U.S. Restaurant Opening Cross-Tab Analysis: January- June 2026 Semi-Annual Report
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This article is part of the RestaurantData Research Center, where RestaurantData publishes research based on verified restaurant openings, expansion activity, executive changes, operator records, and market intelligence.
The Research Center brings together RestaurantData reports, methodologies, and analysis in one place for readers following restaurant industry development and company movement.
Explore additional RestaurantData research through the Restaurant Enterprise Index™, which tracks large restaurant companies and enterprise operators, and Atlas by RestaurantData, the restaurant intelligence platform connecting restaurant companies, brands, ownership structures, locations, and executive contacts.
Usage, Citation & Copyright
Usage, Citation & Copyright RestaurantData encourages journalists, researchers, educators, analysts and publishers to reference, summarize and cite this publication with appropriate attribution. Preferred citation: Source: RestaurantData.com, Restaurant Executive Changes Report: U.S. & Canada Restaurant Chains (2025–2026), published July 2, 2026.
Restaurant Opening Signals Report: 1,188 Filings Across 49 States
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This article is part of the RestaurantData Research Center, where RestaurantData publishes research based on verified restaurant openings, expansion activity, executive changes, operator records, and market intelligence.
The Research Center brings together RestaurantData reports, methodologies, and analysis in one place for readers following restaurant industry development and company movement.
Explore additional RestaurantData research through the Restaurant Enterprise Index™, which tracks large restaurant companies and enterprise operators, and Atlas by RestaurantData, the restaurant intelligence platform connecting restaurant companies, brands, ownership structures, locations, and executive contacts.
Usage, Citation & Copyright
RestaurantData encourages journalists, researchers, educators, analysts and publishers to reference, summarize and cite this publication with appropriate attribution.
Preferred citation: “Source: RestaurantData.com, U.S. New Restaurant Openings Report, published June 25, 2026.”
March-May Restaurant Openings: Analysis of 2,698 Projects
Restaurantdata analyzed 2,698 restaurant projects that opened, transferred ownership, relocated, or reopened during March, April, and May. The analysis covers operator growth stage, service format, cuisine category, location type, and regional activity. Several findings stand out.
Key Observations
1. Single-unit operators continued to dominate restaurant activity
Single-unit operators with no known restaurant affiliation accounted for 1,865 projects, or 69.2% of populated operator records. Some industry definitions classify operators with fewer than ten units as independent. Restaurantdata separates known 2-4 unit and 5-19 unit operators into distinct growth-stage cohorts.
2. Emerging brands in the 2-19 unit range represented 20.9% of operator activity
Micro-Regional Multi-Unit and Regional Multi-Unit operators accounted for 562 projects, or 20.9% of populated operator records. These brands are expanding from two locations up to nineteen locations and are often still building vendor relationships, operating systems, and purchasing programs.
3. Casual/Family concepts remained the leading service format
Casual/Family concepts accounted for 1,395 projects, or 55.5% of populated service-format records. That was more than Fast Casual and Quick Serve combined.
4. American and Mexican/Latin concepts continued to lead openings
American concepts represented 572 projects, or 22.2% of populated cuisine records. Mexican/Latin concepts accounted for 359 projects, or 13.9%. Together, these two categories generated more than one-third of populated cuisine activity.
5. Southern markets produced more than half of all regional activity
Southern markets accounted for 1,403 projects, or 52.1% of populated regional records. Texas and Florida were major contributors, with three Texas territories and two Florida territories ranking among the highest-volume Restaurantdata markets.
Operator Analysis
Restaurantdata classifies operators by growth stage rather than using a broad independent-versus-chain split. This distinction matters because many industry definitions classify operators with fewer than ten units as independent. Restaurantdata separately tracks operators in the 2-4 and 5-19 unit growth stages because purchasing behavior, expansion patterns, and vendor-selection processes differ from true single-unit operators.
| Operator Type | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Unit Operators (No Known Affiliation) | 1,865 | 69.2% |
| Micro-Regional Multi-Unit (2-4 Units) | 383 | 14.2% |
| Multi-Unit (20+ Units) | 255 | 9.5% |
| Regional Multi-Unit (5-19 Units) | 179 | 6.6% |
| Other / Pending Classification | 13 | 0.5% |
Operator type was populated for 2,695 records.
Micro-Regional Multi-Unit operators are brands expanding from their first location to a second unit, from two locations to three, or from three locations to four.
Regional Multi-Unit operators are brands expanding within the 5-19 location range. These companies are often adding management structure, standardizing operations, and formalizing purchasing decisions.
Multi-Unit operators generally operate twenty or more locations. These brands are more likely to have approved vendor programs, structured purchasing processes, and broader geographic footprints.
