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Month: July 2026

Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors: 2022-2025 U.S. Outlet Growth Analysis

Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors: 2022-2025 U.S. Outlet Growth Analysis

By RestaurantData  |  Published July 2026

RestaurantData reviewed newly available 2026 Franchise Disclosure Documents to compare the largest U.S. restaurant franchise systems from year-end 2022 through year-end 2025. The analysis uses total system outlets reported in Item 20, including franchised and company-owned restaurants.

Why this report is being published in 2026: The completed year-end 2025 figures analyzed here are disclosed in Franchise Disclosure Documents issued during the 2026 filing cycle. These records were not broadly available at the end of 2025. RestaurantData assembled and standardized the newly released Item 20 outlet tables after the corresponding filings became available.

164,280
Combined 2025 U.S. system outlets
+5,260
Net locations added since 2022
3.31%
Combined three-year growth
100
Restaurant franchise systems reviewed

The 100 systems in this report increased from 159,020 U.S. outlets at year-end 2022 to 164,280 at year-end 2025. The combined total rose each year while individual systems followed different development paths.

This is new 2026 research based on the latest available year-end 2025 FDD outlet disclosures. The publication year and operating year differ because franchisors generally issue updated disclosure documents after the reporting year has ended.

The report compares system scale, net additions, percentage growth and rank movement. Location change is presented as a multi-year operating record and not as a measure of profitability, franchisee satisfaction or brand quality.

On this page: Key Findings · Full Top 100 Table · Fastest Growth · Largest Net Additions · Rank Movement · Item 20 Source Data · Four-Year Trends · Methodology · FAQ

Key Findings

The top 100 systems added 5,260 net locations over three years. Combined location counts rose 3.31% from 2022 through 2025.

Newer growth systems produced some of the largest percentage gains. 7 Brew, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Playa Bowls, Tous les Jours and Teriyaki Madness all expanded sharply from smaller starting bases.

Several established brands also added substantial scale. Dunkin’, Chick-fil-A, Jersey Mike’s, Wingstop and Tropical Smoothie Café each recorded meaningful multi-year gains.

Rank movement shows how the franchise landscape is changing. Some companies entered higher tiers of the top 100 as they added locations and passed longer-established systems.

Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors by U.S. System Outlets

The complete ranking is based on year-end 2025 U.S. system outlets reported in Item 20. It includes annual totals from 2022 through 2025, one-year movement, two-year movement, three-year movement and rank change from 2022.

