has a ratio of 1.68 per 100 REI units, Potbelly Sandwich Works 1.49, 7 Brew Coffee 1.26 and Shake Shack 0.93. Starbucks, McDonald’s, Dunkin’ and Taco Bell have ratios between 0.02 and 0.07 in this file. Chick-fil-A and Chipotle Mexican Grill have the highest captured counts, with 19 and 17 records. These observations describe the research set and do not establish an order of actual brand growth. Each of the 17 companies has at least 1 location record in Texas, and 12 of the 17 have at least 1 in Florida.

6 emerging restaurant concepts from the summer file

The next table is the emerging tier. The 6 concepts shown are a selection from those with repeated verified location records in the summer file. The same expected-opening window and research snapshot apply. None of the 6 was in the Restaurant Enterprise Index as of this report, when the index contained 225 published profiles and was expanding toward companies near the 100-unit enterprise threshold. Repeated records within a short window provide expansion evidence for the Expansion Pressure Index to evaluate.

A selection from the summer file. Counts describe verified location records with expected summer opening dates, not total concept openings or confirmed completed openings.

1 representative location for each emerging concept

Each row is 1 verified record from the summer file, shown at city level. Other captured records for the concept, along with street addresses, expected dates and site details, are published in New Weekly Alerts.

Expected opening is the estimated opening period recorded at the time of research and can move.

All 6 are counter-service formats, and 5 of the 6 have verified location records in Texas. The file holds more concepts with repeated location records across every unit band below the enterprise index. Those are not named here; they are the population the Expansion Pressure Index reloads on the 1st of each month. 2 earlier analyses show how that index reads the pattern: 4 chains crossing unit thresholds and Biscuit Belly and Maman compared inside their operating cohorts.

Repeat location records: 90 concepts account for 20.8% of captured multi-unit activity

The 1,395 multi-unit location records represent 1,195 distinct concepts. 1,105 concepts appear once. 90 concepts appear 2 or more times, the dictionary’s repeat-company expansion evidence, and account for 290 records (20.8% of captured multi-unit activity). 36 concepts appear 3 or more times and account for 182 records. 12 concepts appear 5 or more times and account for 103 records. These are frequencies within the research file, not each concept’s total openings.

Concepts are counted once and assigned to the tier recorded on their first summer record. 2 traditional multi-unit concepts carrying a 5-19 unit count appear in the total row only. Enterprise-scale companies and selected emerging concepts are named in the first section of this report.

Repeated records are more common among larger systems in this research file. Below 20 units, 19 of 961 concepts recorded 2 locations and none recorded 3. Between 100 and 499 units, 21 of 49 concepts recorded 2 or more locations. Above 500 units, 25 of 56 did. Among the 90 concepts with repeated records, chicken accounts for 10 concepts and 45 records, burger 10 and 28, Mexican/Latin 9 and 36, coffee/tea 9 and 34, and sandwich 7 and 30. These patterns describe captured activity; they do not establish the complete opening programs of those systems.

2 reading rules apply. Repeated verified records can help prioritize further research, particularly for smaller operators where another location may mark a meaningful expansion step. For illustration, 2 records against a base of 6 units equal 33% as a record-to-unit ratio; this arithmetic does not establish 33% realized system growth. Expected dates, completed openings and closures would need to be reconciled to measure actual growth. A single additional location record can also surface an emerging operator for further verification. The weekly stream identifies these signals one record at a time. The Expansion Pressure Index scores the pattern across a rolling 9-month window, weighting multi-state expansion, growth velocity and threshold proximity, which is where the 19 sub-20-unit concepts with repeated records in this file will be evaluated. 244 of the summer records belong to operators that run more than 1 concept; those parent relationships roll up in the Restaurant Enterprise Index.