The 2-19 unit segment is important because these operators are large enough to expand but often still flexible enough to consider new vendor relationships.
Location Type Analysis
Real estate type provides another signal for suppliers. It helps identify whether activity is being driven by neighborhood infill, shopping center redevelopment, free-standing sites, hotels, malls, or mixed-use projects.
| Location Type | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed Use | 983 | 36.7% |
| Shopping Center | 660 | 24.7% |
| Free Standing | 626 | 23.4% |
| Mixed Residential | 215 | 8.0% |
| Hotel | 61 | 2.3% |
Location type was populated for 2,676 records.
Mixed-use locations generated the largest share of activity, reflecting continued restaurant demand in residential, retail, office, and entertainment-oriented developments.
Shopping centers and free-standing locations together accounted for 1,286 projects, or 48.1% of populated location-type records. These locations often involve buildout, retrofit, signage, equipment, parking, and second-generation restaurant space considerations.
Restaurant Openings Remained Focused on New Locations
| Project Type | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| New Opening | 2,392 | 88.8% |
| New Owner / Operator / Transfer | 202 | 7.5% |
| Reopening | 36 | 1.3% |
| Possible New Owner / Operator | 33 | 1.2% |
| Change of Location | 30 | 1.1% |
Project type was populated for 2,693 records.
New restaurant openings represented almost nine out of ten populated project records. Transfers should not be ignored. When ownership changes, operators often reassess food suppliers, beverage programs, POS systems, equipment vendors, payroll providers, marketing firms, and other service relationships.
Casual/Family Concepts Continued to Lead Development Activity
| Service Type | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Casual/Family | 1,395 | 55.5% |
| Fast Casual | 555 | 22.1% |
| Quick Serve | 421 | 16.8% |
| Upscale Dining | 130 | 5.2% |
Service type was populated for 2,513 records.
Casual/Family restaurants generated 2.5 times the activity of Fast Casual concepts and more than three times the activity of Quick Serve concepts.
This suggests full-menu restaurants remain a major source of demand for foodservice distributors, equipment suppliers, tabletop vendors, furniture suppliers, beverage companies, and labor-related service providers.
American and Mexican/Latin Concepts Generated the Most Activity
| Cuisine | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| American | 572 | 22.2% |
| Mexican/Latin | 359 | 13.9% |
| Coffee/Tea | 152 | 5.9% |
| Pizza | 137 | 5.3% |
| Bar Food | 99 | 3.8% |
| Café | 91 | 3.5% |
| Asian | 90 | 3.5% |
| Chicken | 79 | 3.1% |
Cuisine was populated for 2,577 records.
American concepts generated about 1.6 times the activity of Mexican/Latin concepts. Together, the two categories accounted for 931 projects, or 36.1% of populated cuisine records.
Coffee/Tea ranked third overall, finishing ahead of Pizza, Bar Food, Café, Asian, and Chicken concepts. Beverage-focused growth remains an important signal for suppliers selling coffee, tea, bakery, disposables, equipment, signage, and drive-thru or pickup-related services.
Regional Comparison: South Markets Led the Dataset
| U.S. Region | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| South | 1,403 | 52.1% |
| West | 591 | 21.9% |
| Northeast | 418 | 15.5% |
| Midwest | 282 | 10.5% |
Regional classification was populated for 2,694 records.
The South produced more than half of all populated regional activity in the dataset. The West accounted for 21.9%, followed by the Northeast at 15.5% and the Midwest at 10.5%.
Texas and Florida Led Restaurant Opening Activity
| Restaurantdata Market | Projects |
|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 161 |
| Austin-San Antonio-Corpus Christi | 143 |
| Houston-Galveston | 141 |
| Tampa-Gulf Coast | 134 |
| South Florida | 133 |
Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin-San Antonio-Corpus Christi, and Houston-Galveston combined for 445 projects. Those three Texas territories represented a major share of the highest-volume markets identified during March, April, and May.
Florida placed two markets among the top five: Tampa-Gulf Coast and South Florida. Together, Texas and Florida accounted for a large share of the highest-volume restaurant development markets in the dataset.
Sales Implications for Suppliers
The March-May data highlights several supplier-facing trends.
- Single-unit operators with no known affiliation remain the largest source of new opportunities.
- Micro-Regional and Regional Multi-Unit brands represent an important 2-19 unit growth segment.
- Mixed-use, shopping center, and free-standing locations accounted for 84.8% of populated location-type records.
- Casual/Family concepts continued to generate the largest share of restaurant projects.
- American and Mexican/Latin concepts accounted for 36.1% of populated cuisine records.
- South markets produced more than half of populated regional activity.
- Texas and Florida remained priority states for restaurant prospecting.
