Version 2 · October 2026
The Short-Term Expansion Arc
RestaurantData’s Expansion Pressure Index™ (EPI) tracks the short-term expansion arc of growing restaurant companies and emerging brands. It compares verified development activity within selected unit-count ranges, markets and reporting periods.
What expanding restaurant
companies look like in the data
The examples below show unit movement, geographic reach and relative expansion pressure. Each retains its original study period and comparison range.
4 companies moving beyond unit milestones
Selected examples at the 30- and 70-unit boundaries used in this study.
Swipe to see all columns →
| Company | Study units | Tracked additions | States | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slice House | 29 → 36 | +7 | 3 | Very High |
| Juiceland | 28 → 34 | +6 | 1 | Very High |
| Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux | 68 → 73 | +5 | 3 | Very High |
| Guthrie’s Chicken Fingers | 70 → 73 | +3 | 1 | Moderate |
Slice House’s activity reached California, Colorado and Arizona. Juiceland’s remained in Texas, across 6 counties. Both moved beyond 30 study units, through different geographic patterns.
See the location evidence in 4 Restaurant Chains Crossing Expansion Thresholds.
Study unit movement describes the source analysis, rather than today’s operating totals. States are those represented in tracked activity. Pressure tiers are relative to each study’s comparison cohort; these rows are not a combined ranking.
Expansion at different starting sizes
Biscuit Belly and Maman each rated Very High within their own study cohorts.
| Company / cohort | Study units | States |
|---|---|---|
| Biscuit Belly 10–30 units | 21 → 25 | 4 |
| Maman 60–80 units | 60 → 66 | 3 |
Biscuit Belly’s 4 additions were in 4 different states. Maman’s 6 additions spanned 3 states, with 3 records in Dallas.
A closer view of one dining segment
Selected upscale dining examples from the study’s 10–30-unit cohort.
| Brand | Study units | States |
|---|---|---|
| Burtons Grill and Bar | 30 → 33 | 3 |
| Sant Ambroeus | 18 → 20 | 2 |
| BOA Steakhouse | 14 → 16 | 2 |
Comparisons can be narrowed by dining segment as well as company size, keeping the analysis relevant to a specific market.
Repeated activity in the summer research
The summer company report provides another view of growing restaurant brands: repeated location records across markets. Qualifying records can support further review through EPI.
Company names open their current Restaurant Enterprise Index profiles for connected company research, including ownership and parent relationships where documented.
Expected opening period: June–September 2026.
Research snapshot: September 19, 2026.
These are captured development records, including planned locations. They are not complete company opening totals, net growth figures or EPI scores.
Read the Summer 2026 Growing Restaurant Companies and Emerging Concepts report for the full company and location context.
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| Company / REI profile | Verified records | States |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Brew Coffee | 11 | 4 |
| CAVA | 8 | 5 |
| Chick-fil-A | 19 | 4 |
| Foxtail Coffee Co | 5 | 2 |
| HTeaO | 3 | 1 |
| Ono Hawaiian BBQ | 3 | 2 |
Put recent expansion in its longer history
EPI reads concentrated expansion over recent periods. Restaurant Vector™ follows an individual brand or concept across years or decades through selected historical opening signals.
Reading the two together helps place a company’s latest activity alongside earlier periods of development and geographic reach.
Explore Restaurant Vector and its long-term development arcs.
Chicken Salad Chick
Selected periods in the brand’s recorded development
- 2016–2017Concentrated development activity
- 2018–2019Wider state reach
- 2024–2026A later cluster, followed by additions in 2026
Read Chicken Salad Chick’s Vector profile.
Selected historical evidence through September 2026; not a complete count of openings or operating units.
How the Expansion Pressure Index works
Find and verify development activity
RestaurantData reviews legal and license filings, permits, company disclosures, local reporting and other public evidence. Researchers qualify records and remove duplicates and administrative changes.
Connect the location to the company
Records are matched to brands, operating companies and supported ownership relationships, so activity can be examined at the relevant company level.
Compare activity within a defined range
EPI evaluates recent activity within the selected operating cohort and period, including the pace and geographic reach of documented development.
Define the company sizes that fit your market
A supplier targeting operators with 5–20 units can use a different comparison range from a team covering companies with 35–75 units. These are examples of configurable ranges, rather than fixed EPI categories.
Activity is viewed over a rolling 12-month (1-year) period. The index reloads monthly with the prior month’s research; published studies retain their stated observation periods.
Terminology follows the Restaurant Data Dictionary.
Account prioritization
Identify growing restaurant companies whose recent activity and operating size fit your sales coverage.
Territory planning
Compare where development is concentrated with your distribution, installation and service territories.
Company research
Review expansion patterns alongside ownership, operating and financial information when evaluating an account or investment.
Questions about EPI
What do the company examples on this page represent?
The EPI tables summarize selected findings from dated RestaurantData studies. Unit movement, activity and pressure tiers belong to each source study’s period and comparison cohort. The summer table separately shows captured development records. Neither display states a company’s current total locations.
Can EPI be used for emerging brands and larger companies?
Yes. Users can select unit-count ranges suited to their market, from emerging multi-unit brands through companies approaching 100 units and selectively beyond. Companies are compared within the selected cohort and period.
Does expansion pressure predict future performance?
No. EPI organizes verified expansion activity for business prioritization. A development record can describe a planned location, and expansion pressure does not predict financial results, operating performance or the completion of every project.
How often is the research updated?
The index reloads on the first day of each month with the prior month’s research. The current view covers a rolling 12-month period. Public examples retain their original study windows and figures.
Find expansion activity in your market
See how company-size ranges, territories and recent development research fit your account-planning needs.