REI links, ownership references and reuse terms reviewed October 19, 2026. Historical figures reflect the original research periods.
This archived industry report was restored from RestaurantChains.net records for modern readers.
The rankings reflect expansion activity captured during the publication’s verification process.
See also: July 2012 Top 20 Fastest Growing Restaurant Concepts and 4th Quarter 2012 Top 20 Fastest Growing Restaurant Concepts
(Began period with 50 units or less)
3rd Quarter 2012
REI identifies a current company, parent-company or documented acquirer profile in the Restaurant Enterprise Index. Separately named parents have their own links. Ownership and acquisition notes are distinct from the historical report figures.
| Rank | Name | Cuisine | Service Type | Start Count | Growth Count | End Count | Growth % | Trading States | Research Ending | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NAKED PIZZA | Pizza | Quick Serve | 17 | 7 | 24 | 41% | AZ, CA, CO, FL, LA, MA, MD, NJ, NY, OH, VA | 8/17/2012 | www.nakedpizza.biz |
| 2 | ZOUP FRESH SOUP CO | American | Fast Casual | 35 | 12 | 47 | 34% | CO, CT, DC, IL, IN, KY, MA, MI, OH, ON, PA | 9/17/2012 | www.zoup.com |
| 3 | EARL OF SANDWICH | Sandwich | Fast Casual | 17 | 5 | 22 | 29% | CA, FL, MA, MI, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TX | 8/20/2012 | www.earlofsandwichusa.com |
| 4 | THE GREENE TURTLE | American | Family/Casual | 29 | 8 | 37 | 28% | DC, DE, MD, VA, | 8/20/2012 | www.greeneturtle.com |
| 5 | J. GUMBO’S DOWN-HOME CAJUN COOKIN | Cajun/Creole | Fast Casual | 19 | 5 | 24 | 26% | GA, IL, IN, KY, OH, SC, TN | 8/24/2012 | www.jgumbos.com |
| 6 | BAHAMA BREEZE | Caribbean | Family/Casual | 26 | 6 | 32 | 23% | DE, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NV, OH, PA, TN, WA | 9/14/2012 | www.bahamabreeze.com |
| 7 | FIVE STAR PIZZA | Pizza | Take-Out | 13 | 3 | 16 | 23% | FL, GA | 8/12/2012 | www.fivestarpizza.com/ |
| 8 | ANTHONY’S COAL FIRED PIZZA | Pizza | Family/Casual | 28 | 6 | 34 | 21% | CT, DE, FL, NJ, NY, PA | 8/30/2012 | www.anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com |
| 9 | DICK’S WINGS | Chicken | Family/Casual | 17 | 3 | 20 | 18% | FL, GA, ON | 6/14/2012 | www.dickswingsandgrill.com |
| 10 | ERIK’S DELICAFE | Sandwich | Fast Casual | 28 | 4 | 32 | 14% | CA, FL, MA, MI, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TX | 8/13/2012 | www.eriksdelicafe.com |
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 Ten 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 3 units.
- A restaurant chain or group who began the period with fewer than 50 units.
- A restaurant chain or group who grew by at least 3 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.
- ANTHONY’S COAL FIRED PIZZA
- EARL OF SANDWICH
- NAKED PIZZA
- THE GREENE TURTLE
- ZOUP FRESH SOUP CO
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 restaurant industry intelligence and operator-level research, visit RestaurantData.com.