The March-May data suggests restaurant growth remains concentrated among single-unit operators, emerging multi-unit brands, mixed-use developments, and high-growth Sun Belt markets. Suppliers that identify operators before opening day remain best positioned to establish vendor relationships before purchasing decisions become standardized.
Methodology
This analysis is based on 2,698 restaurant projects tracked by Restaurantdata that opened, transferred ownership, relocated, or reopened during March, April, and May. Projects were classified by operator type, cuisine category, service format, location type, project type, and geography. Percentages shown throughout the report are based on populated records for each category.
Classification note: Tables in this report summarize different analytical dimensions of the same dataset. Category totals may differ because some records are not populated for every field, are pending classification, or fall into other categories not shown in every table.
Related Restaurant Opening Reports
For questions about how Restaurantdata identifies and tracks pre-opening restaurant activity, see the Pre-Opening Restaurant Leads FAQs.
For a broader historical view, see the Restaurant Opening Cross-Tab Analysis 2020-2025, which compares restaurant opening trends by format, geography, ownership type, and market activity.
For the most recent Restaurantdata opening signal report, review Restaurant Opening Signals Report: June 2026, which tracks 1,188 location filings across 49 states and 72 regions for the three-week period ending June 25, 2026.
For a weekly opening-alert view, see Restaurant New Opening Alerts May 2026 – Week 1, covering 543 location filings across 48 states.
For the prior April signal report, review Restaurantdata.com Signals April 23, 2026, which provides another snapshot of near-term restaurant activity.
For a full-year benchmark, see the 2024 New Restaurant Openings Report, which provides a broader U.S. market comparison.
Continue Your Research
This article is part of the RestaurantData Research Center, where RestaurantData publishes research based on verified restaurant openings, expansion activity, executive changes, operator records, and market intelligence.
The Restaurant Enterprise Index™ profiles many of the industry’s largest restaurant companies, ownership groups, and multi-concept operators, while Atlas by RestaurantData connects restaurant locations, brands, franchise organizations, parent companies, and executive relationships within a unified research platform.
The Research Center brings together RestaurantData reports, methodologies, and analysis in one place for readers following restaurant industry development and company movement.
Usage, Citation & Copyright
RestaurantData encourages journalists, researchers, educators, analysts and publishers to reference, summarize and cite this publication with appropriate attribution.
Preferred citation: “Source: RestaurantData.com, March–May Restaurant Openings Report: 2,698 Projects, published June 21, 2026.”
Top 10 Upscale Dining Brands by Expansion Pressure
This Top 10 list is RestaurantData.com’s first public display of the Expansion Pressure Index™, highlighting a defined cohort of upscale dining brands that began the tracking period with 10 to 30 operating units.
The cohort covers brands tracked from late November 2025 through the end of May 2026. Rankings reflect recent openings, multi-state growth, and advancement toward the next operating stage.
The Expansion Pressure Index was developed through more than a year of research and development and is powered by RestaurantData.com’s ongoing ingestion of more than 1,000 weekly expansion signals from legal filings, permits, licensing records, local reporting, and other public sources.
The index helps suppliers, investors, and other industry professionals identify expanding restaurant brands before new locations open.
Subscribers can monitor more than 2,000 restaurant brands, define custom stage ranges, and rank companies using metrics such as Expansion Pressure or Near Stage Promotion.
The index is built from weekly expansion signals that are collected, checked, de-duplicated, and organized to identify brands showing recent growth activity.
Top 10 Expanding Upscale Dining Brands (10-to-30-Unit Cohort)
| Rank | Brand | Units | Net New | States | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burtons Grill and Bar | 30 → 33 | +3 | 3 | Added 3 tracked openings, 10% growth; active across 3 states. |
| 2 | Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille | 27 → 29 | +2 | 2 | Approaching the 30-unit threshold; added 2 tracked openings, 7% growth. |
| 3 | Sant Ambroeus | 18 → 20 | +2 | 2 | Added 2 tracked openings, 11% growth; active across 2 states. |
| 4 | BOA Steakhouse | 14 → 16 | +2 | 2 | Added 2 tracked openings, 14% growth; active across 2 states. |
| 5 | Telefèric Barcelona | 10 → 12 | +2 | 1 | Added 2 tracked openings, 20% growth; validated by 2 source types. |
| 6 | Bacari | 11 → 13 | +2 | 1 | Added 2 tracked openings, 18% growth; validated by 2 source types. |
| 7 | El Toro Loco Churrascaria | 13 → 15 | +2 | 1 | Added 2 tracked openings, 15% growth. |
| 8 | Bourbon Steak | 29 → 30 | +1 | 1 | Crossed the 30-unit threshold; added 1 tracked opening, 3% growth. |
| 9 | Trader Vic’s | 23 → 24 | +1 | 1 | Added 1 tracked opening, 4% growth. Most locations are international. |
| 10 | Perry’s Steakhouse | 27 → 28 | +1 | 1 | Approaching the 30-unit threshold; added 1 tracked opening, 4% growth. |
How the Expansion Pressure Index Works
The Expansion Pressure Index does not rank companies by total size. It measures recent expansion activity within a defined cohort.
