Technomic's 25 fastest-growing chains in the world
By Sara Rush Wirth on Sep. 19, 2016If Regis Philbin asked people to name the fastest-growing restaurant chains on the planet by units, any operator with a cursory knowledge of the industry could come up with Subway, McDonald’s and Starbucks. But it’s not just the American giants taking over the world.
Nearly half (10) of the 25 fastest-growing multinational chains are based outside of the U.S. While these global giants aren’t homegrown, that doesn’t mean they’re not growing here. Many of the big U.S. chains are mature in the homeland, but once foreign brands figure out which local U.S. markets to target, they can add units and advance quickly, says Darren Tristano, president of Technomic.
It begs the question for U.S.-based operators: Are these international chains bringing something new to the U.S. market that consumers want? And as consumer interest in global foods and flavors grows, do these chains have more credibility as the true-to-ground flavor purveyors?
Lest you think domestic brands would be excluded from the list of multinational growers were it not for their at-home growth, think again. When you exclude new U.S. units from the growth equation, all but four of the restaurant chains with the most global growth were U.S.-based chains.
For a clear snapshot of the restaurant brands that have their sights set on global expansion, here’s an exploration of the top 25 fastest-growing chains in the world.
25. Chowking
Headquarters: Pasig, Philippines
2015 global units: 485
Y-O-Y unit change: 6.1%
Country count: 6
Top 3 countries: Philippines, UAE, USA
24. Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Headquarters: Lorton, Va
2015 global units: 1,320
Y-O-Y unit change: 6.4%
Country count: 5
Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, United Kingdom
23. Costa Coffee
Headquarters: Dunstable, England
2015 global units: 3,277
Y-O-Y unit change: 6.4%
Country count: 32
Top 3 countries: United Kingdom, China, Poland
22. Steers
Headquarters: Midrand, South Africa
2015 global units: 587
Y-O-Y unit change: 6.5%
Country count: 6
Top 3 countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zambia
21. Pret A Manger
Headquarters: London
2015 global units: 399
Y-O-Y unit change: 6.7%
Country count: 6
Top 3 countries: United Kingdom, USA, Hong Kong
20. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Headquarters: Atlanta
2015 global units: 2,539
Y-O-Y unit change: 6.7%
Country count: 32
Top 3 countries: USA, Turkey, Canada
19. Hard Rock Cafe
Headquarters: Orlando, Fla.
2015 global units: 157
Y-O-Y unit change: 6.8%
Country count: 68
Top 3 countries: USA, Spain, India
18. Jollibee
Headquarters: Pasig, Philippines
2015 global units: 1,055
Y-O-Y unit change: 7.3%
Country count: 11
Top 3 countries: Philippines, Vietnam, USA
17. Caribou Coffee
Headquarters: Minneapolis
2015 global units: 627
Y-O-Y unit change: 7.4%
Country count: 10
Top 3 countries: USA, UAE, Kuwait
16. Domino's
Headquarters: Ann Arbor, Mich.
2015 global units: 12,530
Y-O-Y unit change: 7.7%
Country count: 11
Top 3 countries: USA, India, United Kingdom
15. Buffalo Wild Wings
Headquarters: Minneapolis
2015 global units: 1,173
Y-O-Y unit change: 8.4%
Country count: 6
Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, Mexico
14. Pita Pit
Headquarters: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
2015 global units: 705
Y-O-Y unit change: 8.5%
Country count: 11
Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, New Zealand
13. Paris Baguette
Headquarters: Seongnam, South Korea
2015 global units: 3,710
Y-O-Y unit change: 9%
Country count: 7
Top 3 countries: South Korea, China, USA
12. Max's Restaurant
Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
2015 global units: 176
Y-O-Y unit change: 9.3%
Country count: 4
Top 3 countries: Philippines, USA, Canada
11. Starbucks
Headquarters: Seattle
2015 global units: 23,571
Y-O-Y unit change: 9.9%
Country count: 68
Top 3 countries: USA, China, Canada
10. Pancake House
Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
2015 global units: 130
Y-O-Y unit change: 13%
Country count: 3
Top 3 countries: Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei
9. Chipotle Mexican Grill
Headquarters: Denver
2015 global units: 2,010
Y-O-Y unit change: 13.4%
Country count: 5
Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, United Kingdom
8. Krispy Kreme
Headquarters: Winston-Salem, N.C.
2015 global units: 1,121
Y-O-Y unit change: 13.6%
Country count: 26
Top 3 countries: USA, Mexico, South Korea
7. Debonairs Pizza
Headquarters: Midrand, South Africa
2015 global units: 509
Y-O-Y unit change: 14.1%
Country count: 16
Top 3 countries: South Africa, Botswana, Zambia
6. Le Pain Quotidien
Headquarters: New York City
2015 global units: 260
Y-O-Y unit change: 18.2%
Country count: 18
Top 3 countries: USA, Belgium, United Kingdom
5. Wingstop
Headquarters: Dallas
2015 global units: 845
Y-O-Y unit change: 18.7%
Country count: 7
Top 3 countries: USA, Mexico, Indonesia
4. Smashburger
Headquarters: Denver
2015 global units: 352
Y-O-Y unit change: 18.9%
Country count: 6
Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia
3. Menchie's Frozen Yogurt
Headquarters: Encino, Calif.
2015 global units: 520
Y-O-Y unit change: 19%
Country count: 12
Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, India
2. Freshii
Headquarters: Chicago
2015 global units: 171
Y-O-Y unit change: 19.6%
Country count: 15
Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, Colombia
1. Vapiano
Headquarters: Bonn, Germany
2015 global units: 164
Y-O-Y unit change: 25.2%
Country count: 30
Top 3 countries: Germany, Austria, Sweden