7 Fast-Growing Breakfast Chains You're About to See Everywhere
There's something uniquely special about going out for breakfast. Maybe it's the mouthwatering aroma of bacon and coffee that swirls through the restaurant's air. Perhaps it's the excitement of changing up your usual morning routine. Or, it could be the array of menu items you wouldn't typically make in your own kitchen, such as a fancy frittata or a loaded stack of pancakes.
Going out for breakfast is a beloved activity for many, and there are about to be even more spots to score your morning meal. Over the past several months, multiple breakfast chains have shared future growth plans, with some expanding at a notably quick pace.
Going forward, you could have a new go-to restaurant for waffles, French toast, and omelets. Here are seven breakfast chains that are ramping up growth right now.
First Watch
Since opening its first restaurant in 1983, First Watch has grown into a major breakfast chain, boasting more than 530 restaurants in 29 states. That number is getting even larger.
In March, Chief Financial Officer Mel Hope said the chain plans to open between 51 and 57 new restaurants in 2024. The company expects that 43 to 47 of these will be company-owned, while nine to 11 locations will be franchised.
As it continues to grow, the company plans to enter Las Vegas and New England for the first time.
"We are already deep into negotiations for multiple locations in both markets and expect a material percentage of our growth to come from these two areas in the coming years," First Watch's CEO and President Christopher Tomasso said during a March earnings call.
Additionally, in April, the chain acquired 21 of its franchised-owned restaurants in North Carolina, a move Tomasso said is "an important part of [the chain's] long-term growth and value creation strategy."
Another Broken Egg Cafe
At the beginning of 2024, daytime-only café chain Another Broken Egg Cafe announced plans to open 13 new restaurants after inking deals with four new franchise groups. These development agreements will grow the chain's footprint in Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, and Texas. Another Broken Egg will open these new locations over the next three to four years.
With these new developments, the chain will enter multiple new markets in states where it already has restaurants, such as Wichita, Kan.; Concord, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro, N.C.; Port St. Lucie and Stuart, Fla; and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
In June, the chain announced that it will open three locations in Loudoun County, Va., in addition to multiple surrounding counties in Northern Virginia.
Another Broken Egg currently operates more than 100 locations and has almost 100 cafés in development. Last year, the chain signed leases for 20 locations that will open in 2024 and beyond. Recently, the Denver Post reported that the chain will open its first Colorado location in the Mile High City this fall.
Black Bear Diner
Black Bear Diner, the cabin-themed restaurant chain known for its all-day breakfast, is opening 14 new locations this year. Of these new restaurants, at least nine will be franchise-owned, while five will be corporate-owned, according to a January press release. These restaurants will be spread across California, Texas, Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, and Colorado. As part of the 14 new openings this year, the chain also opened three restaurants this spring in Waco and New Braunfels, Texas, and Eloy, Ariz.. Last month, the chain opened a new restaurant in Bayton, Texas.
Black Bear Diner currently has 159 locations across 13 states. The chain's website lists nine upcoming openings, which will be in Laredo, Harlingen, Weatherford, and El Paso, Texas; Garden City, Kan.; Vista and Canyon Country, Calif; Quartzite, Ariz.; and Knoxville, Tenn.
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
Following a record-breaking year with 10 new locations in 2023, Snooze is continuing to grow in 2024. The chain plans to finish the year with more than 70 locations nationwide, thanks to the addition of six new locations.
This year, Snooze has opened new restaurants in Stafford, Kyle, and Cedar Park, Texas; and Dunwoody, Georgia. Going forward, the chain will open additional locations in Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla.
Vicious Biscuit
Fast-casual chain Vicious Biscuit is bringing its popular biscuit sandwiches to even more parts of the U.S. In March, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported that the chain will open 10 new locations in Indiana, with the first slated to open in Fishers within a year. That same month, Vicious Biscuit announced that it signed a deal to open 10 new locations in Florida, which marked Vicious Biscuit's largest new franchise agreement. These new restaurants will be located in multiple markets, including Duval and St. John's counties.
Vicious Biscuit currently operates just eight locations across Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina. However, growth is slated to ramp up, with 38 franchise locations in development. Throughout 2024, Vicious Biscuit has signed several franchise development agreements across multiple regions, including Alabama, Utah, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Over the next five years, Vicious Biscuit plans to reach 75 locations.
Eggs Up Grill
South Carolina-based Eggs Up Grill has also been rapidly expanding. Between 2022 and 2023, the breakfast chain increased its unit count by 20.3%—and it shows no signs of slowing down. With more than 70 locations, Eggs Up Grill expects to reach just under 100 restaurants by the end of 2024, according to Nation's Restaurant News. CEO Ricky Richardson told the news outlet he would like to have a 25% to 35% annual pace for unit openings.
"We doubled our team in the past year to accelerate. The year before last, we opened 12 restaurants and we doubled it this year," Richardson said. "I don't have a hard number in mind, but I can see an easy way of getting to 500-600 in the not-so-distant future."
According to its website, the chain plans for a total of 170 locations primarily across the Southeast with outposts in Texas and Ohio.
Wild Eggs
Wild Eggs has a relatively small presence with just 15 locations in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. However, the breakfast chain is continuing to pop up within these states. This year, the chain is doubling its restaurant count in central Indiana with the addition of three new locations. According to a press release, the chain will open one new location in Avon around the end of July and one Greenwood restaurant "later this year." Wild Eggs has yet to share the location of its third new Indiana restaurant.
News of this expansion comes a couple of months after the chain announced it will open four new Kentucky restaurants in the Lexington area. Wild Eggs hasn't shared the exact locations, though it did note that the first of these new restaurants will open in August or September, with the rest following "shortly thereafter."
In 2023, the chain said it's focusing on eight states for franchising opportunities, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
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