Top 10 fastest-growing retail brands in the U.S., according to Yelp

The new restaurant in your neighborhood may look familiar.

Chains owned by publicly traded restaurant companies accounted for half of the top 10 fastest-growing retail brands in the U.S. last year, according to a new Yelp report.

Review site Yelp compiled the list by using a blended metric that includes net new openings, searches on its platform from 2022 to 2023 and consumer interest that was measured by page visits, posted photos and written reviews. Of the 50 fastest-growing chains in Yelp’s report, 35 were restaurant brands.

Jack in the Box, First Watch and Dutch Bros were among the public restaurant chains included in the report, but they didn’t crack the top 10. Publicly traded retailers included Levi Strauss, Nordstrom and Costco.

Here are the top 10 fastest-growing brands, based on Yelp’s research:

The Mediterranean fast-casual chain went public through an IPO 10 months ago, raising nearly $318 million. Cava said in a regulatory filing that it planned to use the offering’s proceeds for new location openings, as well as general corporate purposes. It opened 30 net new locations in the second half of 2023 and plans to open at least 48 this year.

The Darden Restaurants steakhouse had more than 560 locations nationwide at the end of Darden’s fiscal 2023. Since the pandemic began, the casual-dining chain’s sales have consistently outperformed the restaurant industry’s average, fueled in part by the strong growth of its takeout business.

Parent company Darden plans to open at least 50 new locations across all of its brands in fiscal 2024.

When Yum Brands bought the California-based burger chain in 2020, its footprint was less than 280 restaurants, dwarfed by Yum’s other chains: Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC. But Yum has been accelerating the Habit Burger Grill’s development ever since the deal closed. At the end of 2023, the chain had 378 locations on the East and West coasts.

While Wawa is a convenience store and gas station chain, its loyal fans probably know it more for its cheesesteaks and hoagies. The chain has been expanding outside its Philadelphia stronghold into new markets down the Atlantic seaboard. It’s also been opening drive-thru locations, encroaching further on restaurants’ territory.

The Restaurant Brands International chain’s famous chicken sandwich has helped fuel its new restaurant growth in the U.S. and beyond. Popeyes’ higher sales have encouraged franchisees to open more locations and led new operators to join the brand, Restaurant Brands executives have previously said.

In 2023, Popeyes surpassed KFC as the second-most popular chicken chain in the U.S. by sales, trailing only Chick-fil-A.

The Italian-inspired chain is the gem of Darden Restaurants‘ portfolio, accounting for nearly half of the company’s overall revenue. It’s also the rare casual-dining chain to open locations, adding about 20 new restaurants in its fiscal 2023.

The privately owned sandwich chain is also reportedly looking for a buyer, according to a Wall Street Journal report last week. Blackstone’s interest in Jersey Mike’s has reportedly cooled, but a new owner could further ramp up the chain’s development.