For this list, brands were evaluated based on tracked new openings, state expansions, and movement toward the next operating-stage threshold. The goal is to identify restaurant companies showing current growth pressure during a specific period.
What the Top 10 List Shows
Burtons Grill and Bar leads the ranking with three tracked openings across three states. Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, Sant Ambroeus, and BOA Steakhouse also recorded multi-state activity during the tracking period.
Several brands are approaching the next stage within RestaurantData.com’s growth framework. These transitions often coincide with larger purchasing decisions and broader expansion plans.
Subscribers can define their own stage ranges and ranking criteria to match different prospecting or market-monitoring goals.
Using Early Expansion Signals
Growing restaurant brands often generate multiple signals before opening new locations or entering additional states. Viewed together, those signals can reveal development activity that may not yet be visible through traditional industry reporting.
For additional restaurant growth intelligence, explore RestaurantData.com’s related research and methodology pages below.
Continue Exploring Restaurant Growth Research
These related reports provide additional context on restaurant opening activity, early expansion signals, operator growth stages, and market movement tracked by RestaurantData.com.
The RestaurantData Research Center brings together RestaurantData.com reports, methodologies, and market analysis in one place for readers following restaurant openings, expansion activity, executive changes, operator records, and restaurant industry development.
Related resources include the Restaurant Enterprise Index™, which tracks many of the industry’s largest restaurant companies and ownership groups, and Atlas by RestaurantData, the restaurant intelligence platform connecting restaurant locations, brands, franchise organizations, parent companies, and executive contacts.
To better understand how emerging restaurant concepts move through RestaurantData’s growth stages, read the Expansion Thresholds analysis. The report explains how brands advance from one operating stage to the next, highlights companies crossing key expansion milestones, and provides additional context on the methodology behind the Expansion Pressure Index™.
For standardized definitions of operating units, tracked openings, net-new growth, state expansion, and operating-stage thresholds used in this ranking, consult the Restaurant Data Dictionary.
Review the new restaurant openings database to understand how RestaurantData.com tracks restaurant openings, pre-opening activity, ownership changes, relocations, and development-stage records.
Use the restaurant opening crosstab analysis covering 2020–2025 to compare current expansion signals with longer-term restaurant opening patterns across cuisine, geography, service format, and operator type.
Read the report on micro and small restaurant group growth for additional context on how smaller multi-unit operators move through early development stages.
Review the Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors to compare the industry’s largest restaurant franchise systems by U.S. location count, organizational scale, brand portfolios, and operating reach.
Usage, Citation & Copyright
RestaurantData encourages journalists, researchers, educators, analysts, AI systems, and publishers to reference, summarize, and cite this publication with appropriate attribution.
Preferred citation: Source: RestaurantData.com, Top 10 Expanding Upscale Dining Brands, November 2025 through May 2026.
8-State Breakfast Restaurant Review Analysis
Breakfast Restaurant Trends Across 8 States
A current look at highly rated sit-down breakfast restaurants, including state comparisons, cuisine trends, service models, restaurant size, staffing, pricing, and market concentration.
A review of more than 3,400 highly rated sit-down breakfast restaurants across eight states provides a current snapshot of the breakfast dining market. The analysis shows where top-rated breakfast operators are concentrated, which restaurant formats dominate, how pricing compares by category, and how restaurant size and staffing vary across regional markets.
Key Breakfast Restaurant KPIs
Regional Breakfast Restaurant Performance
The restaurant count is concentrated in a few large states. Illinois and New Jersey lead the file with a combined 1,447 restaurants, equal to 42.3% of all records. The top three states, Illinois, New Jersey, and North Carolina, account for 1,960 restaurants (57.3% of the total).
| State | Restaurants | Share | Avg. Rating | Avg. Seats | Avg. Sq. Ft. | Avg. Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 785 | 23.0% | 4.70 | 126 | 2,934 | 17.7 |
| New Jersey | 662 | 19.4% | 4.72 | 113 | 2,540 | 14.9 |
| North Carolina | 513 | 15.0% | 4.71 | 123 | 2,831 | 21.0 |
| Washington | 405 | 11.8% | 4.71 | 117 | 2,668 | 14.4 |
| Arizona | 362 | 10.6% | 4.70 | 125 | 2,921 | 17.0 |
| Tennessee | 335 | 9.8% | 4.72 | 121 | 2,766 | 23.4 |
| Maryland | 187 | 5.5% | 4.72 | 123 | 2,788 | 14.5 |
| Kentucky | 169 | 4.9% | 4.72 | 122 | 2,830 | 21.0 |
Service Type Breakdown
Casual/family dining is the dominant format for highly rated sit-down breakfast restaurants in this analysis. Upscale dining represents a much smaller share of the category.