3 in 4 independent records had no digital footprint when researched

RestaurantData’s research target is the restaurant that has not opened yet. At that stage most independents have no website, no Instagram account and no Facebook page, and nothing online confirms the project exists. Researchers record a website, LinkedIn, Yelp, Instagram or Facebook address for a location when one exists at the time of research. 731 independent location records (24.5%) had at least 1 of the 5 channels recorded. 1,305 multi-unit records (93.5%) had at least 1. The gap is widest on the website field: 14.7% of independents against 86.2% of multi-unit locations.

3 patterns hold across the file. Instagram exceeds Facebook in every tier. LinkedIn is a marker for the 20-plus-unit tier: 75.7% at 20 or more units, 6.3% at 5 to 19 units and 2.0% at 2 to 4 units. Yelp is near zero everywhere because these are pre-opening records.

Among independents, the footprint depends on how the record was found. Independents first identified through a regional news publication had a digital presence 53.1% of the time. Independents first identified through a DBA, fictitious-name or incorporation filing had one 15.2% of the time, alcohol filings 39.7% and building permits 22.9%. By style, independent upscale openings had a presence 43.8% of the time, casual and family 27.5%, quick service 23.4% and fast casual 19.9%.

How a filing becomes a verified location record

The 1,699 independents found through legal filings with no digital footprint are the earliest signals in the file. A filing on its own does not prove a new restaurant. A new LLC or corporation name may be a rename of an existing business, a transfer between owners, a relocation or an entity formed for a project that never proceeds. RestaurantData researchers work each of these records by attempting to contact the owner or operator directly, by telephone or through Facebook and Instagram messaging where an account exists, to establish 4 facts: that the location is new, that the owner is new, that the project is proceeding and when it is expected to open. Records where only the legal entity changed while the restaurant kept its trade name or D/B/A are legal renames, not new restaurants, and are excluded. Records that turn out to be a change of hands are reclassified as ownership transfers, which is how the 452 transfers in this file were separated from the 4,382 openings.

The research is done by people. The dictionary calls the tooling AI-assisted discovery: AI locates candidate filings at scale, but discovery alone does not create a record. A researcher performs the direct verification and makes the call on every record. RestaurantData describes this as researchers with AI in the loop, not AI with humans in the loop. For more than two-thirds of verified locations the researcher reaches the owner, operator or location management directly. The remainder are included only when the filing or an observed opening provides a concrete basis for the record.

What the records show

Digital footprint is a lagging indicator for independents

75.5% of independent location records had no web or social presence recorded when identified. Filing-based research plus direct owner contact reaches these projects 4 to 10 weeks before a website or Instagram account would, and separates new restaurants from legal-entity renames and ownership transfers.

Repeated records surface expansion signals across company sizes

46 of the 105 concepts above 100 units recorded 2 or more locations in the window. 19 concepts below 20 units did. The second group provides evidence of emerging-concept activity, which the weekly stream is built to identify early. These counts describe verified records in this file, not complete company growth totals.

Frequently asked questions

Which growing restaurant companies does this report cover?

The report includes 17 companies with Restaurant Enterprise Index profiles that each recorded 4 or more verified location records, plus a selection of 6 emerging concepts. The records have expected opening dates from June through September 2026 and reflect the September 19 research snapshot. Chick-fil-A has 19 captured records and Chipotle Mexican Grill 17. CAVA has the highest recorded ratio in this file, at 1.68 records per 100 REI units. Coverage varies by company, so these figures do not establish total brand openings or comparative growth rates.

Do new independent restaurants have a website or social presence before opening?

Usually not. 24.5% of independent openings had a website, Instagram, Facebook, Yelp or LinkedIn presence at the time of research, against 93.5% of multi-unit openings. Where no footprint exists, researchers attempt to confirm the record by contacting the owner directly; the attempt does not always succeed.

How does RestaurantData know a filing is a new restaurant and not a renamed LLC or an ownership transfer?

A researcher contacts the owner or operator by telephone or social-media messaging and confirms the location is new, the owner is new and the project is proceeding. A new corporate entity behind a restaurant whose trade name or D/B/A stays the same is a legal rename, not a new restaurant, and is excluded. Changes of hands are reclassified as ownership transfers and reported separately.

