Which chain restaurant is secretly powered by Oprah? And what old favorites are prepping
for their biggest years yet? From pizza to poke bowls, these are the restaurants to watch in 2023.
Marco's Pizza was founded in Toledo, Ohio in 1978. Over the past few decades,
it has expanded into a company with over 1,100 locations across more than 33 states.
Most of those Marco's Pizza locations are in the Eastern and Southern U.S.,
with Texas, Florida, and Georgia at the head of the pack with the highest number of pizza shops.
And soon there may be even more places to get the company's signature Pepperoni Magnifico,
because Marco's Pizza is expanding fast. The company reportedly plans
to grow to 1,500 stores in 2023, with 200 stores already in development. At least
20 new locations are expected to pop up in Colorado alone. The brand is also looking
at specific cities — including Dallas, Austin, and Miami — for places to expand its business.
Restaurateur Danny Meyer doesn't seem like the type of guy to open a hot dog stand,
but that's just what he did with a name you've certainly heard before:
Shake Shack. In 2001, Meyer opened a temporary food cart in Manhattan's Madison Square Park.
Fast forward to today, and Shake Shack now operates over 360 brick-and-mortar
restaurants across the U.S., mostly in New York, California, and Texas.
Many more people are about to experience the beauty of the Shake Shack "shackburger."
That's because Shake Shack plans to open 20 to 25 additional drive-thru
locations to boost business for a chain that was, for a long time, walk-in only.
"People braved the cold to celebrate the grand opening
of Maple Grove's newest restaurant, Shake Shack."
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is an American chain that was founded in 2002
in Wichita, Kansas. Founders Bill and Randy Simon,
sons of World War II veteran "Freddy" Simon, named the chain after their father.
Over the years, Freddy's has become known for its thin yet crispy "steakburgers" as
well as its shoestring French fries, hot dogs, custards, and more. As of 2022,
Freddy's operated 445 locations and is looking to open at least 12 more locations in Nebraska,
Montana, Iowa, and Texas, among other states. And that's just the start of expansion:
by the end of 2023, there could be more than 500 Freddy's locations across the U.S.
First Watch is one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the country. The
initial location opened back in 1983, in Pacific Grove,
California. First Watch has built its popularity off delicious breakfast and
lunch menus made all the more important because the chain doesn't serve dinner.
As of fall 2022, there were over 445 locations of First Watch,
but not for long. According to FSR, the chain plans to open between 38 and 48
new locations in 2023. And they have their sights set on even bigger things to come:
eventually, the brand aspires to have more than 2,200 locations nationwide.
The Habit Burger Grill got its start in 1969 when the first location opened in Goleta,
California. The second, in Santa Barbara, wouldn't appear until 1996,
but it would come to be associated with The Habit's beach-inspired brand identity. Over
the years, the brand has grown in size due in part to the popularity of its freshly
grilled "charburgers" and interesting sides such as tempura green beans.
In 2020, The Habit was purchased by Yum! Brands, the parent company of fast food
giants like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. With Yum! Brands now behind it,
The Habit is starting on a journey to expand from 330 locations to 2,000. With
an expansion like that in the cards, this is one habit they don't want you to break.
True Food Kitchen has made headlines for its celebrity investors. Back in 2018,
Oprah Winfrey donated a huge chunk of money to the company. The amount was undisclosed,
but Oprah's contribution was reportedly enough to double the company's growth.
"Oprah is making a significant equity investment in True Food Kitchen,
this is a private chain of 23 health driven restaurants in the U.S."
And in 2022, Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas were on the
investment team of a company that dropped $100 million in True Food Kitchen. It was
the largest investment that the chain received thus far.
This health-conscious chain's founder is somewhat of a celebrity himself. True Food Kitchen
was founded by Dr. Andrew Weil, a proponent of alternative medicines. As part of his research,
Weil designed an "anti-inflammatory food pyramid" that still shapes the
chain's menu today. As a result, at this eatery, there are many vegan, vegetarian,
and gluten-free options in an extensive menu of salads and bowls. Today, there are more than 40
locations of True Food Kitchen, but with all those investments, expect to see more soon.
This customizable pizza chain was founded in 2011 by Rick Wetzel and his wife Elise. If you
have a hunch about that last name, you're correct: Rick is indeed a co-founder of
Wetzel's Pretzels. Blaze Pizza is a little more formal than that famous mall fixture,
but still fast: it's a place where you can receive a pizza with all your preferred
toppings in around 180 seconds. There are even options for keto and vegan diners.
As of 2022, there were more than 300 Blaze Pizza locations as of 2022, spread across more than 30
different states. Blaze Pizza opened 14 restaurants in 2021 and has continued to
move forward since then. If you live in the Southern or the Northeastern United States,
there will probably be more Blaze Pizzas in your area soon. In March 2022, it was reported that new
locations were coming to Tennessee, while the chain also said that it would also be opening
locations in Georgia and Maine. That's enough to even get Lebron James excited.
"Enjoy your pie, man,"
Tropical Smoothie Cafe was founded in 1997. Its health-focused menu features an extensive
selection of green juices and fruit smoothies. Customers also can add spoonfuls of supplements
such as collagen, pea protein, vitamin B12, and more to their beverages. Along with all
the seemingly endless options for healthy drinks, Tropical Smoothie Cafe has an extensive food menu
that includes sandwiches, wraps, salads, and sides to pair with produce-filled beverages.
This menu must be working for some people, given that Tropical Smoothie Cafe took off
in 2022. In April, the chain reported that it was starting the year with its highest number
of cafe openings thus far, opening 42 new cafes and signing 56 new franchise agreements during the
year's first quarter alone. By October, Tropical Smoothie Cafe had opened 119 new restaurants.