2025 Rank Restaurant System YE 2022 YE 2023 YE 2024 YE 2025 YOY 2-Year 3-Year Rank Change
1 Subway 20,576 20,133 19,502 18,773 -3.74% -6.76% -8.76% No change
2 McDonald’s 13,455 13,457 13,559 13,706 1.08% 1.85% 1.87% No change
3 Dunkin’ 8,118 8,297 8,499 8,780 3.31% 5.82% 8.15% No change
4 Taco Bell 7,759 7,917 8,085 8,233 1.83% 3.99% 6.11% No change
5 Domino’s 6,724 6,888 7,043 7,210 2.37% 4.67% 7.23% Up 1
6 Burger King 7,042 6,778 6,701 6,650 -0.76% -1.89% -5.57% Down 1
7 Pizza Hut 6,606 6,622 6,567 6,272 -4.49% -5.29% -5.06% No change
8 Wendy’s 5,994 6,030 5,933 5,969 0.61% -1.01% -0.42% No change
9 Little Caesars 4,173 4,218 4,281 4,374 2.17% 3.70% 4.82% No change
10 KFC 3,918 3,791 3,666 3,519 -4.01% -7.17% -10.18% No change
11 Sonic Drive-In 3,546 3,521 3,461 3,412 -1.42% -3.10% -3.78% No change
12 Papa Johns 3,180 3,220 3,291 3,294 0.09% 2.30% 3.58% Up 1
13 Chick-fil-A 2,806 2,964 3,109 3,287 5.73% 10.90% 17.14% Up 2
14 Arby’s 3,415 3,413 3,365 3,265 -2.97% -4.34% -4.39% Down 2
15 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen 2,946 3,076 3,177 3,229 1.64% 4.97% 9.61% Down 1
16 Jersey Mike’s 2,387 2,675 2,989 3,227 7.96% 20.64% 35.19% Up 2
17 Jimmy John’s 2,637 2,644 2,689 2,777 3.27% 5.03% 5.31% No change
18 Dairy Queen 2,756 2,720 2,698 2,730 1.19% 0.37% -0.94% Down 2
19 Panda Express 2,353 2,413 2,502 2,607 4.20% 8.04% 10.79% No change
20 Wingstop 1,721 1,926 2,204 2,586 17.33% 34.27% 50.26% Up 2
21 Panera Bread 2,094 2,151 2,185 2,214 1.33% 2.93% 5.73% No change
22 Jack in the Box 2,180 2,185 2,190 2,136 -2.47% -2.24% -2.02% Down 2
23 IHOP 1,683 1,703 1,703 1,693 -0.59% -0.59% 0.59% Up 1
24 Tropical Smoothie Café 1,198 1,372 1,515 1,651 8.98% 20.34% 37.81% Up 4
25 Hardee’s 1,707 1,598 1,571 1,485 -5.47% -7.07% -13.01% Down 2
26 Applebee’s 1,575 1,542 1,507 1,475 -2.12% -4.35% -6.35% Down 1
27 Buffalo Wild Wings 1,230 1,264 1,323 1,397 5.59% 10.52% 13.58% No change
28 Cinnabon 958 974 1,030 1,338 29.90% 37.37% 39.67% Up 9
29 Firehouse Subs 1,187 1,209 1,248 1,291 3.45% 6.78% 8.76% No change
30 Denny’s 1,446 1,407 1,334 1,274 -4.50% -9.45% -11.89% Down 4
31 Auntie Anne’s 1,146 1,167 1,193 1,247 4.53% 6.86% 8.81% No change
32 Smoothie King 1,103 1,152 1,201 1,242 3.41% 7.81% 12.60% No change
33 Marco’s Pizza 1,063 1,114 1,159 1,184 2.16% 6.28% 11.38% Up 1
34 Einstein Bros. Bagels 1,021 1,003 1,041 1,124 7.97% 12.06% 10.09% Up 1
35 Crumbl 691 972 1,059 1,101 3.97% 13.27% 59.33% Up 10
36 Culver’s 892 944 997 1,041 4.41% 10.28% 16.70% Up 4
37 Papa Murphy’s 1,168 1,127 1,044 1,014 -2.87% -10.03% -13.18% Down 7
38 Zaxby’s 922 941 969 1,005 3.72% 6.80% 9.00% Up 1
39 Baskin-Robbins 1,001 978 976 967 -0.92% -1.12% -3.40% Down 3
40 Chester’s 1,081 1,002 994 918 -7.65% -8.38% -15.08% Down 7
41 Scooter’s Coffee 555 750 849 906 6.71% 20.80% 63.24% Up 9
42 Church’s Chicken 925 900 873 885 1.37% -1.67% -4.32% Down 4
43 Bojangles 792 817 830 867 4.46% 6.12% 9.47% Down 1
44 Charleys Philly Steaks 672 761 813 836 2.83% 9.86% 24.40% Up 2
45 Qdoba 733 747 777 827 6.44% 10.71% 12.82% Down 1
46 Checkers & Rally’s 810 786 755 719 -4.77% -8.52% -11.23% Down 5
47 Jamba 738 734 727 710 -2.34% -3.27% -3.79% Down 4
48 Tim Hortons 636 642 663 693 4.52% 7.94% 8.96% No change
49 7 Brew 40 180 321 602 87.54% 234.44% 1405.00% Up 51
50 Freddy’s Frozen Custard 456 517 550 580 5.45% 12.19% 27.19% Up 9
51 McAlister’s Deli 524 539 560 572 2.14% 6.12% 9.16% Up 2
52 Moe’s Southwest Grill 637 612 596 568 -4.70% -7.19% -10.83% Down 5
53 Captain D’s 535 540 530 518 -2.26% -4.07% -3.18% Down 2
54 El Pollo Loco 490 495 498 503 1.00% 1.62% 2.65% Up 1
55 Caribou Coffee 484 480 487 494 1.44% 2.92% 2.07% Up 1
56 Long John Silver’s 589 539 502 479 -4.58% -11.13% -18.68% Down 7
57 Jet’s Pizza 407 422 450 474 5.33% 12.32% 16.46% Up 5
58 Potbelly 429 425 444 470 5.86% 10.59% 9.56% Up 3
59 Red Robin 499 496 478 464 -2.93% -6.45% -7.01% Down 5
60 Wetzel’s Pretzels 360 387 426 458 7.51% 18.35% 27.22% Up 5
61 MOD Pizza 531 582 482 449 -6.85% -22.85% -15.44% Down 9
62 Honey Baked Ham 440 439 439 448 2.05% 2.05% 1.82% Down 2
63 Noodles & Company 460 460 463 423 -8.64% -8.04% -8.04% Down 5
64 Shipley Do-Nuts 337 349 365 393 7.67% 12.61% 16.62% Up 5
65 Sbarro 346 369 371 387 4.31% 4.88% 11.85% Up 1
66 Steak ‘n Shake 479 436 406 387 -4.68% -11.24% -19.21% Down 9
67 The Habit Burger & Grill 338 366 377 383 1.59% 4.64% 13.31% Up 1
68 Playa Bowls 163 216 291 372 27.84% 72.22% 128.22% Up 22
69 Carvel 328 326 336 360 7.14% 10.43% 9.76% Up 1
70 Dave’s Hot Chicken 92 163 238 358 50.42% 119.63% 289.13% Up 28
71 Golden Corral 362 355 351 348 -0.85% -1.97% -3.87% Down 7
72 Kung Fu Tea 340 380 389 346 -11.05% -8.95% 1.76% Down 5
73 Taco John’s 368 364 340 327 -3.82% -10.16% -11.14% Down 10
74 Chicken Salad Chick 224 254 287 326 13.59% 28.35% 45.54% Up 5
75 Penn Station 319 323 322 322 0.00% -0.31% 0.94% Down 3
76 Mountain Mike’s Pizza 265 279 299 321 7.36% 15.05% 21.13% Up 1
77 Menchie’s 303 296 295 296 0.34% 0.00% -2.31% Down 4
78 Schlotzsky’s 328 317 308 294 -4.55% -7.26% -10.37% Down 7
79 Dippin’ Dots 239 248 261 259 -0.77% 4.44% 8.37% Down 1
80 Perkins 272 263 257 257 0.00% -2.28% -5.51% Down 4
81 Blaze Pizza 303 296 266 230 -13.53% -22.30% -24.09% Down 7
82 Bruster’s 187 194 206 220 6.80% 13.40% 17.65% Up 5
83 Pizza Ranch 211 218 218 219 0.46% 0.46% 3.79% No change
84 Häagen-Dazs 208 209 207 215 3.86% 2.87% 3.37% No change
85 Slim Chickens 148 183 207 215 3.86% 17.49% 45.27% Up 9
86 A&W Restaurants 212 214 215 210 -2.33% -1.87% -0.94% Down 4
87 sweetFrog 221 216 206 203 -1.46% -6.02% -8.14% Down 7
88 Teriyaki Madness 122 139 158 199 25.95% 43.17% 63.11% Up 9
89 Peet’s Coffee 203 202 199 196 -1.51% -2.97% -3.45% Down 4
90 Hooters 296 292 245 194 -20.82% -33.56% -34.46% Down 15
91 Tous les Jours 86 107 149 189 26.85% 76.64% 119.77% Up 8
92 The Human Bean 145 158 177 188 6.21% 18.99% 29.66% Up 4
93 Kilwins 149 164 172 187 8.72% 14.02% 25.50% No change
94 Rosati’s Pizza 189 189 193 184 -4.66% -2.65% -2.65% Down 8
95 Wayback Burgers 160 165 180 184 2.22% 11.52% 15.00% Down 4
96 PJ’s Coffee 147 169 182 180 -1.10% 6.51% 22.45% Down 1
97 Donatos Pizzeria 173 178 176 179 1.70% 0.56% 3.47% Down 8
98 Smashburger 217 211 194 172 -11.34% -18.48% -20.74% Down 17
99 Black Bear Diner 153 156 162 169 4.32% 8.33% 10.46% Down 7
100 Bruegger’s Bagel Bakery 187 181 178 169 -5.06% -6.63% -9.63% Down 12

Fastest Multi-Year Expansion

Percentage growth highlights systems whose footprints changed most rapidly from year-end 2022 through year-end 2025. Smaller starting bases can produce larger percentage gains, so the rate should be read alongside the location totals.

