16 Fast-Growing Chicken Chains You're About to See Everywhere
Everything's coming up chicken. According to Restaurant Business Online, 20 chains launched a new version of the chicken sandwich on their menus, including fast-food juggernauts like McDonald's and Burger King. In addition, restaurant chains that focus their entire business model on chicken have enjoyed impressive growth in recent years. The sustainable price of chicken as an ingredient compared to pricier ingredients like beef helps keep chicken chains competitive, as a report from the Washington Post reveals.
With wider margins and stiff competition among brands, it's no secret these days that chicken chains are exploding in popularity nationwide. Turn on your local news, and you've likely seen a story over the last year or two of chicken chains opening their first locations in your respective market. As you'll read below, there seems to be no stopping these chains from expanding their footprint and bringing new customers.From larger chains looking to maintain market share to smaller, regional chains finding their way into new markets, the following chicken chains are poised to be on more street corners than ever in the years to come.
Huey Magoos
The impressive growth of chicken chains industry-wide has reached businesses large and small. Huey Magoos, a Florida-based chain, has been expanding into new markets, including Texas, Arizona, and Virginia in 2024. With hundreds of restaurants in development, Huey Magoos is expected to continue its growth in the coming years. Its footprint stretches as far west as Nevada, giving this chicken chain a true national reach.
El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco eyed its 500th location opening at the end of last year, and the chicken brand shows no signs of slowing down its growth. Known for its fire-grilled chicken, El Pollo Loco is prioritizing new markets, including Boise, El Paso, Kansas City, and Seattle-Tacoma. With new restaurant designs also in the works, El Pollo Loco is making known its intent to be considered one of the top modern chicken chains.
Slim Chickens
Slims Chicken has over 1,200 restaurants in development as of March 2024, with a 70% restaurant growth, according to QSR Magazine. Regions that can expect to see Slims Chicken open in the coming months include Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, and Arizona. Expansion in current markets like Michigan are also in the works. That still leaves well over 1,000 restaurants in the pipeline, meaning customers could see Slims Chicken boast continuous growth for years to come.
Wingstop
Wingstop opened hundreds of new locations in 2024, cementing its place as a leading fast-casual chicken wing chain. Per Fast Company, Wingstop has nearly doubled its growth in the last six years, totaling over 2,300 restaurants by the end of its second quarter in fiscal year 2024.
Wing Snob
There's stiff competition in the chicken wing world, with large players like Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop to contend with. Wing Snob is up to the task, opening dozens of new locations in 2024. By 2025, Wing Snob could expand even quicker, with 100 new locations slated to open, according to Food Service and Hospitality.
Zaxby's
The Georgia-based chicken chain Zaxby's already has nearly 1,000 locations, but there is still plenty of room for growth. The chain is now heading to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bringing its Chicken Fingerz and wings to more customers than ever before. The first of three new Maryland restaurants is coming this year, with expansion also on deck for Delaware and New Jersey. Its debut in New Jersey will start in the southern region of the state before moving further north, according to a press release.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken
With nearly 3,000 locations across 47 states, one could argue that Krispy Krunchy Chicken is pretty much everywhere already. But that belief is being put to the test this year as the chain eyes rapid expansion. The quick-service chain, which specializes in Cajun-spiced fried chicken, opened an impressive 500 new locations in 2023 alone. It intends to top that growth in 2024 with an additional 700 new planned stores.
Chicken Salad Chick
When you think of chicken chains, fried chicken and chicken sandwiches likely come to mind. Not only does Chicken Salad Chick flip the notion of what a chicken chain could be on its head, but it's poised to grow significantly. The chain, which specializes in chicken salad, has grown to roughly 250 locations since it first opened in 2008. Soon, approximately 50 more could join the ranks, thanks to its franchisees. Its growth is not limited to one particular region of the U.S. New locations are set to open in states spanning from Texas to Illinois to Virginia.
Pollo Campero
Pollo Campero has been around for over 50 years, opening its first location in Guatemala in 1971, according to Restaurant Dive. Growth was slow at first, but lately, the chain has been popping up in more locations. Serving bone-in chicken, both fried and grilled, as well as chicken sandwiches and an array of sides, Pollo Campero plans to open two dozen locations this year, which will bring the total amount of restaurants to over 100.
Raising Cane's
Depending on where you live in the U.S., Raising Cane's is hardly a new concept. The fast-food fried chicken chain is beloved by its passionate customers, also known as "Caniacs." Its fan base will surely grow in the years to come as Raising Cane's continues its rapid expansion. This includes the opening of its new flagship location in the heart of Times Square. More New York City locations are planned, along with new restaurants in Florida, California, and Tennessee. With record-breaking growth in 2024, the momentum is there for Raising Cane's.
Popeyes
More customers than ever before can "love that chicken from Popeyes." Last year, Popeyes expected to see growth from 3,400 stores in 2023 to more than 4,200 by 2028, according to QSR Magazine. This includes opening restaurants in new markets and 160 new restaurants in 2024 alone. Part of its growth strategy involves simplifying operations across all of its restaurants, with plans to have cloud-based POS systems and kiosks in every Popeyes by 2026.
Bonchon
If you've never heard of or passed by a Bonchon, that could soon change. Known for its ultra-crispy double-fried birds, the Korean fried chicken chain aims to have over 1,000 locations worldwide in the next five years, with 500 of those being in the United States. That's quite the jump from the roughly 130 locations it currently operates in the U.S., but plans are to expand its reach in regions surrounding New York City, Chicago, Denver, Houston, and beyond.
Dave's Hot Chicken
If there's any doubt about chicken chains becoming the rising stars of fast food, look no further than Dave's Hot Chicken.
Serving tenders and sliders across a wide spectrum of spicy heat levels, Dave's was America's third-fastest growing restaurant chain of 2023 as it grew its footprint by a whopping 76%, according to Technomic Top 500 data. It's aiming to open more than 100 additional restaurants this year and has about 950 locations in development in total. The mostly-franchised chain's operators continue to add more stores to their development deals, so that total could very well grow even larger.
Bojangles
You're more likely to be familiar with Bojangles if you live in the southeastern United States, but that will likely change in the coming years. The fried chicken chain aims to expand westward, with 20 restaurants coming to Las Vegas alone. Additional locations are planned for Arizona. This "Bojangles West" initiative, along with its other plans for expansion, could bring the total number of locations surpassed 1,000 (800 are currently in operation).
Golden Chick
Golden Chick may not have the volume of restaurants as giants like Kentucky Fried Chicken, but that doesn't mean the chain isn't growing in prominence. In 2023, Golden Chick surpassed 200 locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Louisiana, according to QSR Magazine, with more added to the fleet in 2023. It marks a historic year of growth for the chain, which has been around since 1967. With so much momentum under its feet, Golden Chick may soon set its sights beyond the four states where it's currently found.
Chick-fil-A
Depending on where you live, it may already feel like you see Chick-fil-A everywhere, with over 3,000 restaurants nationwide. The fast-casual chicken chain, however, is still finding new markets to enter and existing markets to expand in. Those new markets include international locations, to open restaurants in Europe and Asia in 2025 with continued growth to a total of five international markets by 2030. It all starts with locations in the United Kingdom and Singapore as well as expansion within its existing Canada and Puerto Rico markets.
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