Chick-fil-A and Chipotle were the tip of the spear in augmenting new restaurant locations last year among top brands, per a new report from food service research firm Technomic.
Chick-fil-a grew its footprint by 4.9% in 2024 to a total of 3,109 restaurants, while Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) expanded 8.1% in the same period to a total of 3,644 locations, according to the firm’s “Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.”
It was the fourth year in a row of U.S. restaurants expanding their number of overall locations. “Location development buoyed Top 500 performance,” the company said. “The Top 500 footprint expanded by 1.6% in 2024 to a total of over 236,000 restaurants, marking the fourth consecutive year of robust location development for chain restaurants.”
Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said in a February earnings call that part of the company’s success rested on “tremendous progress” in expanding its footprint in Europe. The company, though, reported a “slowdown” in consumer spending during the first quarter of 2025, citing customers foregoing restaurant visits to save money along with adverse weather.
Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A had its sales slow in 2024, per Nation’s Restaurant News. The fast-food chain is charting a $1 billion international expansion overseas starting with five new locations in the U.K. and one in Singapore this year.
Chick-fil-A is also automating as part of a bigger strategy to reduce labor costs and improve company efficiency. It’s tapping into other revenue streams as well, like selling lemon oil to the beauty and fragrance industries.
The increased competition among chicken-based restaurants is prompting more jockeying to increase market share, especially as consumers get pickier about where and how they spend their cash.
Raising Cane’s was another chicken-based fast-food establishment that grew enormously last year. In 2024, it expanded by 13.9% and reached 828 destinations, according to the Technomic report.
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