The 6 Fastest-Growing Bakery Chains Right Now
If you live in the United States and you're craving a delicious fresh baked good, you certainly have no shortage of options. America's massive borders are home to a mind-boggling number of local bakeries and bakery chains serving up pretty much every sweet treat you can imagine, from colorful doughnuts to massive cookies to artisanal croissants. But as plentiful as bakeries already are in the United States, they're about to become even more numerous.
Several major chains have already announced ambitious growth plans for 2024 and beyond. Some of those brands are expanding at an especially breakneck pace, aiming to open dozens or even hundreds of locations in the coming years. And in good news for those who live in areas where bakeries are currently in short supply, some of these companies have previewed plans to enter new cities or states for the first time soon.
So, if you're looking for a new go-to spot to score dessert or a sweet treat, keep an eye out for these six fast-growing bakery chains that are about to explode in size.
Duck Donuts
Duck Donuts, a chain that specializes in made-to-order, customizable doughnuts, had a record-breaking year of growth in 2023 as it opened 23 new shops in the United States and 10 international locations. The 2023 openings included the chain's first-ever stores in three new states: Colorado, Nevada, and Massachusetts.
This year, Duck Donuts hopes to do even better with plans to open 35 more American stores and 10 additional international shops, according to a January 2024 press release. It has signed dozens of franchise agreements that will bring the brand to new parts of the United States and some new countries overseas, including Connecticut, Wisconsin, Aruba, and Australia.
"We're thrilled by the overwhelming response and interest this past year from Duck Donuts' guests as well as our newest franchise partners across the globe," Gary Hitterdal, Duck Donuts' vice president of development, said in a statement in January.
Chip City
Major cookie chains like Crumbl Cookies, Insomnia Cookies, and Mrs. Fields are slated to get some fresh competition as rival Chip City plans for rapid expansion. The chain—which serves a rotating selection of massive cookies—announced last month that it plans to open 30 stores throughout 2024 and 40 additional shops the following year.
Because Chip City currently operates more than 30 locations across the United States, these new openings should put it on track to reach the major 100-store milestone by the end of 2025. The company's website currently lists 16 stores that are "coming soon" in states including Illinois, Connecticut, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Since those 16 upcoming shops are only a small portion of Chip City's planned openings, customers should stay tuned for more updates on where else the chain is headed.
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons has the majority of its 5,700-plus stores in its home country of Canada. But looking forward, the donut and coffee chain wants to become a much larger presence in the United States.
Parent company Restaurant Brands International announced earlier this year that it's striving to reach 1,000 American locations by 2028. Considering that Tim Hortons currently boasts more than 630 restaurants in the United States, this means that we could see hundreds of new locations open over the next few years alone. A representative for the brand previously told Eat This, Not That! that Tennessee, Missouri, Delaware, and New Jersey are among the states where it plans to expand in the coming years.
This major expansion push comes on the heels of an impressive year of growth for Tim Hortons. The chain ended 2023 with its largest number of American openings in more than five years and entered new markets such as Texas and Georgia, according to the brand rep.
Paris Baguette
Out of all the fast-growing bakery chains on this list, Paris Baguette may have one of the most aggressive expansion pipelines. The chain—which serves a variety of baked goods, coffee, sandwiches, and salads—currently operates more than 150 locations across 30 states, according to its franchise website. And by 2030, it hopes to reach a whopping 1,000 locations in America.
Paris Baguette is already making strides to achieve this ambitious goal. It opened 43 new cafés across the United States and Canada in 2023 and signed more than 100 franchise agreements during the year. The chain announced in a February 2024 press release that it plans to open its first-ever Michigan location in fall 2024. It's also eyeing markets like Wisconsin, Indianapolis, northern Florida, Vermont, the greater Boston area, South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas for additional growth this year.
Shipley Do-Nuts
Shipley Do-Nuts has been serving its signature doughnuts, kolaches, and coffee to hungry customers for more than 85 years. However, the chain has been seriously ramping up its new store openings in recent years after being acquired by the private investment firm Peak Rock Capital in 2021.
Shipley Do-Nuts currently operates more than 350 stores across 12 states, with the majority of its locations in Texas. The company has an ambitious goal to double its store count over the next five years, QSR Magazine reported in February 2024.
This means that customers could see hundreds of Shipley Do-Nuts locations open in the very near future. The chain plans to start making progress on those growth plans by opening 30 shops in 2024 alone. So, keep an eye out just in case Shipley Do-Nuts arrives in your corner of the country this year or beyond.
Pret A Manger
If you don't currently have a Pret A Manger in your area, don't be too surprised if that changes in the coming years. The London-based chain, known for its pastries, desserts, sandwiches, and coffee, currently operates over 60 locations in the United States, the vast majority of which are located on the East Coast. However, Pret A Manger CEO Pano Christou told Reuters in an interview this past fall that the company is aiming to surpass 300 American stores by 2029.
This means that the chain's footprint could skyrocket to five times larger than it is right now within the next few years. While the chain has traditionally focused on cities and office-oriented locations, Christou said that it's now focusing on opening more locations in regional and suburban areas, per Reuters.
Sign up for our newsletter!
