Top Restaurant Franchisors 2025: Early Bird Biggest Gainers and Losers
2025 Early Bird Report: Restaurant Franchise Biggest Gainers and Losers
Restaurant brands across the U.S. encompass a wide range of service styles and cuisines. Almost all fast-growing chains today are counter service and often in the snack category. This segment is being targeted by restaurant suppliers, vendors, and manufacturers. This report displays early results on company growth from RestaurantData’s Top 100 Restaurant Franchisors, based on 50 of the top 100 brands that had reported through April 8, 2025. The terms used in this analysis follow the standard definitions in the Restaurant Data Dictionary.
Early Bird Report: 50 of the Top 100 restaurant franchisors had reported as of April 8, 2025. Location counts reflect year-end December 31, 2024 figures. YOY growth and decline percentages are measured against the prior year-end. This dated report is preserved as part of RestaurantData’s Historical Research Archive. Editorial update, August 11, 2026: methodology, dictionary, Atlas, Research Center, and structured-data connections were added; the historical report figures were not changed.
How to Read This Early FDD Report
This is a point-in-time early filing review, not the completed 2025 Top 100 ranking. The following distinctions are important when interpreting the tables:
- Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the disclosure document used in franchise sales. RestaurantData reviews annual filings and outlet information, including Item 20, as filings become available.
- Unit count: the number of U.S. restaurant locations connected to the applicable brand or franchise system as of the stated year-end date.
- YOY change: the percentage change between the December 31, 2024 unit count and the prior year-end count.
- Early reporting cohort: only the 50 Top 100 systems with available results through April 8, 2025; later filings can change the completed ranking.
See the Restaurant Data Dictionary for RestaurantData’s canonical definitions of FDD, Item 20 outlet information, franchised location, franchisor, franchisee, franchise system, unit count, verification, and reporting-period reconciliation.
Key Observations
Counter service and snack brands continue to lead growth. Wingstop (+14.43%), Scooter’s Coffee (+13.20%), and Jersey Mike’s (+11.74%) are all counter service concepts, consistent with the broader trend of fast casual and QSR outpacing full-service dining in expansion activity. A broader three-year comparison is available in RestaurantData’s fastest-growing restaurant brands analysis. More recent verified development activity across growing companies is organized through the Expansion Pressure Index™.
Jersey Mike’s is approaching 3,000 locations with 2,989 units at year-end 2024. A remarkable milestone for a brand that was under 2,000 locations just a few years ago. Its 11.74% YOY growth rate at that scale is exceptional.
Papa Murphy’s leads declines at -7.36% with 1,044 locations. A significant contraction for the take-and-bake pizza chain. Taco John’s (-6.59%) and Checkers (-3.97%) also reflect continued pressure on legacy QSR brands facing competitive and operational headwinds.
In all, there are more than 135,000 franchised restaurant locations in the U.S. These locations are organized within Atlas by RestaurantData, which connects restaurant locations with brands, franchisees, operating companies, parent organizations, and executive contacts.
Big Gainers: Fastest-Growing Franchise Brands
The following brands showed the strongest year-over-year location-count growth as of December 31, 2024, based on early FDD filings received through April 8, 2025.
Source: RestaurantData.com · Top 100 Franchisors Early Bird Report · 50 of 100 brands reporting · Location counts as of December 31, 2024
| # | Brand | Locations (12/31/2024) | YOY Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wingstop | 2,204 | +14.43% |
| 2 | Scooter’s Coffee | 849 | +13.20% |
| 3 | Jersey Mike’s | 2,989 | +11.74% |
| 4 | Wetzel’s Pretzels | 425 | +10.10% |
| 5 | Freddy’s | 550 | +6.38% |
| 6 | Cinnabon | 1,030 | +5.75% |
| 7 | Culver’s | 997 | +5.61% |
* YOY growth represents the year-over-year percentage change from the prior year-end location count. The results are based on early FDD filings available as of April 8, 2025.
Big Losers: Brands Facing Unit-Count Declines
The following brands reported year-over-year declines in location count as of December 31, 2024, based on early FDD filings received through April 8, 2025. FDD unit-count declines should be distinguished from broader market closure activity, which is examined in RestaurantData’s First-Half 2026 Restaurant Closure Report.
| # | Brand | Locations (12/31/2024) | YOY Decline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papa Murphy’s | 1,044 | -7.36% |
| 2 | Taco John’s | 340 | -6.59% |
| 3 | Checkers | 484 | -3.97% |
* YOY decline represents the year-over-year percentage change from the prior year-end location count. The results are based on early FDD filings available as of April 8, 2025.
Related Franchise and FDD Research
The following RestaurantData reports provide additional analysis of franchise unit counts, ownership structure, multi-year growth, development pipelines, and company-owned versus franchised locations.
Restaurant Franchise FDD Analysis and Growth Trends
Review the current RestaurantData franchise research covering unit growth, average unit volumes, recent filings, and expansion activity across larger restaurant systems.
Top 100 Restaurant Franchisor Growth Trends
Compare multi-year growth among the largest restaurant franchise systems, including differences between larger established brands and smaller franchise concepts.
Restaurant Franchise Growth Stories: FDD Analysis 2021–2025
Examine unit growth, signed development agreements, future locations, franchisee activity, and operating changes across seven restaurant franchise brands.
Restaurant Franchise Disclosure Document Analysis: Top 20 Brands
Review franchised and company-owned unit counts, average unit volumes, service formats, cuisines, and geographic coverage among major restaurant franchisors.
Burger King FDD and Franchisee Ownership Changes
See how Franchise Disclosure Document research can identify ownership transfers, franchisee consolidation, and changes within a major restaurant-brand system.
Continue Through the RestaurantData Research Center
This article is part of the RestaurantData Research Center, which connects public reports to the same definitions, verified company relationships, opening research, and analytical platforms used throughout RestaurantData.
Atlas by RestaurantData
Search the connected restaurant intelligence platform behind this report, including locations, restaurant companies, franchise systems, franchisees, ownership hierarchies, executive contacts, technology, and development activity.
Restaurant Data Dictionary
Review the canonical definitions, classifications, record types, ownership relationships, FDD terms, operating characteristics, and verification methods used across Atlas and published research.
Weekly Restaurant Opening Alerts
Follow verified restaurant openings, pre-opening developments, ownership changes, relocations, and other foodservice projects as individual records are researched.
Expansion Pressure Index™
Compare documented short-term expansion activity within relevant operating cohorts rather than relying only on annual unit-count rankings.
Restaurant Enterprise Index™
Examine larger franchise organizations, restaurant companies, multi-concept operators, ownership groups, enterprise relationships, and organizational change.
Restaurant Opening Analysis
See how early public signals become verified, location-anchored development records and how those observations support ongoing market analysis.
Restaurant Industry Insights
Read current studies of franchise growth, company expansion, ownership trends, executive movement, openings, closures, and restaurant-market activity.
Historical Research Archive
Place this dated early report in context with earlier RestaurantData studies and later completed analyses.
Want Complete Franchise Brand Data Including Locations and Contacts?
RestaurantData.com tracks more than 135,000 franchised restaurant locations across the U.S., including operating locations, franchisee headquarters contacts, VP-level decision makers, and multi-year growth statistics.
Request Access →