Restaurant SystemYE 2022YE 2025Net Addition3-Year Growth
7 Brew40602+5621405.00%
Dave’s Hot Chicken92358+266289.13%
Playa Bowls163372+209128.22%
Tous les Jours86189+103119.77%
Scooter’s Coffee555906+35163.24%
Teriyaki Madness122199+7763.11%
Crumbl6911,101+41059.33%
Wingstop1,7212,586+86550.26%
Chicken Salad Chick224326+10245.54%
Slim Chickens148215+6745.27%

Largest Net Location Additions

Absolute additions show which systems contributed the most new locations over the three-year period. This view gives more weight to companies that expanded from an already substantial base.

Largest Net U.S. Outlet Additions, Year-End 2022 to Year-End 2025

Wingstop+865Jersey Mike’s+840Dunkin’+6627 Brew+562Domino’s+486Chick-fil-A+481Taco Bell+474Tropical Smoothie Café+453Crumbl+410Cinnabon+380

Net change in total U.S. system outlets reported in FDD Item 20. Source: RestaurantData.

Restaurant SystemYE 2022YE 2025Net Addition3-Year Growth
Wingstop1,7212,586+86550.26%
Jersey Mike’s2,3873,227+84035.19%
Dunkin’8,1188,780+6628.15%
7 Brew40602+5621405.00%
Domino’s6,7247,210+4867.23%
Chick-fil-A2,8063,287+48117.14%
Taco Bell7,7598,233+4746.11%
Tropical Smoothie Café1,1981,651+45337.81%
Crumbl6911,101+41059.33%
Cinnabon9581,338+38039.67%

Notable Upward Rank Movement

Rank movement compares each system’s position by total U.S. system outlets in 2022 with its position in 2025. It is not a quality score or a measure of financial performance.

Restaurant System2022 Rank2025 RankPositions GainedYE 2025 Locations
7 Brew#100#49Up 51602
Dave’s Hot Chicken#98#70Up 28358
Playa Bowls#90#68Up 22372
Crumbl#45#35Up 101,101
Cinnabon#37#28Up 91,338
Scooter’s Coffee#50#41Up 9906
Freddy’s Frozen Custard#59#50Up 9580
Slim Chickens#94#85Up 9215
Teriyaki Madness#97#88Up 9199
Tous les Jours#99#91Up 8189

How Item 20 Supports the Analysis

Item 20 of a Franchise Disclosure Document provides three years of outlet history for a franchise system. It reports franchised and company-owned units along with openings, closures, transfers and other changes. It also includes contact information for current and former franchisees.

Most franchisors update their FDDs annually. Many filings containing completed year-end 2025 outlet information became available from late winter through early summer 2026. RestaurantData reviewed and standardized those newly released records for this report.

FDD outlet tables generally cover the United States and U.S. territories. Public companies may report worldwide counts in Form 10-K filings. Those filings use different reporting periods, geographic scopes and definitions. This report uses U.S. system counts so the companies can be compared on the same basis. RestaurantData’s ongoing restaurant franchise FDD analysis examines these disclosures across the full annual filing cycle.

Example: Item 20 System-Wide Outlet Summary — Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

The table reproduces the system-wide outlet summary reported in the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Franchise Disclosure Document issued during the 2026 filing cycle and covering operating years 2023 through 2025.

Franchised, company-owned and total outlets reported for 2023 through 2025.
Outlet TypeYearOutlets at Start of YearOutlets at End of YearNet Change
Franchised20232,9053,035+130
20243,0353,079+44
20253,0793,134+55
Company-Owned202341410
20244198+57
20259895-3
Total Outlets20232,9463,076+130
20243,0763,177+101
20253,1773,229+52

These totals carry directly into the ranking below: Popeyes appears at rank 15 with 3,229 U.S. system outlets at year-end 2025.

What the Four-Year Record Shows

Beverage and coffee concepts continue to gain scale

7 Brew, Scooter’s Coffee, The Human Bean and PJ’s Coffee all expanded their footprints during the period. Their growth reflects continued investment in beverage-led formats, drive-through development and smaller-footprint operating models.

Chicken concepts remain active across several size tiers

Wingstop, Chick-fil-A, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Chicken Salad Chick, Slim Chickens and Popeyes all added locations. The category includes both mature national systems and younger concepts that are still building regional coverage.

Fast-casual and specialty systems are moving into higher ranks

Jersey Mike’s, Tropical Smoothie Café, Cinnabon, Playa Bowls and Tous les Jours improved their position within the top 100. Their movement shows that meaningful expansion is occurring outside the largest legacy quick-service systems.

System maturity produces different development patterns

Not every established franchisor is pursuing the same unit-growth strategy. Some systems are adding new markets. Others are concentrating on franchisee quality, remodels, unit economics, portfolio management or market optimization. Location change should therefore be interpreted as one part of a broader operating picture.

How RestaurantData Would Extend This Research

This public analysis is intentionally centered on scale and multi-year franchise development. It does not need to include every field maintained in Atlas. Adding headquarters addresses, square footage, average checks, sales estimates and other operating details to all 100 rows would make the page harder to use and would blur the purpose of the report.

Those fields are more useful inside company research. Atlas can connect a franchisor to its headquarters, parent organization, operating structure, executive contacts, franchise relationships, technology assignments and development activity. Company-specific information can then be reviewed in context rather than compressed into one oversized public table.

The same structure can later support links to individual Restaurant Enterprise Index™ profiles as those profiles are published. That would allow readers to move from the broad franchise market to deeper research on selected restaurant enterprises.

Methodology and Interpretation

RestaurantData standardized annual system-wide outlet counts from Item 20 of restaurant Franchise Disclosure Documents, including newly available filings issued during the 2026 disclosure cycle. The figures combine franchised and company-owned outlets and compare year-end totals for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Percentage changes are calculated from the published totals shown in the table. Rank movement compares each system’s 2022 position with its 2025 position.

FDDs may use different fiscal year-end dates and may define territories or outlet types differently. RestaurantData reviews the underlying disclosures before placing the figures into a common comparison. Openings, closures, transfers, acquisitions, refranchising, market exits and reporting changes can all affect annual totals.

This report is limited to U.S. system outlets and U.S. territories reported in FDDs. Global counts disclosed in public-company filings are not substituted into the ranking because SEC reports are not standardized in the same way as Item 20.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a restaurant franchisor?

A restaurant franchisor grants franchisees the right to operate under its brand and operating system. The franchisee owns or operates the local business under the terms of a franchise agreement.

How were the Top 100 restaurant franchisors selected?

The Top 100 were ranked by total U.S. system outlets at year-end 2025. The count includes franchised and company-owned restaurants reported in Item 20.

