Originally appearing in the RestaurantChains.net research series, this report was republished in May 2026.
Featured chains demonstrated growth trends that stood out among their peer concepts.
See also: June Release of April 2012 Top Ten Fastest Growing Restaurant Concepts and 3rd Quarter 2012 Top Ten Fastest Growing Restaurant Concepts
(Began period with between 50-200 units)
Research Period: 1/21/12 to 5/20/12. Re-confirmed for counts as of 7/1/2012.
| Rank | Name | Cuisine | Service Type | Start Count | Growth | End Count | Growth % | Research Ended | Trading States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FREDDY'S FROZEN CUSTARD & STEAKBURGERS | Burger | Quick Serve | 54 | 19 | 73 | 35% | 3/13/2012 | AZ, CA, CO, KS, MO, NE, NV, OK, TX, UT |
| 2 | FRESHSLICE PIZZA | Pizza | Take-out/Delivery | 51 | 17 | 68 | 33% | 4/3/2012 | BC, ON |
| 3 | FREEBIRDS WORLD BURRITO | Mexican | Fast Casual | 57 | 13 | 70 | 23% | 4/2/2012 | CA, OK, TX |
| 4 | FIRST WATCH RESTAURANTS | American | Family/Casual | 85 | 17 | 102 | 20% | 4/10/2012 | AZ, FL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, WI, WV |
| 5 | CHEDDAR'S CASUAL CAFE | American | Family/Casual | 95 | 15 | 110 | 16% | 3/27/2012 | AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, TN, TX, VA, WV |
| 6 | HAPPY'S PIZZA | Pizza | Mostly take-out | 69 | 11 | 80 | 16% | 4/17/2012 | CA, IL, MI, NV, OH |
| 7 | WHICH WICH | Sandwich | Fast Casual | 146 | 24 | 170 | 16% | 4/17/2012 | AR, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MO, MS, NC, NM, NV, NY, OK, SC, TN, TX, WA |
| 8 | MOUNTAIN MIKE'S PIZZA | Pizza | Quick Serve | 138 | 12 | 150 | 9% | 3/14/2012 | CA, NV, OR, UT |
| 9 | TACO MAYO | Mexican | Quick Serve | 79 | 7 | 86 | 9% | 4/10/2012 | AR, KS, OK, TX, |
| 10 | ZOE'S KITCHEN | Mediterranean | Fast Casual | 55 | 5 | 60 | 9% | 3/1/2012 | AL, AZ, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA, |
| 11 | RUNZA | Sandwich | Quick Serve | 82 | 6 | 88 | 7% | 4/9/2012 | CO, IA, KS, NE, |
| 12 | WAHOO'S FISH TACO | Mexican | Fast Casual | 56 | 4 | 60 | 7% | 4/19/2012 | CA, CO, HI, NV, NY, TX |
| 13 | CORNER BAKERY CAFE | Bakery/Café | Fast Casual | 127 | 8 | 135 | 6% | 3/13/2012 | AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, MS, NJ, NY, PA, TX, UT, VA |
| 14 | CHAMPPS AMERICANA | American | Family/Casual | 58 | 3 | 61 | 5% | 3/27/2012 | CO, DE, FL, IA, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SD, TX, VA, WI |
| 15 | MOXIE'S CLASSIC GRILL | American | Family/Casual | 60 | 3 | 63 | 5% | 4/10/2012 | AB, BC, MB, NS, ON, SK |
| 16 | HARD ROCK CAFE | American | Family/Casual | 136 | 6 | 142 | 4% | 3/13/2012 | AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NJ, NV, NY, OH, ON, PA, SC, TN, TX, WA |
| 17 | WING ZONE | Chicken | Take-out/Delivery | 57 | 2 | 59 | 4% | 2/27/2012 | AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI |
| 18 | TACO BUENO | Mexican | Fast Casual | 179 | 5 | 184 | 3% | 4/17/2012 | AR, KS, LA, MO, NE, NM, OK, TX, |
| 19 | VAPIANO | Italian | Fast Casual | 103 | 3 | 106 | 3% | 4/9/2012 | DC, IL, MA, MD, NC, NY, TX, VA, |
| 20 | PAPA GINO'S INC | Pizza | Fast Casual | 159 | 3 | 162 | 2% | 2/29/2012 | CT, MA, ME, NH, RI |
Research Notes
Unit ranges, including starting, growth and ending counts, reflect growth information from each company’s research date range as recorded in the original RestaurantChains.net archive.
RestaurantChains.net presents quarterly lists of Top 20 Fastest Growing Concepts based on recent growth captured during the re-verification process. Information is derived from the continual process of interviewing and verifying more than 7300 restaurant chain concepts.
Parameters Considered
- A restaurant chain or group with at least 50 units.
- A restaurant chain or group who began the period with fewer than 200 units.
- A restaurant chain or group who grew by at least 2 units.
- A restaurant chain or group that is a unique brand/concept, not a franchisee.
- A concept with growth within the U.S. or Canada.
- A restaurant chain or group with reliable information available regarding unit counts and activity.
Repeat Concept Leaders
This report includes concepts that appeared on previous RestaurantChains.net growth lists.
- CHAMPPS AMERICANA
- CHEDDAR'S CASUAL CAFE
- CORNER BAKERY CAFÉ
- FIRST WATCH RESTAURANTS
- HAPPY'S PIZZA
- MOUNTAIN MIKE'S PIZZA
- VAPIANO
- WAHOO'S FISH TACO
- WHICH WICH
Readers should know that unit counts and percentages are not annualized and relate to recent growth only. Companies on the list are placed without opinion and are a result of academic research.
For chain-level restaurant intelligence and expansion tracking, visit RestaurantData.com.
