Preserved from original RestaurantChains.net research files and republished in May 2026.
Included companies achieved sufficient growth to earn placement in this ranking.
See also: July 2011 Top Ten Fastest Growing Restaurant Concepts and June Release of April 2012 Top Ten Fastest Growing Restaurant Concepts
(Began period with between 50-200 units)
Research Period: 4/21/11 to 7/20/11. Count verification end date 9/15/2011.
| Rank | Name | Cuisine | Service Type | Start Count | Growth | End Count | Growth % | Research Ended | Trading States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VAPIANO | Italian | Fast Casual | 90 | 13 | 103 | 14% | 6/7/2011 | DC, FL, IL, MA, MD, NC, NY, TX, VA |
| 2 | RAISING CANE'S | Chicken | Quick Serve | 93 | 10 | 103 | 11% | 5/12/2011 | AL, CO, GA, KY, LA, MA, MN, MS, NE, NV, OH, OK, SC, TX, VA |
| 3 | COOK OUT | BBQ | Take-out | 75 | 8 | 83 | 11% | 6/28/2011 | NC |
| 4 | SMASHBURGER | Burger | Fast Casual | 93 | 7 | 100 | 8% | 6/23/2011 | AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NV, OH, OK, TX, UT |
| 5 | HAPPY'S PIZZA | Pizza | Take-out | 64 | 5 | 69 | 8% | 6/21/2011 | IL, MI, NV, OH |
| 6 | HARTZ RESTAURANTS INTERNATIONAL INC | Chicken | Quick Serve | 58 | 4 | 62 | 7% | 7/19/2011 | TX |
| 7 | RED MANGO | Ice Cream/Yogurt | Quick Serve | 132 | 8 | 140 | 6% | 7/19/2011 | AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NV, NY, OH, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI |
| 8 | BIGGBY COFFEE | Coffee | Quick Serve | 116 | 7 | 123 | 6% | 5/10/2011 | IL, MI, OH, SC, TX, WI |
| 9 | GRANDY'S RESTAURANT | American | Family/Casual | 70 | 4 | 74 | 6% | 5/10/2011 | FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, NM, OK, TX, |
| 10 | PICK UP STIX | Chinese | Fast Casual | 70 | 4 | 74 | 6% | 6/23/2011 | CA |
| 11 | CAPRIOTTI'S SANDWICH SHOP | Sandwich | Fast Casual | 65 | 3 | 68 | 5% | 7/7/2011 | AZ, CA, DE, FL, IA, MD, NJ, NV, PA, UT, WI |
| 12 | RICKY'S RESTAURANTS | American | Family/Casual | 57 | 2 | 59 | 4% | 7/19/2011 | AB, BC, ON, SK, YT |
| 13 | SUB STATION II | Sandwich | Quick Serve | 56 | 2 | 58 | 4% | 7/19/2011 | GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, VA |
| 14 | CHAMPPS AMERICANA | American | Family/Casual | 56 | 2 | 58 | 4% | 7/19/2011 | CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SD, TX, VA, WI |
| 15 | CHEDDAR'S CASUAL CAFÉ | American | Family/Casual | 89 | 3 | 92 | 3% | 5/19/2011 | AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, TN, TX, VA, WA |
| 16 | NATURE'S TABLE CAFÉ | American | Fast Casual | 70 | 2 | 72 | 3% | 6/28/2011 | CA, CO, FL, GA, KS, OK, SC, TX, VA, WA |
| 17 | PIZZA BOLI'S | Pizza | Take-out | 60 | 2 | 62 | 3% | 7/19/2011 | DC, MD, PA, VA |
| 18 | DUTCH BROS COFFEE | Coffee | Take-Out | 156 | 3 | 159 | 2% | 5/23/2011 | AZ, CA, CO, ID, NV, OR, WV |
| 19 | GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT | Ice Cream/Yogurt | Quick Serve | 123 | 3 | 126 | 2% | 6/21/2011 | AZ, CA, CO, NV, UT |
| 20 | SCOOTER'S COFFEEHOUSE | Coffee | Quick Serve | 84 | 2 | 86 | 2% | 6/27/2011 | CO, IA, KS, MO, NE, SD, TX |
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.
- BIGGBY COFFEE
- CAPRIOTTI'S SANDWICH SHOP
- CHEDDAR'S CASUAL CAFÉ
- GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT
- HAPPY'S PIZZA
- RAISING CANE'S
- RED MANGO
- SMASHBURGER
- VAPIANO
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 company-level restaurant growth data and chain profiles, visit RestaurantData.com.