What is Item 20 in a Franchise Disclosure Document?

Item 20 shows the growth and turnover of a franchise system. It includes three years of outlet tables covering openings, closures, transfers and changes in franchised and company-owned units. It also lists contact information for current and former franchisees.

What other important information is contained in the FDD reports?

Beyond the outlet tables and financial disclosures, FDDs contain another category of information that is often overlooked but extremely revealing: the Business Experience section (Item 2). This portion profiles the leadership behind the franchisor, and depending on how the organization is structured, it may include biographies for the Board of Directors, parent-company executives, brand-level C-suite leaders and key regional operators.

Each bio typically lists the individual’s title, name and a concise summary of their professional background. These summaries outline prior roles both within the organization and at other companies. When read carefully, they offer insight into whether the franchisor tends to promote talent internally or prefers to bring in outside leadership.

Because the Business Experience section is updated annually, it can also be scanned for year-over-year changes. Prospective franchisees often look for signs of leadership stability, while others may view new executives as evidence of a strategic shift. For companies that consistently promote from within, the FDD allows you to trace an executive’s progression through the ranks, a pattern RestaurantData examines in its research on restaurant executive changes. Conversely, when leadership is recruited externally, the bios make it possible to follow a manager’s movement across brands and industries on the path to their current role.

What is the source for restaurant location counts?

RestaurantData draws the location counts from Item 20 of each franchisor’s FDD. The system-wide outlet summary provides a structured record of franchised, company-owned and total units for annual comparison.

Why do restaurant franchise location counts change from year to year?

Systems open restaurants, close locations, enter or leave markets, acquire units, transfer ownership and revise development plans. Food costs, labor costs, operating efficiency, franchisee execution and local conditions also affect unit performance and system development.

Are company-owned restaurants included?

Yes. The report uses total system outlets and includes both franchised and company-owned restaurants. Across approximately 300 systems tracked by RestaurantData, franchisees operate about 89% of outlets and companies operate about 11%.

Why can FDD totals differ from public-company reports?

FDDs generally report U.S. outlets and U.S. territories. Public companies may report global restaurant counts in Form 10-K filings. The reporting periods, geographic scope and definitions may differ.

Does a lower outlet count mean a restaurant company is performing poorly?

No. Outlet counts do not measure profitability, unit economics, franchisee satisfaction or brand strength. A system may contract while closing weak locations, refranchising units or changing its market strategy.

When are Franchise Disclosure Documents generally issued?

Most franchisors update their FDDs annually after the close of their reporting year. Many documents containing completed year-end 2025 outlet figures became available from late winter through early summer 2026, although timing varies by company and filing requirements. This timing is why RestaurantData’s analysis of 2025 system results is being published in 2026.

Why does a report published in 2026 analyze 2025 outlet figures?

Franchise Disclosure Documents report completed historical operating periods and are generally issued after the reporting year has ended. The documents containing final year-end 2025 outlet totals were released during the 2026 filing cycle. RestaurantData assembled this report after those records became available.

How often is this report updated?

RestaurantData plans to update the report annually as new FDDs and related company records become available.

How is this report different from the Restaurant Enterprise Index™?

This report compares restaurant franchise systems by U.S. outlet count. The Restaurant Enterprise Index™ covers larger restaurant enterprises, including franchisors, franchisees, multi-concept operators and ownership groups.

How is this report different from Atlas by RestaurantData?

Atlas by RestaurantData connects locations to franchisees, franchisors, operating companies, brands, parent companies and ultimate owners. It also includes executive contacts, restaurant technology, operating characteristics and development activity.

Related RestaurantData Research

RestaurantData’s research on multi-concept restaurant operators examines companies that run two or more brands under one ownership structure. A related study identifies restaurant chains crossing expansion thresholds as they move into new size tiers. Development activity across the country is documented in the semi-annual analysis of U.S. restaurant opening patterns. Readers following the current filing season can review the early-bird results from this year’s franchisor releases.

The RestaurantData Research Center organizes the company’s reports, methodology and proprietary indexes, including the Expansion Pressure Index™.

Usage & Distribution Terms

This report may be shared and distributed on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis, provided that full attribution is given to Restaurantdata.com and no modifications are made to the data, findings, tables, charts, or conclusions.

No resale, republication as a paid product, database extraction, scraping, data harvesting, bulk copying, or use of this report to create or enhance a competing commercial database, lead product, market research product, or restaurant intelligence platform is permitted without prior written consent from Restaurantdata.com.

Preferred citation: “Source: RestaurantData.com, Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors: 2022–2025 U.S. Outlet Growth Analysis, based on 2026 FDD filings reporting year-end 2025 outlet totals, published July 2026.”

About RestaurantData

RestaurantData researches restaurant companies, franchise systems, ownership structures, executive contacts, operating locations, restaurant technology and development activity across the United States and Canada.

Multi-Concept Restaurant Operators | RestaurantData Research

Published: July 2026

RestaurantData.com Proprietary Research

RestaurantData.com examined 1,339 multi-concept restaurant companies operating 288,239 restaurant units and representing approximately $454.5 billion in system sales. The file covers approximately 6,550 named concepts and 7,432 distinct contacts. The analysis shows that multi-concept ownership frequently develops before enterprise scale: most companies remain relatively small, but their operating structures can include multiple concepts, states, service formats, franchise relationships and management functions.

Key Findings

  • The 1,339 companies operate 288,239 restaurant units and represent approximately $454.5 billion in system sales.
  • The source file contains 8,150 person-level records representing 1,339 distinct operating companies.
  • The companies represent approximately 6,550 named concepts and 7,432 distinct contacts.
  • The median company operates three concepts, 13 restaurant units and two states.
  • Operators with fewer than 20 units account for 63.5% of the companies (850 of 1,339).
  • More than half of the companies (687 of 1,339, or 51.3%) operate in multiple states.
  • Companies operating across more states generally have larger unit networks, deeper contact structures and higher email coverage.
  • More than three-quarters of the companies (1,028 of 1,339, or 76.8%) have at least one identified contact with an email address.
  • The Southeast has the broadest regional operating presence.
  • Florida, California and Texas are the most frequently represented operating states.
  • Concept count and company size measure different forms of organizational complexity.

The underlying company, concept, location, ownership and decision-maker relationships can be researched through Atlas by RestaurantData. Figures in this report represent a dated extract and may change as companies add or close locations, enter markets, acquire concepts, reorganize ownership or replace personnel.