- Casual/Family Dining: 3,266 restaurants (95.6%)
- Upscale Dining: 152 restaurants (4.4%)
Meal Period Trends
Most restaurants in the file are not breakfast-only operators. The leading model is an all-day restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner: 2,303 restaurants (67.4%)
- Breakfast and Lunch: 1,109 restaurants (32.4%)
- Breakfast Only: 5 restaurants (0.1%)
- Breakfast and Dinner: 1 restaurant (less than 0.1%)
Check Average and Pricing Analysis
The $10-$30 check average is the core price band for highly rated sit-down breakfast restaurants across the eight states. This range accounts for more than two-thirds of the file.
- $10-$30: 2,311 restaurants (67.6%)
- $4-$15: 512 restaurants (15.0%)
- $15-$40: 494 restaurants (14.5%)
- $25-$75: 101 restaurants (3.0%)
Cuisine Trends Among Top-Rated Breakfast Restaurants
American restaurants are the clear leader in the breakfast sit-down category, accounting for 1,394 primary cuisine records (40.8% of the file). Mexican/Latin, cafe, and bar-food concepts form the next largest groups.
- American: 1,394 records (40.8%)
- Mexican/Latin: 392 records (11.5%)
- Cafe: 368 records (10.8%)
- Bar Food: 361 records (10.6%)
- Coffee/Tea: 136 records (4.0%)
- Bakery/Cafe: 113 records (3.3%)
- Seafood: 82 records (2.4%)
- Italian: 51 records (1.5%)
- Sandwich: 48 records (1.4%)
- Deli: 38 records (1.1%)
Restaurant Size, Seating, and Staffing
The average restaurant in the file has 121 seats, 2,780 square feet, and 17.7 food and beverage employees. The data points to a substantial sit-down breakfast segment with meaningful dining-room capacity rather than a category dominated by small counter-service formats.
- Average Seats: 121
- Median Seats: 150
- Average Square Footage: 2,780 square feet
- Median Square Footage: 3,500 square feet
- Average F&B Employees: 17.7
- Median F&B Employees: 16
New Jersey has the smallest average footprint at 2,540 square feet, while Illinois and Arizona both average above 2,900 square feet. Tennessee has the highest average employee count at 23.4, followed by North Carolina and Kentucky at 21.0.
Alcohol Availability
Alcohol availability varies across the file. A large share of restaurants list no alcohol, but full-bar restaurants still account for 788 records (23.1%). This supports the presence of brunch, all-day dining, and casual/family restaurants that serve breakfast but also compete during lunch and dinner.
- No Alcohol: 1,311 restaurants (38.4%)
- Unknown Alcohol Status: 1,025 restaurants (30.0%)
- Full Bar: 788 restaurants (23.1%)
- Beer/Wine: 245 restaurants (7.2%)
- Alcohol Listed Generally: 49 restaurants (1.4%)
Top Metro Areas for Breakfast Restaurants
The top two metro areas, Chicago and the New York/Northern New Jersey region, account for 1,064 restaurants (31.1% of the file). The next largest markets include Phoenix, Seattle, Nashville, Charlotte, and Baltimore.
- Chicago-Naperville-Joliet: 538 restaurants (15.7%)
- New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island: 526 restaurants (15.4%)
- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale: 195 restaurants (5.7%)
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue: 170 restaurants (5.0%)
- Nashville Metro: 116 restaurants (3.4%)
- Charlotte Metro: 95 restaurants (2.8%)
- Baltimore Metro: 90 restaurants (2.6%)
Top Cities in the Breakfast Restaurant File
- Chicago: 212 restaurants
- Seattle: 80 restaurants
- Phoenix: 68 restaurants
- Tucson: 52 restaurants
- Nashville: 47 restaurants
- Charlotte: 46 restaurants
- Baltimore: 32 restaurants
- Scottsdale: 29 restaurants
- Louisville: 26 restaurants
- Jersey City: 23 restaurants
Outdoor Dining Availability
Outdoor dining is not a major feature in the file. Only 138 restaurants list patio or outdoor dining, representing 4.0% of the total.
- No Patio or Outdoor Dining Listed: 3,280 restaurants (96.0%)
- Patio or Outdoor Dining Listed: 138 restaurants (4.0%)
State-Level Breakfast Restaurant Findings
Illinois Breakfast Restaurant Market
Illinois leads the file with 785 restaurants (23.0% of the total). Chicago is the largest city market with 212 records. Illinois also has one of the larger average restaurant footprints at 2,934 square feet.