With all of this growth, you're going to see more of these healthy smoothie spots around.
Teriyaki Madness opened its first location in Seattle in 2003. By the start of 2022,
it had over 100 franchise shops in operation. The
brand then announced plans to expand in Canada with an additional five new
locations as they look to expand on the two international locations they previously had.
And with the speed at which this chain is moving,
we expect it won't take long to get those new franchises up and running: in August 2022,
Teriyaki Madness claimed it was adding new locations on an almost weekly basis.
If a Teriyaki Madness location shows up nearby, anticipate expanded Japanese-inspired food
options for the neighborhood. The chain's menu consists of flavorful teriyaki bowls
with various chicken options for protein, as well as steak, salmon, and spicy tofu.
Customers can also add on sides such as crab rangoon, edamame, egg rolls, and potstickers.
Many people are already familiar with Jersey Mike's. The sandwich chain has
been serving authentic, Northeastern-style sub sandwiches since 1956, with a selection
that's fast and popular for anyone who's got to cater to a large group. It's got a classic
meat-and-cheese selection of cold subs, but Jersey Mike's also offers hot sandwiches
such as the ever-popular cheesesteak. As in so many other fast-casual sandwich shops,
these meals are usually accompanied by a drink and a bag of chips.
As of fall 2022, Jersey Mike's had around 2,200 restaurants in operation. Entrepreneur
reports that the chain believes it can one day open as many as
10,000 locations and so had the goal of opening 500 new stores by the end of 2022. Since it opened
as many as 200 new stores during 2020 — one of the worst years for the restaurant industry ever,
thanks to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic — the brand has established
its ability to succeed in less trying times. Nothing seems to be slowing Jersey Mike's down.
With its unique policy of being closed on Sundays, Chick-fil-A always seems to
be playing hard to get. Yet it remains a contender in the fast-food chicken
sandwich wars and has many loyal fans. Besides its signature chicken sandwich,
this popular chain's menu also features chicken nuggets, breakfast biscuit sandwiches, salads,
shakes, and waffle fries. That's not to mention the exceptional friendliness of its employees,
long considered another iconic trait of this chain.
With all of that in mind, Chick-fil-A seems poised to continue the growth it began in 1946 when the
company opened its first location. In October 2022 alone, the chain was poised to open five
locations in Texas, Hawaii, California, and New York. On top of that, Chick-fil-A has opened a
new restaurant in New Jersey and plans to open another location in Brooklyn in 2023.
Raising Cane's may have a pretty limited menu for a fast food spot, with a lineup that consists of
chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, Texas toast, and drinks. But don't use that as
an excuse to dismiss this chicken-focused chain. While small, Raising Cane's is thriving thanks to
its flavorful chicken and devoted fanbase. Since 1996, when the chain opened its first storefront,
Raising Cane's has continued to grow, and they seem poised for more growth in 2023.
According to QSR, the chain planned to open 100 additional stores in 2022. That's in
addition to the 69 locations it had already opened in 2021. Given that sort of progress,
it's easy to see how the chain's lofty goal might be achieved. To help run those stores,
the company said it would hire 15,000 new Raising Cane's employees.
Popeyes faces its share of critiques, such as complaints about dry biscuits
levied against the chain by angry Redditors. But, looking at the numbers,
it's clear that biscuit woes aren't going to be taking down this chain
anytime soon. According to Chain Store Age, there are over 3,700 locations of
Popeyes out there and reports indicate the chain plans to expand even further in 2023.
According to RestaurantDive, Popeyes wants to add another 200 locations by 2023,
with spots in both the U.S. and Canada. In August, 2022, the chain also signed a deal
indicating yet more expansion in China. Popeyes' global expansion may seem like
a new thing — the first London location launched in 2021 — but it already has a
presence in nearly 30 countries. As it continues its international growth, Popeyes locations are
going to seem more common – assuming they can keep their popular chicken in stock. .
Since the first Wingstop opened in 1994, it's developed a growing fan base for its chicken
wings. The chain focuses on doing one thing, and doing it well, encouraging patrons to rustle
up some excitement by personalizing wings with different flavors. And it must be popular during
times other than during football season because Wingstop's number of locations is growing rapidly.
In February 2022, Forbes reported that Wingstop was flourishing, despite rising
chicken prices that threatened its livelihood. In 2021, the chain opened 193 new outlets,
bringing their total to more than 1,700 restaurants by the beginning of 2022.
It's planning to continue that growth, too. In March 2022, Wingstop announced plans to open
four ghost kitchens in Madrid, and they also opened two new restaurants in Connecticut,
one in Manhattan, and one in Canada in 2022. By 2023, Wingstop might be inescapable.
In April 2022, restaurant chain Pokeworks announced that it would
be bringing 50 new locations to the Great White North. To be clear,
these Canadian restaurants don't have a 2023 deadline, as Pokeworks said that it would open
them over the next decade. It's not bringing poke to Canada alone, however. In August 2022,
FastCasual reported that the company had signed a deal to open 10 American
restaurants over the next three years, focusing on markets in California, Texas, and New York.
With the increased possibility to encounter a Pokeworks location in 2023, it's time to get
acquainted with both the concept of poke and how it's served up at this chain. The focus of the
Pokeworks menu is, of course, a plethora of poke bowls filled with fresh fish, rice, and a bevy of
additional toppings. To round out a meal, sides include edamame, seaweed salad, and miso soup.