Market Overview

The source file is organized as one row per contact person, so company information can appear on multiple rows. Records were consolidated by company identification number before company totals, operating characteristics and geographic coverage were calculated.

MeasureResult
Operating companies1,339
Total restaurant units288,239
Estimated system sales$454.5 billion
Person-level records8,150
Named concepts in the current extract6,550
Distinct identified contacts7,432
Companies with an identified email contact1,028
Email-contact coverage76.8%
Average contacts per company5.55
Median contacts per company4
Average concepts per company4.89
Median concepts per company3
Median restaurant units13
Median operating states2

The median company provides a more representative view of the market than the average because the file includes several national and international organizations with unusually large unit networks and concept portfolios.

Most Multi-Concept Operators Remain Relatively Small

Multi-concept ownership is not limited to large holding companies. Smaller local and regional operators may manage several restaurant identities, menus, service models and purchasing requirements while operating fewer than 20 locations.

Company Unit CountCompaniesShareMedian StatesAverage ContactsCompanies With Email
2–4 units22416.7%11.9160.7%
5–19 units62646.8%14.3074.9%
20–49 units22516.8%36.1582.2%
50–99 units926.9%4.57.1789.1%
100–499 units1329.9%109.5887.9%
500 or more units403.0%4525.07100.0%

The 850 operators with fewer than 20 locations account for 63.5% of the file. This supports RestaurantData.com’s separate research on the expansion of micro and small restaurant groups and shows that portfolio complexity often develops before conventional regional-chain scale.

Concept Count and Company Size Measure Different Things

A large concept portfolio does not necessarily indicate a large restaurant network. Some hospitality groups create a separate identity for nearly every location, while other organizations operate thousands of units through a limited number of repeatable brands.

Number of ConceptsCompaniesShareMedian UnitsMedian StatesAverage Contacts
2 concepts50037.3%1214.41
3 concepts23017.2%814.24
4–5 concepts23917.8%1015.35
6–9 concepts19614.6%1327.40
10 or more concepts1239.2%23410.06
Incomplete or partially populated concept field513.8%2225.59

Companies operating 10 or more concepts have a median of only 23 units, and median unit counts do not rise uniformly with concept count: three-concept companies show a lower median (8 units) than two-concept companies (12 units). The table separates portfolio complexity, created by managing numerous concepts, from network complexity, created by operating many locations across a broad territory.

Geographic Footprint

The Trading Area field identifies the states in which each company operates. Companies are counted in every region containing at least one operating state, so regional totals are not additive.

RegionCompanies Operating ThereShare of All CompaniesMedian UnitsAverage ConceptsAverage ContactsEmail Coverage
Southeast62446.6%205.887.3682.2%
Midwest43832.7%306.018.3982.2%
Northeast40730.4%206.718.2782.8%
Southwest38428.7%33.55.928.4182.0%
West36427.2%236.708.6283.5%
Northwest25719.2%507.2310.1891.1%

Regional definitions: Northeast – CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI and VT. Midwest – IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD and WI. Southeast – AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA and WV. Southwest – AZ, NM, OK and TX. West – CA, HI and NV. Northwest – AK, CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA and WY.

The Southeast has the broadest operating presence, while the Northwest has the smallest company count but the highest average concept and contact totals. The Northwest result reflects the presence of national companies operating there and should not be interpreted solely as a measure of locally headquartered operators.

Leading States in Multi-Concept Operating Footprints

State figures measure company presence rather than restaurant-location totals. A company is counted whenever a state appears in its Trading Area field and may therefore appear in several state rows.

RankStateCompanies Operating ThereShare of FileMedian Company UnitsAverage ConceptsAverage Contacts
1Florida32524.3%337.109.62
2California31323.4%256.618.90
3Texas30422.7%43.56.489.38
4New York24318.1%287.9810.13
5Illinois22917.1%577.6610.87
6Georgia21115.8%806.6510.77
7Tennessee19314.4%847.2611.26
8North Carolina18213.6%937.0411.51
9Virginia17813.3%1138.3412.71
10Arizona17112.8%847.5211.43
11Pennsylvania17112.8%808.1512.22
12Ohio16912.6%1197.1012.20
13Colorado16612.4%106.58.1612.72
14Nevada15611.7%76.58.5312.73
15New Jersey15111.3%847.7712.30

Florida, California and Texas each contain a substantial mix of hospitality groups, franchise organizations, regional full-service companies, fast-casual developers and national platforms. States farther down the ranking often show larger median networks because a greater proportion of the companies operating there are multi-region organizations.

Headquarters and Operating Presence

Headquarters location identifies where the corporate office is based, while Trading Area identifies where the restaurant organization operates. These measures should not be substituted for one another.

RankHeadquarters State or ProvinceCompanies
1California180
2Texas131
3New York111
4Florida98
5Illinois68
6Georgia50
7Arizona41
8Massachusetts38
9Ohio37
10Washington32

The distinction is also used in RestaurantData.com’s Restaurant Executive Changes analysis, where corporate location is separated from restaurant market coverage.

Trading-Area Breadth and Organizational Depth

Geographic breadth produces one of the clearest differences in the file. Single-state companies have a median of seven units and average 3.41 contacts, compared with 296 median units and 18.51 contacts among companies operating across at least 20 states.

Trading-Area CoverageCompaniesMedian UnitsAverage ConceptsAverage ContactsCompanies With Email
1 state61273.983.4167.5%
2–4 states402144.494.8880.1%
5–9 states129345.507.3388.4%
10–19 states79958.9210.3089.9%
20 or more states772969.6818.5198.7%

This table reflects the 1,299 companies with a fully populated Trading Area field in the extract; the remaining 40 companies could not be assigned a state-count bucket and are excluded here, though they remain in all company-level totals.

As operating territory expands, companies add management requirements involving regional operations, licensing, distribution, construction, facilities, human resources, finance and technology. Contact depth therefore rises more sharply with state coverage and unit count than with concept count alone.

Regional Differences in Service Type and Cuisine

Regional results include both locally based operators and national companies active in each market. They describe the companies operating in a region rather than only those headquartered there.