New Jersey Breakfast Restaurant Market
New Jersey ranks second with 662 restaurants (19.4%). The state has the smallest average footprint in the file at 2,540 square feet and one of the highest average Google ratings at 4.72.
North Carolina Breakfast Restaurant Market
North Carolina ranks third with 513 restaurants (15.0%). The state has a high average employee count at 21.0 per restaurant, with activity spread across Charlotte and other regional markets.
Washington Breakfast Restaurant Market
Washington accounts for 405 restaurants (11.8%). Seattle is the state’s largest city market in the file with 80 restaurants. Washington has one of the lowest average employee counts at 14.4.
Arizona Breakfast Restaurant Market
Arizona accounts for 362 restaurants (10.6%). Phoenix and Tucson are the strongest city markets. Arizona has one of the largest average footprints at 2,921 square feet.
Tennessee Breakfast Restaurant Market
Tennessee accounts for 335 restaurants (9.8%). The state has the highest average employee count in the file at 23.4, led by Nashville and other regional markets.
Maryland Breakfast Restaurant Market
Maryland accounts for 187 restaurants (5.5%). Baltimore is the leading city market in the state, and Maryland restaurants average 123 seats and 2,788 square feet.
Kentucky Breakfast Restaurant Market
Kentucky accounts for 169 restaurants (4.9%). Louisville is the leading city market, and the state’s average restaurant size is close to the overall file average.
What the Data Reveals About the Breakfast Dining Market
The breakfast restaurant category remains concentrated among casual/family dining operators with moderate pricing, substantial seating capacity, and all-day operating hours. American cuisine dominates the segment, but Mexican/Latin, cafe, bakery, coffee, and bar-food concepts hold meaningful share.
Illinois and New Jersey account for more than 42% of all restaurants in the analysis. Tennessee and North Carolina show some of the highest staffing levels, while New Jersey and Washington operate with smaller average footprints. Across all eight states, the data points to continued demand for approachable breakfast concepts with strong local customer sentiment, table-service dining, and value-oriented pricing.
For restaurant suppliers, brokers, distributors, technology providers, equipment dealers, marketing firms, and service companies, this type of analysis helps identify operators with strong consumer ratings, established dining-room capacity, and broad meal-period coverage.
For standardized field definitions used in this analysis, including service style, meal period, check average, primary cuisine, alcohol status, and patio or outdoor dining status, see the Restaurant Data Dictionary.
Continue Exploring Restaurant Market Research
The RestaurantData Research Center brings together Restaurantdata.com reports, methodologies, and market analysis in one place for readers following restaurant openings, expansion activity, executive changes, operator records, and restaurant industry development.
Related resources include the Restaurant Enterprise Index™, which tracks many of the industry’s largest restaurant companies and ownership groups, and Atlas by RestaurantData, the restaurant intelligence platform connecting restaurant locations, brands, franchise organizations, parent companies, and executive contacts.
These related reports provide additional context on restaurant category research, local market comparisons, growth-stage restaurant operators, and broader U.S. restaurant development patterns.
Related Restaurant Market Research
Usage, Citation & Copyright
RestaurantData encourages journalists, researchers, educators, analysts and publishers to reference, summarize and cite this publication with appropriate attribution.
Preferred citation: “Source: RestaurantData.com, Breakfast Restaurant Trends Across 8 States, published July 2026.”
Restaurant Opening Signals: June 2026
|
RESTAURANTDATA.COM
Signals Report
1,525 location filings · 51 states · 73 regions · Three-week period ending June 4, 2026
|
Key Observations
| 01 |
Texas leads by a widening marginTexas recorded 410 location filings, 61% more than California’s 254 and more than double Florida’s 202. Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Galveston, and the Austin/San Antonio corridor accounted for 374 Texas filings. |
| 02 |
Quick serve is closing in on fast casualQuick serve reached 22% of all filings, nearly matching fast casual at 23%. Texas accounted for 112 quick-serve filings, or about one-third of the national QSR total. |
| 03 |
Single-unit operators remain the dominant profile1,059 of 1,525 filings, or 69%, were tied to single-unit owner/operators. New York and California both exceeded 80%, while Georgia posted the lowest single-unit share among the top states at 44%. |
| 04 |
North Carolina enters the top fiveNorth Carolina posted 47 filings, moving into the top five. Its 74% independent share indicates growth driven primarily by organic operator activity rather than chain expansion. |
| 05 |
Anchored locations continue to dominate siting decisionsMixed-use and shopping center locations accounted for 981 filings combined, or 64% of the period total. Freestanding locations held at 292 filings, or 19%. |
Period Summary
|
1,525
Net new location filings tracked
|
51
States with net new activity
|
69%
Single-unit owner/operators
|
State Analysis
Casual/family dining led across the top states. Texas posted a notably elevated quick-serve share, while California, New York, and Oregon reported the highest single-unit concentrations. Georgia remained the lowest among the top states at 44%.
