From a Texas favorite to a Philippines-based chain restaurant, you won't be able to get away from
these restaurant chains. Keep watching to find out which chain restaurants are coming closer to you!
For all the east coast natives, west coast converts, and Shake Shack lovers in between,
here's some good news: The beloved burger chain has big plans for 2022. More specifically,
Shake Shack is planning its biggest expansion ever this year, as the company's CEO said recently,
according to Restaurant Dive. Up to 50 new restaurant locations are in the works — and,
while the company does maintain a heavy presence in the eastern half of the country,
many of the new locations are in the Midwest as well. This will put Shake Shack at just
over 260 total locations, meaning a lot of Shack Burgers to go around.
And that's not all that Shake Shack has cooking: This year, the chain plans to start opening up
restaurants with drive-thrus for the first time. The first one is open in Minnesota, with nine more
reportedly coming in 2022, according to Restaurant Business. You can actually point to the pandemic
for this, partially. Because of the growing demand for contactless and digital ordering,
which was certainly augmented by the pandemic, Shake Shack is giving its ordering system a
digital makeover and is even redesigning restaurants, as Business Insider noted.
"A single moment can forever change history. This is one of those moments, for fried chicken."
You may not have heard of Philippines-based Jollibee,
but that's probably going to change soon if the chain has anything to say about it.
The primarily chicken-focused fast food brand has actually been in the U.S. for more than 20 years,
operating dozens of locations in the states, everywhere from California to New York.
Now, Jollibee is setting its sights higher, with some pretty aggressive expansion plans.
We're talking upwards of 500 new restaurants in the U.S. and Canada over the next several years,
according to Restaurant Dive. The company's North American president
told Restaurant Business that people have come to know and love Jollibee's take on bone-in chicken,
and the rest of its unique menu, which also includes burgers and pasta, especially during
the pandemic-induced take-out boom. And, as the chain's sale numbers keep climbing,
so does the chance that a Jollibee could soon be opening near you.
Louisiana-based Raising Cane's is holding on tight to its designation
as the country's fastest-growing chicken chain,
according to Investopedia. The company just opened its 600th location — in Corona,
California — kickstarting even more plans to expand in 2022 according to Restaurant
Observer. Raising Cane's says it will open 100 new locations across the country over the next year.
Raising Cane's COO also announced this will add a whopping 15,000 jobs to the company's roster,
according to Fast Casual, along with a lot more opportunities to get your hands on Raising Cane's
signature tenders and sauce. You'd think that shouldn't be too hard for the chain, given that
it was listed as one of the best companies to work for in the U.S. last year, according to Glassdoor.
But this is an aggressive goal in the midst of an ongoing fast food labor shortage, as noted by
Business Insider. And, in an effort to meet its targets, Raising Cane's has even sent hundreds
of corporate employees into its restaurants, not only to work as fry cooks and cashiers,
but to help recruit new hourly workers to keep all these locations up and running.
While today's fast casual lunch options totally run the gamut in terms of cuisine options,
sometimes nothing hits the spot like a classic, stuffed sub sandwich. Luckily,
there's a Jersey Mike's near you when a craving hits. The sandwich chain,
which got its start in New Jersey, of course, has been making subs for more than 50 years,
and you can pretty much get it any way you like. They promise to serve up quote "a sub above,"
and, judging by their growth, they seem to be delivering on that promise.
Jersey Mike's now has more than 2,000 restaurants around the country,
in 49 states to be exact, and it's not stopping there. According to QSR magazine,
Jersey Mike's is driven by massive digital investment and a solid company culture, so the
chain said recently its planning to open roughly 1,000 new locations over the next few years.
This includes more than 300 in 2022 alone, according to Nation's Restaurant News.
If anyone is calling 2022 their year, it's Little Caesars. The pizza chain,
which consistently lags behind Domino's and Pizza Hut in sales, according to Restaurant Business,
has had it rough over the last few years, closing more than 100 locations, according
to QSR magazine. Now, it's Hot-N-Ready to make a comeback, with big goals for growth in 2022,
which includes plans to open more than 200 new locations this year.