RegionLeading Service TypesMost Common Cuisine ClassificationsFull-Bar Companies
NortheastCasual/Family, Upscale Dining, Fast CasualAmerican, Bar Food, Burger, Italian, Seafood278
MidwestCasual/Family, Quick Serve, Upscale DiningAmerican, Bar Food, Burger, Pizza, Chicken268
SoutheastCasual/Family, Upscale Dining, Quick ServeAmerican, Bar Food, Burger, Seafood, Chicken415
SouthwestCasual/Family, Quick Serve, Fast CasualAmerican, Bar Food, Burger, Chicken, Pizza222
WestCasual/Family, Upscale Dining, Quick ServeAmerican, Bar Food, Burger, Seafood, Italian226
NorthwestCasual/Family, Fast Casual, Quick ServeAmerican, Bar Food, Burger, Chicken, Pizza148

American, Bar Food and Burger appear across every region. Differences become clearer lower in the rankings, with Italian and seafood more prominent in the Northeast and West and pizza and chicken more prominent in the Midwest, Southwest and Northwest.

The Contact Structure of Multi-Concept Companies

Multi-concept organizations may require separate or shared responsibility for operations, culinary development, marketing, finance, technology, construction, training and other functions across several restaurant identities.

Contact FunctionCompanies With Function Represented
Owner668
Operations541
Marketing478
Chief Executive Officer428
President407
Human Resources361
Chef or Culinary Leadership360
Finance284
Chief Financial Officer271
Partner258
Information Technology239
Chief Operating Officer222
Catering198
Controller193
Training177
Construction155
Development135
Facilities and Maintenance131

Owner contacts remain the most common, but the range of functions shows how management structure expands as companies add locations, markets, systems and operating responsibilities.

Large Concept Portfolios Take Several Forms

Companies with large concept portfolios include hotel and casino operators, scalable chain platforms and restaurant groups built around individually branded locations.

About contact counts: Contact counts shown below represent contacts directly associated with each enterprise organization. For multi-concept operators and franchise organizations, additional contacts are often available across their individual brands, operating companies, franchise systems and subsidiaries, resulting in substantially larger organization-wide contact coverage than shown in this table.
CompanyApproximate: ConceptsApproximate: UnitsStates/ProvincesIdentified Contacts
Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group58
(In Hotels)		1012613
Landry Restaurant Group905874115
Station Casinos8990116
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises621171028
Tao Group Hospitality58661115
MTY Food Group546,48959*24
McMenamins3554211
Starr Restaurants3443514

*MTY Food Group operates in both the United States and Canada; its figure of 59 combines U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

Kimpton and Station Casinos operate large collections of individually named food-and-beverage concepts, while MTY Food Group manages a broad portfolio of scalable brands. Lettuce Entertain You and Starr Restaurants combine original, repeated and market-specific concepts, demonstrating that the multi-concept classification can describe several operating models.

Restaurant Format and Service Mix

Primary Service ClassificationCompaniesShare
Casual or family dining61345.8%
Upscale dining34525.8%
Quick service22116.5%
Fast casual15611.7%
Buffet40.3%

Casual or family dining and upscale dining account for most of the file, helping explain the frequency of full-bar service, catering, reservations, patios and other features associated with full-service and hospitality operations.

Franchise Relationships Add Another Layer

Multi-concept companies may operate proprietary concepts, serve as franchisees of outside brands, franchise their own brands or combine these roles within a larger ownership hierarchy. These overlapping relationships make company-level analysis more informative than public brand lists, which may not reveal the operating entities, parents and affiliated concepts behind the portfolio.

How Multi-Concept Structure Connects to Expansion

Multi-concept status describes a company’s operating structure, not whether it is currently expanding. Concept count, unit count and trading-area breadth should be evaluated alongside recent development activity. RestaurantData.com’s Expansion Pressure Index™ provides a separate view of verified development activity, while earlier research reviewed individual examples of growth and change among multi-concept restaurant operators.

What the Cross-Tab Shows

Organizational complexity develops well before enterprise scale. Many multi-concept companies remain local or regional, but their structures can include several concepts, multiple service formats, franchise relationships, operating states and management functions. The clearest picture emerges when company, concept, unit, geography, ownership and contact information are connected rather than evaluated as separate lists.

Methodology

This analysis is based on a RestaurantData.com extract of companies classified as restaurant multi-concept organizations. Person-level records were consolidated by company identification number. Distinct contacts were calculated from available contact-name and email fields; concepts were taken from the Concepts field, restaurant units from Number of Units and operating geography from Trading Area.

Regional and state counts represent company operating presence, not unit totals, and should not be added together because companies may operate in multiple jurisdictions. Headquarters counts identify corporate location. Companies with incomplete or partially populated concept fields remain in the company total and are identified separately in the concept-count analysis. Companies without a fully populated Trading Area field remain in the company total and are excluded only from the trading-area coverage table.

Continue Exploring RestaurantData.com Research

This report is part of the RestaurantData Research Center, which organizes RestaurantData.com research on restaurant openings, ownership hierarchies, operator companies, expansion activity, executive changes and market development.

Usage and Distribution Terms

This report may be shared and distributed on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis, provided that full attribution is given to RestaurantData.com and no modifications are made to the data, findings, tables or conclusions.

No resale, republication as a paid product, database extraction, scraping, data harvesting, bulk copying or use of this report to create or enhance a competing commercial database, market research product or restaurant intelligence platform is permitted without prior written consent from RestaurantData.com.

Preferred citation: “Source: RestaurantData.com, Inside the Multi-Concept Restaurant Market: Company, Concept, Trading Area and Decision-Maker Cross-Tab, published July 2026.”

4 Restaurant Chains Crossing Expansion Thresholds (2026)

RestaurantData identified four restaurant companies that crossed operating thresholds during the November 2025–June 2026 tracking period.

Two operators moved beyond 30 units. Two others moved beyond 70 units. Each advanced into a new operating range based on verified restaurant development activity observed during the same period.

Key Findings

  • Four restaurant companies crossed operating thresholds between November 2025 and June 2026.
  • Slice House expanded from 29 to 36 units, adding 7 tracked openings across 3 states.
  • Juiceland expanded from 28 to 34 units, adding 6 tracked openings.
  • Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux moved from 68 to 73 units, adding 5 tracked openings across 3 states.
  • Guthrie’s Chicken Fingers moved from 70 to 73 units, adding 3 tracked openings.
  • The analysis compares companies within similar size cohorts rather than against all restaurant operators.

Cohort Size and Threshold Movement

The examples in this post come from larger company-size cohorts. Cohort boundaries are defined per analysis, so companies are compared against operators of similar scale during the same tracking period.

Company-Size Cohort Companies Analyzed Operating Range
Emerging 931 3–9 units
Regional 401 10–30 units
Growth 165 31–70 units

Additional cohorts, including operators above 70 units, are tracked in the full index but are not covered in this post.