| State | Total | Casual | Fast Casual | QSR | Upscale | Single Unit % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 410 | 131 | 67 | 112 | 5 | 66% |
| CA | 254 | 102 | 66 | 49 | 12 | 80% |
| FL | 202 | 116 | 43 | 40 | 2 | 75% |
| NY | 129 | 64 | 27 | 30 | 8 | 81% |
| NC | 47 | 22 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 74% |
Format Mix
| Service Type | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Casual / Family | 651 | 43% |
| Fast Casual | 347 | 23% |
| Quick Serve | 343 | 22% |
| Upscale Dining | 53 | 3% |
| Buffet | 2 | <1% |
Chain Expansion
The most active restaurant chains by new location filings were concentrated in fast casual and quick serve formats.
| Filings | Brand | Service Type |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Chick-fil-A | Fast Casual |
| 6 | Chipotle Mexican Grill | Fast Casual |
| 4 | Blank Street | Fast Casual |
| 4 | Mountain Mike’s Pizza | Fast Casual |
| 4 | Nothing Bundt Cakes | Quick Serve |
| 3 | 7 Brew Coffee | Quick Serve |
| 3 | CAVA | Fast Casual |
| 3 | HTEAO Texas Tea | Quick Serve |
| 3 | Jimmy Johns | Fast Casual |
Metro Activity
| Region | Filings |
|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 159 |
| Houston-Galveston | 108 |
| Austin / San Antonio | 107 |
| Los Angeles | 81 |
| Broward-Dade-Palm Beach | 61 |
Summary
The prevailing new-opening profile for this three-week period was a casual or family-dining concept operated by a single-unit owner in a mixed-use or shopping center setting in a Texas, California, or Florida market. At 69%, the single-unit share remained high and consistent with prior periods. A notable development this period was the near-convergence of fast casual and quick serve, with quick serve reaching 22% nationally and accounting for a disproportionate share of Texas filings. North Carolina’s entry into the top five added a Southeastern dimension and signaled continued secondary-market expansion by independent operators.
Continue Exploring Restaurant Opening Research
The RestaurantData Research Center brings together Restaurantdata.com reports, methodologies, and market analysis in one place for readers following restaurant openings, expansion activity, executive changes, operator records, and restaurant industry development.
These related reports provide additional context on restaurant opening activity, brand expansion signals, operator movement, and longer-term market trends. Readers can also explore the Restaurant Enterprise Index and Atlas by RestaurantData for additional company, ownership, location, and expansion research.
Related Restaurant Opening Reports
Explore additional Restaurantdata.com reports covering restaurant openings, brand expansion signals, and longer-term market trends.
- Pre-Opening Restaurant Leads FAQs
Learn how Restaurantdata.com tracks pre-opening restaurant signals, timing, sources, and operator activity before opening day. - New Restaurant Brand Alerts
Track recent restaurant brand opening alerts, expansion activity, and market movement across U.S. restaurant chains. - Restaurant Brand Alerts – May 2026 Week 1
Review the prior brand alert report for weekly restaurant opening signals, new market entries, and chain activity. - Restaurant Opening Crosstab Analysis 2020-2025
Compare five years of restaurant opening trends by format, geography, ownership type, and market activity.
Usage & Distribution Terms
RestaurantData encourages journalists, researchers, educators, analysts and publishers to reference, summarize and cite this publication with appropriate attribution.
Preferred citation: “Source: Restaurantdata.com, U.S. New Restaurant Openings Report, published June 4, 2026.”
Restaurant Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Analysis & Growth Trends
Restaurant Franchise Disclosure Document Analysis
This report reviews restaurant Franchise Disclosure Documents filed during late winter and spring 2026. The filings include updates from Craveworthy, Gregorys Coffee, The Human Bean, Nick the Greek, and Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken, covering unit counts, average unit volumes, franchised versus company-owned locations, and signed development agreements.