Is 19 the total number of Chick-fil-A openings this summer?

No. The 19 are specific Chick-fil-A locations identified and verified in RestaurantData’s research with expected opening dates from June through September 2026, as captured in the September 19 snapshot. They are not Chick-fil-A’s total summer openings or a count of confirmed completed openings. The same scope applies to all company counts in the named tables.

Can the per-100-unit figures compare actual brand growth rates?

No. The figures divide verified location records in this research file by the rounded REI system sizes used in the report, then multiply by 100. Coverage differs by company, and the records concern expected opening dates. The result describes captured activity relative to system size; it does not measure total openings, completed expansion or net growth.

Does the report identify owners, executives or contacts?

No. Personal names, titles, phone numbers and email addresses are excluded. Company names appear only in the 2 named tables; all other data is aggregated by operator tier, geography, format and channel.

Research methodology and verification

Coverage period. The report covers verified locations with an expected opening month of June, July, August or September 2026. The records themselves were issued in RestaurantData’s weekly research between late April and September 19, 2026, with a small number identified earlier. Issue date and expected opening month do not move together. Every record stands alone and is issued when its evidence is sufficient, so the lead time between issue and expected opening varies with the source of the record, whether a researcher reached the owner, and the region: some records are issued months ahead of the opening and some within 2 or 3 weeks of it. The report is a snapshot of the expected-opening calendar as of September 19, not a count of confirmed openings.

Coverage. 4,382 verified net-new restaurant locations across 50 states and the District of Columbia. The file is a curated pre-opening research set, not a retrospective census of every restaurant that opened; state, region and category counts are documented floors. A further 452 ownership transfers, 48 relocations and 25 reopenings in the same file are reported separately and excluded from opening counts.

Source material. Doing-business-as filings, limited liability company registrations, new incorporations, alcohol filings, building permits, regional news publications and other public records. DBA and incorporation filings produced 2,513 of the 4,382 records, regional publications 1,135, alcohol filings 391 and building permits 342.

Direct confirmation. Researchers contact restaurant owners, operators or location management for more than two-thirds of verified locations by telephone or through direct social-media messaging. Contact establishes that the location and the owner are new, that the record is not a new legal entity behind an operation whose trade name or D/B/A is unchanged, and not a transfer between owners, and that the project is proceeding. Records without an electronic footprint are included only when the underlying filing or observed opening provides a concrete basis. Approximately 99.5% of the planned locations retained and tracked by RestaurantData eventually open. Research is conducted by human researchers with AI tools in the loop, not by AI with human review.

Digital footprint. A channel is counted as present when a website, LinkedIn, Yelp, Instagram or Facebook address was recorded for the location at the time of research. Absence means none was found, not that none exists.

Concept counts. Repeat-opener analysis groups multi-unit records by concept name. Franchisee identity is not used, so 2 openings of the same concept by different franchisees count as 2 openings of 1 concept.

Privacy. Personal names, titles, phone numbers and email addresses are excluded from this public analysis. Concept and company names appear only for the 17 enterprise-index companies and the 6 emerging concepts in the named tables; all other analysis is aggregated.

Definitions and data treatment. All terms follow the Restaurant Data Dictionary, version 1.7. “Blank” in any table is the dictionary’s blank field: the value was not populated because neither public evidence nor a supportable research judgment provided one; it is not a no, none or zero. The research period (late April through September 19, 2026) differs from the estimated opening period (June through September 2026) that defines the report population. Unit counts reflect the latest applicable verification and can differ between the summer records and the enterprise index.

Continue your research

• The Restaurant Research Center collects original research and market analysis from RestaurantData.
• The first 10 Restaurant Enterprise Index profiles introduce the ownership-first structure behind the company links in this report.
• The July 2026 Restaurant Openings & Market Signals Report is the most recent monthly edition.
• The Multi-Concept Restaurant Operators analysis covers operators running more than 1 brand.
• The Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors ranks franchisor systems by unit count.