The 30-unit examples below show operators moving out of the 10-to-30 range. The 70-unit examples show operators moving out of the 31-to-70 range.

Expansion Activity and Business Prioritization

Organizations that serve the restaurant industry often organize coverage by account size, segment, territory, category, or recent activity. Unit count provides one view of business size. Current development provides another view of movement.

This analysis gives structure to that movement by comparing verified expansion activity inside defined size cohorts and tracking periods. The broader methodology and company-level analysis are presented in RestaurantData’s Expansion Pressure Index™.

It does not prescribe a business decision. It presents evidence so readers can interpret the activity within their own planning process.

How to Read the Model

The model compares companies within a selected size segment and tracking period. It weighs recent unit growth, growth velocity, multi-state presence, new-market expansion, recency and momentum, and verification strength.

Factor Weight
Recent unit growth 30%
Growth velocity 20%
Multi-state presence 20%
New-market expansion 15%
Recency and momentum 10%
Verification strength 5%

Verification strength reflects how many independent source types confirm a company’s tracked activity, such as D/B/A filings, permits, and licensing records.

Scores are grouped into pressure tiers: Very High, High, Moderate, and Watch.

Very High indicates the strongest relative expansion pressure within the segment during the window. High and Moderate indicate active but less concentrated development. Watch identifies companies with minimal tracked development. These are not declining businesses, but operators to monitor for future movement rather than prioritize today.

A higher tier indicates stronger relative expansion pressure within the same size segment during the selected period. It does not measure company quality, financial performance, management effectiveness, or investment potential. For an example applied to a single dining segment, see the Top 10 Upscale Dining Brands Showing Expansion Pressure.

Adapting the Model to Your Own Segmentation

The cohort boundaries shown in this post are one configuration, defined for this analysis. They are not fixed.

Organizations segment their markets differently. Some divide accounts into SMB, mid-market, and enterprise. Others organize by territory, category, or purchasing volume. Stage ranges can be redefined to match an organization’s own account structure and adjusted as coverage models change.

A sales team that treats 50 units as the enterprise line can set the stage range there. A market analyst comparing operators between 15 and 45 units can define that band directly. Rankings, tiers, and momentum are recalculated within the selected segmentation, so expansion pressure is measured against the relevant comparison set.

Organizations interested in seeing the model configured around their own segmentation can request a full demonstration.

Understanding the Unit Counts

RestaurantData’s analysis of 2,698 opening projects from March through May shows the pace at which the record base moves. Counts here may differ slightly from a company’s published total by the time this post is read.

Companies Crossing the 30-Unit Threshold

Restaurant operators passing approximately 30 locations have generally moved beyond the earliest stage of expansion. The threshold provides context for comparing companies inside the 10-to-30 cohort and identifying those moving into the next operating range.

Brand Units Net New States Pressure Key Driver
Slice House 29 → 36 +7 3 Very High Crossed 30 units; added 7 tracked openings; active across 3 states; validated by 1 source type (D/B/A filings).
Juiceland 28 → 34 +6 1 Very High Crossed 30 units; added 6 tracked openings; validated by 2 source types.

Both companies moved from below 30 units to above 30 units during the tracking period. Crossing an operating threshold identifies movement from one range into the next.

Companies Crossing the 70-Unit Threshold

Restaurant companies approaching 70 locations are at the upper end of the Growth range. The examples below show companies moving past that boundary and into the next operating stage.

Brand Units Net New States Pressure Key Driver
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux 68 → 73 +5 3 Very High Added 5 tracked openings; active across 3 states; validated by 2 source types.
Guthrie’s Chicken Fingers 70 → 73 +3 1 Moderate Added 3 tracked openings; validated by 2 source types.

Both companies moved from the 31-to-70 range to more than 70 units during the tracking period. Walk-On’s combined unit growth with multi-state activity, while Guthrie’s showed steady single-state development.

Research Methodology

This post is based on RestaurantData’s ongoing threshold movement research. The analysis is powered by continuous ingestion of expansion signals drawn from legal filings, permits, licensing records, local reporting, and other public sources. This is the same verified record base behind RestaurantData’s Restaurant Opening Signals Report and franchise FDD analysis. Development records are reviewed across companies during the same tracking period, covering November 2025 through June 2026.

Individual developments are events. Concentrations of developments across markets, states, and source types represent patterns that can be compared within company-size cohorts.

Operating counts should be interpreted as directional indicators within the research period. They will not match a company’s exact footprint on any given day, and they are not intended to. The goal is to show movement through operating ranges rather than a fixed census of every location on one publication date.

Related Reading

For broader context on verified restaurant opening activity by segment, state, location type, and operator category, see RestaurantData’s semi-annual opening analysis.

Read: U.S. Restaurant Opening Cross-Tab Analysis: January–June 2026

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 Research Center brings together RestaurantData reports, methodologies, and analysis in one place for readers following restaurant industry development and company movement.

Usage & Distribution Terms

This report may be shared and distributed on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis, provided that full attribution is given to Restaurantdata.com and no modifications are made to the data, findings, tables, charts, or conclusions.

No resale, republication as a paid product, database extraction, scraping, data harvesting, bulk copying, or use of this report to create or enhance a competing commercial database, lead product, market research product, or restaurant intelligence platform is permitted without prior written consent from Restaurantdata.com.

Preferred citation: “Source: Restaurantdata.com, Expansion Pressure Index™ Threshold Movement Analysis, November 2025–June 2026 tracking period, published July 2026.”

Restaurant Executive Changes: Decision Maker Analysis

Restaurant Executive Changes Report: U.S. and Canada Restaurant Chains (2025–2026)

Published: July 2026

Key Findings

1,649Personnel-change records reviewed 770Unique companies represented 53Headquarters states and provinces represented
12 monthsJuly 1, 2025 through July 1, 2026 55.9%Changed decision-maker records 44.1%Added decision-maker records

RestaurantData.com reviewed executive and VP-level personnel changes across restaurant chains and foodservice companies in the United States and Canada. The analysis covers July 1, 2025 through July 1, 2026.

This analysis covers restaurant and foodservice companies operating at three units and above. The record set includes franchisees, franchisors, multi-concept operators, regional restaurant groups and national chains.

The records include added and changed decision makers across marketing, operations, IT, finance, human resources, development, franchising, construction, supply chain, culinary, real estate and related leadership functions.

Important note: State and province counts refer to the company headquarters location in the record. They do not represent restaurant unit locations or market-level store counts.

