It’s been a big year for unit growth, at least for some fast-casual chains.
Chipotle on Friday opened its 4,000th restaurant (which is in Manhattan, Kansas), well past halfway toward reaching its goal of opening 7,000 units in the U.S. and Canada. This year the chain expects to open 315 to 345 restaurants, and next year growth is expected to accelerate with another 350 to 370 openings, including 10 to 15 international locations as the brand expands overseas.
Shake Shack, meanwhile, opened a record number of restaurants this year as it pushes to hit the 1,500 mark.
The 630-unit burger chain will open between 45 and 50 domestic locations, more than it has ever opened in a year. And that number is expected to increase to up to 60 next year. In addition, the chain expects to add another 35 to 40 licensed units this year, increasing that to 40 to 45 in 2026, including moves into new markets like Panama and Vietnam.
Wingstop earlier this year was opening about one new restaurant per day.
The chain opened its 3,000th unit in late November, and has added about 800 over two years, a roughly 50% increase. In the third quarter alone, Wingstop opened 114 restaurants.
And though sales were softening in the third quarter, CEO Michael Skipworth said the development pace reflected the strong returns franchise operators are seeing. This year, the chain projected between 475 to 485 new openings globally, which is about 100 more than previously expected.
Wingstop hopes to be a top 10 restaurant chain, aiming for 10,000 units globally.
Raising Cane’s also has sights set on reaching the top 10 with 1,600 locations by the end of the decade.
The chicken-finger chain expects to add more than 100 units open this year, opening 14 in December alone, and that pace is expected to continue in 2026.
And the Mediterranean concept Cava will open between 68 to 70 new restaurants this year, which is about 18% growth as that chain targets 1,000 by 2032.
For these brands, the big-swing expansion comes despite slowing sales among fast-casual players as consumers cut back on dining out, which has hit some brands harder than others.
That means accelerated growth is not in the cards for everyone in fast casual.
Portillo’s, which opened its 100th restaurant this year in Georgia, has slowed its planned growth after moving aggressively into Sun Belt states. Facing a 2.2% decline in traffic during the third quarter, the Chicago-based chain is resetting its focus on improving profitability, pushing back or dropping some sites in the pipeline.
“Our development strategy will reflect a return to a more gradual pace, avoiding cannibalization and letting great experiences drive more visits, and, ultimately, more restaurants,” said Michael Miles Jr., Portillo’s interim CEO, at the chain’s third-quarter earnings call in November.
The Chicago-based chain had earlier projected the addition of 12 restaurants this year, but now it expects to add eight both this year and next, limiting openings to sites with already signed leases.
Sweetgreen, which reported a nearly 12% decline in traffic and product mix in the third quarter, is also slowing growth.
After opening what will likely be 37 new restaurants this year, the 266-unit chain plans to limit new development to between 15 to 20 next year.
“We believe this strikes the right balance between growth and financial discipline as we focus on lowering capital expenditures and driving strong returns,” said CEO Jonathan Neman during the third-quarter earning call last month.
And then there’s Noodles & Company, which is considering a potential sale or other strategic alternatives.
The company has been reviewing its portfolio with the goal of shuttering underperforming locations. During the third quarter, 15 company units and three franchised locations were closed, leaving the chain with 435 restaurants.
This year, Noodles planned to close 31 to 34 company units, and 7 to 8 franchised locations.
More closures are expected next year, which CEO Joe Christina contends are necessary for the long-term health of the brand.
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