We published our initial look at the 2026 Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. By any measure, 2025 was a slow-growth year, though there were plenty of positives, like the growth of the beverage sector, for instance.
And as we always do, we’ve looked under the hood and found a few nuggets from the ranking and the data. Here’s a look:
Top-heavy full-service growth
The full-service sector had a good year in 2025, at least if you compare its performance with 2024. Sales among such chains grew 2.3%, better than the anemic 1.3% growth in 2024.
But almost all of the growth came from just three restaurant chains: Texas Roadhouse, Chili’s and Olive Garden.
Together, those three concepts accounted for $1.7 billion of the $2 billion in sales growth generated by the full-service brands on the Top 500. Remove those three chains, and total industry growth was less than 0.4%. Chili’s alone accounted for nearly half of that sales growth last year.
That is the subject of the chains’ size and their growth relative to a sector that has, on balance, struggled to gain traction in a takeout-and-delivery era. But they also show that well-known, legacy brands with the right combination of strong operations and marketing can do exceptionally well.
Where’s the growth?
Certain sectors and restaurant chains accounted for a huge percentage of chain sector restaurant growth.
The largest 500 restaurant chains added a net of 3,400 locations last year. But 45% of those locations came from just five brands: Wingstop, Cinnabon, Chipotle, 7 Brew and Jersey Mike’s.
Overall, coffee brands, chicken and beverage or snack concepts accounted for 83% of all new openings last year.
It was good to serve chicken and drinks, apparently.
7 Brew’s growth has been insane
Speaking of beverages and growth, 7 Brew may be the single most incredible growth story we’ve ever seen.
The drive-thru beverage chain was founded in 2017. By the end of last year, 7 Brew was the nation’s fourth-largest coffee chain, behind Starbucks, Dunkin’ and Dutch Bros, with $1.3 billion in system sales. It counts among its franchisees Greg Flynn, who in the past had not invested in growth brands.
The company has grown in the triple-digits each of the past three years. Its new locations lure ultra-long lines. The new location in suburban St. Paul had an around-the-block line still by the mid-afternoon. Over the past five years it has grown nearly 7,900%. It is now a Top 60 chain, bigger than Cava, El Pollo Loco and Freddy’s.
Welcome to the new world, where a restaurant chain can get started and in less than a decade become a $1.3 billion brand.
Subway's downfall
The sandwich giant was once the most prolific restaurant chain in the world, with 45,000 global locations and more than 27,000 domestic units.
The fast-food sandwich chain has closed more than 8,300 restaurants over the past 10 years in the U.S.
Only four U.S. restaurant chains even have that many locations, three not including Subway—McDonald’s, Starbucks and Dunkin’. In other words, Subway has closed more locations than Domino’s, Taco Bell and Burger King operate.
Starbucks was on pace to surpass Subway by this year, but for the company’s decision to close shops last year. That’s not a bad thing, because just having more locations doesn’t make a restaurant chain successful.
Quiznos’ hangs onto the Top 500
Speaking of sandwich brands, the longtime struggling chain Quiznos is still on the Top 500, coming in at No. 498.
It remains remarkable seeing just how much the chain has declined. The company finished last year with $61.6 million in system sales. The company’s sales and unit count have shrunk by 97% over the past two decades.
The company’s average-unit volumes are 12% lower than they were in 2005, which probably goes a long way to explaining why the brand keeps shrinking.