7 Fast-Growing Chicken Sandwich Chains You’re About to See Everywhere
Chicken is currently the fastest growing ingredient on menus—whether fried or grilled, tenders or nuggets, Americans can’t get enough of their chicken, especially in sandwich form. According to data experts Technomic, chicken chains Raising Cane’s and Wingstop saw sales surge over 30%, landing both among the top 25 chains for the first time. So clearly chicken is going nowhere, and some restaurants are becoming so popular they are expanding like wildfire. Here are seven fast-growing chicken sandwich chains you’ll soon be seeing everywhere.
Dave’s Hot Chicken
Dave’s Hot Chicken is one of the most impressive stories of success and full-steam-ahead growth. Backed by Drake, the chain famous for ultra-spicy chicken tenders and sandwiches was named America’s fastest growing restaurant chain in 2023 and shows no signs of slowing down. “Dave’s Hot Chicken has one of the greatest origin stories in the restaurant business, with the founders starting Dave’s as a parking lot pop-up restaurant in Hollywood with a portable fryer, and picnic tables from their backyards,” said Bill Phelps, Dave’s Hot Chicken’s CEO.
Jollibee
Filipino chicken chain Jollibee has good reason to be jolly—without ever doing any aggressive marketing in the U.S. the restaurant has earned cult status for serving delicious chicken sandwiches, fried chicken, tenders, and more with that unique Jollibee flavor and texture. In its recently released Q1 2024 results, Jollibee North America reported a strong 25.9% system-wide sales growth and 12.3% same store sales growth, the company says.
Slim Chickens
If you’ve never heard of fast-casual chicken chain Slim Chickens, you’re about to see them everywhere. The chain is expanding across the U.S., and customers can’t get enough of the premium quality sandwiches and tenders. “Our freshly cooked food and variety of sauces are foundational to us, but then you throw in this special magic of Southern hospitality in the mix,” says senior VP of operations Christina Vaughan. “It’s really driving our guests and franchisees, creating great AUVs … They resonate with how we think about bringing people together for meals.”
Wingstop
As Technomic reported, Wingstop’s sales are up 20%, and the sky’s the limit for the fan-favorite chicken chain. System-wide sales increased 27.6% to $1.2 billion for fourth quarter 2024, which is exceptional. “2024 results demonstrated the strength and staying power of our strategies we are executing against, translating into another record year. We reached new highs with domestic AUVs of $2.1 million and opened 349 net new restaurants – a remarkable 15.8% growth rate,” said Michael Skipworth, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Raising Cane’s
Raising Cane’s had a record-breaking 2024 after setting out to open 100 restaurants and surpassing that goal by launching 118, with momentum that shows no sign of stopping. “We couldn’t be more proud of our Crew for making this record-breaking year of growth a reality, and we can’t wait to continue spreading our ONE LOVE to new places in 2025!” the company says.
Church’s Chicken
Church’s Chicken is doing incredibly well, with customers flocking for its exceptional chicken sandwiches, tenders, and more. The chain is planning for 900 new units in the near future, including an aggressive expansion into Europe. “We are experiencing tremendous growth both domestically and internationally, with Europe playing a key role in our expansion strategy,” said Roland Gonzalez, CEO of Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken. “The European QSR market is evolving rapidly, driven by a growing demand for convenience and quick-service restaurant options. We see huge potential to bring the Texas Chicken experience to new guests across the continent, and this is just the beginning.”
Huey Magoo’s
Southern chicken chain Huey Magoo’s is enjoying tremendous success, recently expanding into the Miami-Dade area. With 42 new franchises coming to Texas, Arizona, and Virginia, this will mean over 250 restaurants across 15 states. “When we first started expanding outside of Florida, we had our eyes set on the Southeast, and to now be able to call ourselves a nationwide brand is extraordinary,” CEO Andy Howard said. “Not only are we expanding far beyond what we had initially planned geographically, we are also further developing the brand’s footprint to include non-traditional type locations, like college campuses, hotels, sports stadiums and airports. As we look ahead, the sky is truly the limit.”
