Restaurantdata.com continuously identifies, verifies, and delivers new and pre-opening restaurant leads to operators, suppliers, and distributors across the U.S. on a weekly basis. Below is a comparison of weekly opening counts across the country, contrasting the final 22 weeks of 2024 with the first 22 weeks of 2025.

📊 Total Raw: Complete count of all filing sources prior to de-duping and vetting.  |  Total Net: Restaurants researched and confirmed to be pre-opening or post-open (no later than 2–4 months after filing).

What the Trend Charts Show

Total Raw filings were consistently higher in H2 2024 (averaging 1,200–1,600 per week) compared to H1 2025, which has trended in the 900–1,500 range. The highest single week in the comparison period was the week of 10/24/2024 at 1,629 raw filings.

Total Net Issued tells a similar story- H2 2024 net counts were frequently in the 500–608 range during the peak September–October period, while H1 2025 has largely settled in the 390–516 range. New openings have been steadying after data indications of a slightly downward trend, as evidenced across multiple source categories including alcohol license applications, DBA and fictitious name filings, building permits, state incorporations, and LLC registrations.

The seasonal dip visible in late December and early January is consistent across both years — a normal pattern driven by reduced filing activity during the holiday period.

First 22 Weeks of 2025- Weekly Lead Counts

Source: Restaurantdata.com · U.S. markets · January 2 – May 29, 2025

* Total Net reflects verified pre-opening or recently opened locations (no later than 2–4 months post-open), after de-duplication, cross-checking with chain HQ records, and geographic validation.

Last 22 Weeks of 2024- Weekly Lead Counts

Source: Restaurantdata.com · U.S. markets · July 18 – December 19, 2024

* Total Net reflects verified pre-opening or recently opened locations after de-duplication and geographic validation. Peak week of 10/24/2024 saw 607 net verified leads — the highest in the comparison period.

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