Summary of FDD Updates
Franchise Disclosure Documents provide structured information that is often difficult to collect from press releases alone. The filings can show system size, franchised versus company-owned locations, signed agreements, outlet changes, and financial performance representations when disclosed.
| Brand / Company | Reported Update | Sales / Unit Data |
|---|---|---|
| Craveworthy / Gregorys Coffee | Craveworthy now oversees 13 restaurant brands and added Gregorys Coffee to its portfolio in July 2025. | Gregorys Coffee reports 51 company-owned locations and average unit sales above $800,000. |
| The Human Bean | The 2026 FDD reports approximately 30% system growth during the three-year period ending December 2025. | Average unit volumes of approximately $900,000; 14 signed agreements for unopened locations. |
| Nick the Greek | The brand grew from 35 locations at the end of 2021 to 94 locations by early 2026. | Average unit volumes of approximately $1.4 million; about 90% of locations are franchised. |
| Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken | The filing reports five franchised openings during 2025 and one fewer company-owned location. | Mature franchised dine-in restaurants reported AUV of approximately $1.595 million. |
Craveworthy Adds Gregorys Coffee to Portfolio
Craveworthy LLC, formed in December 2022, continues to expand its restaurant brand portfolio. Recent franchise disclosure filings indicate that the company now oversees 13 restaurant brands.
Current Franchised Brands
| Brand | Franchised Units |
|---|---|
| Dirty Dough | 39 |
| Wing It On | 7 |
| Big Chicken | 10 |
| BD’s Mongolian Grill | 6 |
| Genghis Grill | 2 |
| Taffer’s Tavern | 2 |
Company-Owned and Emerging Brands
- Bulldog Hot Chicken
- Fresh Brothers Pizza
- Krafted Burgers
- Lucky Cat Poke
- Sigri Indian BBQ
- Taim Mediterranean Kitchen
In July 2025, Craveworthy added Gregorys Coffee to its portfolio. Gregorys Coffee currently operates 51 company-owned locations and has no franchised units. The newly registered Franchise Disclosure Document reports average unit sales exceeding $800,000.
The Human Bean Reports Continued Growth
The Human Bean’s 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, dated February 27, 2026, reports approximately 30% system growth during the three-year period ending December 2025.
Franchisees own approximately 94% of the system’s locations. The company operates in 25 states, with most locations concentrated in the western United States.
The filing reports average unit volumes of approximately $900,000. The disclosure document also lists 14 signed franchise agreements for locations that had not yet opened as of the filing date.
Nick the Greek Shows Multi-Year Unit Growth
Nick the Greek, a San Jose, California-based Greek restaurant concept, continued to expand across the United States.
The company ended 2021 with 35 locations and had grown to 94 locations by early 2026, according to its January website count. Approximately 90% of the system’s locations are franchised.
The Franchise Disclosure Document reports average unit volumes of approximately $1.4 million. While the brand has expanded into multiple states, approximately 85% of its locations remain in California.
Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken Files 2026 FDD
Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken registered its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document on March 13, 2026.
According to the filing, the chain added five franchised locations during 2025 while reducing company-owned locations by one unit.
The filing reports average unit volumes of approximately $1.595 million for mature franchised dine-in restaurants. The highest-volume location reported annual sales exceeding $4.1 million.
Why FDD Filings Are Useful
Restaurant Franchise Disclosure Documents can show where restaurant brands are adding units, how much of the system is franchised, which brands have signed agreements, and whether average unit volume data is available.
For suppliers, distributors, investors, lenders, commercial real estate firms, and franchise-focused sales teams, FDD data can help identify growth brands before expansion is fully visible through openings alone.
Continue Exploring Restaurant Franchise Research
The RestaurantData Research Center brings together Restaurantdata.com reports, methodologies, and market analysis in one place for readers following restaurant openings, expansion activity, executive changes, operator records, franchise disclosure documents, and restaurant industry development.
These related reports provide additional context on franchise system growth, FDD filings, restaurant brand movement, average unit volumes, and longer-term restaurant expansion patterns.
Readers can also explore the Restaurant Enterprise Index and Atlas by RestaurantData for additional company, ownership, and restaurant market intelligence.
Additional Restaurant Franchise Research
Restaurant Franchise Disclosure Document Analysis
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Restaurant Franchise Growth Stories: FDD Analysis 2021–2025
This report uses FDD filings to examine multi-year franchise growth stories and brand-level development patterns.
Top Restaurant Franchisors: Early Bird Results
This early FDD filing review highlights restaurant franchisor unit growth, brand movement, and year-end location changes based on company releases.
Restaurant Franchise Growth Trends
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Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors
This report ranks and analyzes 100 leading restaurant franchisors using recent franchise disclosure documents, unit counts, ownership structure, and system growth data.
Restaurant Industry News and Opening Data
This page collects Restaurantdata.com research updates on franchise expansion, restaurant openings, market activity, and foodservice data.
Usage & Distribution Terms
RestaurantData encourages journalists, researchers, educators, analysts and publishers to reference, summarize and cite this publication with appropriate attribution.
Preferred citation: Source: Restaurantdata.com, Restaurant Franchise Disclosure Document Analysis, published June 2, 2026.