And, get ready New Englanders, because the biggest concentration of new locations is coming to your
region, with more than 50 locations planned across Boston and Providence, Rhode Island. The Seattle
and Portland, Oregon, areas are also about to get a lot more Little Caesars love as well,
according to Pizza Marketplace. The chain points to the pandemic and a huge
increase in pizza deliveries for the boost in business that's made this possible,
according to QSR magazine. This is all pretty significant considering
the company didn't even offer delivery until two years ago, as USA Today noted.
What was once a secret only Texans really knew about is finally about to make its mark on the
rest of the country. The burger and chicken and gravy goodness, not to mention those fries,
that is Whataburger, could soon be coming to a city near you. The iconic Texas chain
was totally family-owned until 2019, when the owners sold a majority stake to a financial firm,
specifically so that Whataburger could grow and expand beyond the lone star state,
as Restaurant Business noted. Now, it's ready to make that happen, with new restaurants planned
for Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Colorado, and more according to the Houston Chronicle.
Texas expats from all over can rejoice, though probably no one more so than Patrick Mahomes.
According to Texas Monthly, the Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback loves the chain so much,
he's investing in the development of dozens of those new locations in Kansas and Missouri.
Because what's better than rolling through your favorite drive-thru after practice?
With more than 6,500 restaurants worldwide, not to mention a killer social media game,
Wendy's is pretty predominant in the world of fast food. And,
while it might not seem like this chain has much room to grow, Wendy's would disagree.
The company just opened 150 new locations in 2021, with plans to open another 250 this year.
According to Restaurant Dive, it's all part of a larger goal to reach 8,000 restaurants by 2025.
And that's not the only reason it's about to get a whole lot easier to
get your Wendy's fix without even having to hit the drive-thru: The chain announced its
plans to open several hundred ghost kitchens around the U.S., U.K., and Canada over the
next few years. The kitchens won't have dining rooms or cashiers, but they will have plenty
of Baconators and will basically help fulfill increasing delivery orders, according to CNBC.
Between Domino's, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, Papa John's,
and everything in between, we don't really need any more pizza,
do we? But then again, there's always room for more pizza. Clearly, since one in three
people have turned to pizza as their comfort food of choice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Who is it?”
“The pizza guy.” “Again?"
Enter Seattle-based MOD Pizza, which has only been around since 2008 but has already made a
big name for itself in the world of cheesy pies. The chain known for its artisan-style
pies and massive toppings bar has seen unprecedented growth in recent quarters,
even amidst the pandemic, and it's using the moment to fuel even more expansion.
MOD Pizza has already announced plans for at least 30 new restaurants over the next several years,
according to QSR Magazine. And, it's working on plans to go public, which
would bring a major source of cash and likely even more growth, according to Restaurant Dive.
Del Taco's eclectic menu of burgers, burritos, chicken tenders, and tacos means there's always
something to satisfy your craving. Essentially, Del Taco is for everyone, and, perhaps,
that's why even more people seemingly want access to the growing fast food chain. The company was
just bought by another big name in the game, Jack in the Box, which has double the footprint of Del
Taco and plenty of resources to help grow the brand, according to Nation's Restaurant News.
In reporting on the deal, the Los Angeles Times noted that Jack in the Box, which is almost
solely franchise-owned, may be hoping to see its franchisees add new Del Taco restaurants to their
rosters. This means you may see more Del Taco and Jack in the Box locations near each other in
the future, and you may have a lot more trouble deciding what to grab for your next quick bite.
If the success of Burger King and Popeye's are any indication, then Firehouse Subs is about
to be all over the map. The sandwich chain, which already has a solid presence with 1,200 locations,
was recently acquired by the same parent company as the aforementioned powerful
forcers of fast food, Restaurant Brands International, according to QSR magazine.
And, after spending $1 billion, according to CNBC,
the company has made no secret of its big plans for the brand. Bloomberg reports
that RBI is already planning to open new Firehouse Subs locations, both in the U.S.
and internationally, though no specific numbers were given yet. Plus, in announcing the deal,
RBI CEO noted the quote "tremendous potential to accelerate U.S. and international growth
at Firehouse Subs with RBI's development expertise, global franchisee network and digital
capabilities," which sounds like a pretty good sign for the future of this fast casual chain.
"If you guys are anything like me, you like your sandwiches just like you like your firetrucks."
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