Analysis Period

Measure Result
Start dateJuly 1, 2025
End dateJuly 1, 2026
Period covered12 months
Total records reviewed1,649

The 12-month range gives the analysis a full operating cycle. It includes the second half of 2025 and the first half of 2026. That helps show whether executive changes were spread across the year or concentrated in specific periods.

The second half of 2025 had more activity than the first half of 2026. This is useful when reading the rest of the report because the quarterly and monthly tables show when leadership changes were most active.

Added vs. Changed Decision Makers

Change Type Records Share
Changed decision maker92155.9%
Added decision maker72844.1%
Total1,649100.0%

Changed decision makers accounted for 921 records (55.9% of the total). Added decision makers accounted for 728 records (44.1%).

This split shows two types of movement. Some companies replaced or reassigned existing leadership roles. Others added new decision-maker contacts. For suppliers and research users, both types can create a reason to review a company record again.

Quarterly Activity

Quarter Records Share
Q3 202549229.8%
Q4 202551331.1%
Q1 202635121.3%
Q2 202629117.6%
Q3 2026 partial20.1%

Q4 2025 was the highest quarter with 513 records (31.1% of the total). Q3 2025 followed with 492 records (29.8%).

Together, Q3 and Q4 2025 accounted for 1,005 records. That equals 60.9% of all executive-change records in the analysis. The first 2 quarters of 2026 accounted for 642 records (38.9%).

Monthly Activity

Month Records Share
October 202519812.0%
December 202518711.3%
July 202518611.3%
September 202517210.4%
January 20261559.4%
August 20251348.1%
November 20251287.8%
March 20261277.7%
April 20261167.0%
June 20261086.5%
February 2026694.2%
May 2026674.1%
July 2026 partial20.1%

October 2025 was the highest month with 198 records. December 2025 had 187 records. July 2025 had 186 records. Those 3 months represented 571 records (34.6% of the total).

February 2026 and May 2026 were the lowest full months. February had 69 records (4.2%). May had 67 records (4.1%). The monthly table shows that leadership activity did not move in a straight line across the year.

Headquarters Location of Companies Reporting Executive Changes

The table below shows the headquarters state or province tied to each company record. These figures do not represent restaurant unit locations or market-level store counts.

Headquarters State or Province Records Share
California20312.3%
Texas17510.6%
Florida1589.6%
New York1187.2%
Georgia1036.2%

The top 5 headquarters states accounted for 45.9% of all records. California, Texas and Florida represented 32.5%.

This headquarters view is useful for corporate research. It helps show where parent companies and restaurant offices are based. It should not be read as a store-location table. A company headquartered in one state may operate restaurants across many markets.

U.S. and Canada Breakdown

Country Records Share
United States1,57695.6%
Canada734.4%
Total1,649100.0%

The record set is U.S.-weighted. U.S.-based companies accounted for 1,576 records (95.6% of the total). Canada accounted for 73 records (4.4%).

Canadian headquarters activity was led by Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta. The Canada count is smaller than the U.S. count, but it still reflects decision-maker changes across several provinces.

Executive Function Cross-Tab

Function Records Share
Marketing28517.3%
Operations1529.2%
IT1297.8%
Finance1157.0%
Human Resources1157.0%

Marketing was the largest category with 285 records (17.3% of the total). Operations followed with 152 records (9.2%). IT had 129 records (7.8%).

Finance and human resources each had 115 records (7.0%). Together, marketing, operations, IT, finance and human resources represented 48.3% of all executive-change records reviewed.

Executive Changes by Department: What the Numbers Show

Together, these 5 departments represented 796 records (48.3% of all executive changes identified during the 12-month period). The concentration shows that nearly one-half of reported leadership movement occurred within functions tied to restaurant operations, customer strategy, technology, budgeting and workforce management.

Development accounted for 62 records (3.8%). CFO records followed with 61 records (3.7%). Culinary leadership accounted for 60 records (3.6%). CEO changes represented 59 records (3.6%).

Field operations and store management accounted for 57 records (3.5% of the total). This category may include group vice presidents and area managers. RestaurantData captures these roles when identified during research but does not actively track field management as a primary area of coverage.

Franchising, supply chain and construction each represented close to 3.0% of the total. Real estate, procurement, facilities, catering and training represented smaller shares individually. Combined, these functions add visibility into companies that may be reviewing expansion, purchasing, facilities management or operating processes.

The distribution shows that executive movement was not concentrated in one area. Changes occurred across strategy, finance, operations, development, technology, human resources and restaurant support functions.

When evaluated with RestaurantData.com restaurant opening research, ownership records and expansion tracking, executive changes provide another layer of market intelligence for companies operating at 3 units and above.

What the Cross-Tab Shows

Executive changes do not indicate a purchasing decision. They identify shifts in organizational responsibility and decision-making. Leadership transitions often coincide with changes in operating priorities, expansion initiatives, technology evaluations, capital planning, or vendor relationships. The personnel change itself is the observable event. Combined with restaurant opening activity, ownership data, and Expansion Signals, executive movement provides additional context for identifying organizations entering a new planning or investment cycle.

Research Summary

RestaurantData.com reviewed 1,649 executive and VP-level personnel-change records from July 1, 2025 through July 1, 2026. The records covered 770 companies and 53 headquarters states and provinces.

Marketing, operations, IT, finance and human resources represented the largest share of activity. California, Texas, Florida, New York and Georgia led the headquarters count. Q4 2025 was the highest quarter.

Related RestaurantData.com Research

For long-term opening patterns, review the 2020–2025 Restaurant Opening Cross-Tab Analysis.

For recent filing activity, see the Restaurant Opening Signals Report: 1,188 Filings Across 49 States.

For a multi-month view, read March-May Restaurant Openings: Analysis of 2,698 Projects.

For expansion pressure research, see Top 10 Upscale Dining Brands by Expansion Pressure.

For weekly pre-opening coverage, visit New Restaurant Openings.

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 Research Center brings together RestaurantData reports, methodologies, and analysis in one place for readers following restaurant industry development and company movement.

Usage & Distribution Terms

This report may be shared and distributed on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis, provided that full attribution is given to RestaurantData.com and no modifications are made to the data, findings, tables, charts or conclusions.

No resale, republication as a paid product, database extraction, scraping, data harvesting, bulk copying or use of this report to create or enhance a competing commercial database, lead product, market research product or restaurant intelligence platform is permitted without prior written consent from RestaurantData.com.

Preferred citation: Source: RestaurantData.com, Restaurant Executive Changes Report: U.S. & Canada Restaurant Chains (2025–2026), published July 2, 2026.