PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
The exceptions to this rule are in drinks and desserts. Of those 37 growth chains, 18 of them serve either coffee, boba tea or smoothies. Another nine serve frozen des- serts or items like doughnuts and cookies. So more than two-thirds of those growth con- cepts are specialized brands targeted at very specific occasions. The beverage revolution has been well-documented on this website. But there are several high-growth chains that focus on beverages. They include 7 Brew, the drive-thru cof- fee chain that has been the fastest growing restaurant brand for two years running. They also include lesser-known brands like Summer Moon Coffee (61% growth), Better Buzz Coffee (53%) and Ellianos Coffee (48%). There’s also brands like Swig (49%) Pure Green (43%) and HTeaO (40%). Among the dessert brands, we have Parlor Doughnuts (86%) and the cookie brands Dirty Dough (63%) and Chip City Cookies (60%). Much of this growth in specialized con- cepts is coming because these brands are franchised, which can supercharge unit de- velopment thanks to the aggressive efforts of eager operators. A lot of franchises specifically target drinks or desserts because the brands are easier for prospective franchisees to operate and are often focused on trendy items, thus the number of boba tea and cookies. These brands can grow quickly. They are also risky, because these types of brands often grow quickly and fade fast as consumers move onto the next big thing. The
concepts are also prone to franchise systems that sell too aggressively without the proper support systems. To wit: Nine of the 17 chains that lost the most sales last year, including once-high-growth chains like Black Rifle Coffee Company and Clean Juice, sold beverages or desserts. So it’s not as if drinks and dessert brands just hang a sign out the door and start printing money. Nevertheless, the numbers show how consumers are shifting more of their spending to- ward these more specialty brands that serve drinks and snacks, and less of it toward full meals. Consumers are looking for value, and a single calorie-filled drink costs less than a burger and fries. And younger consumers are less likely to eat three full meals a day, anyway, which has helped fuel some growth in many of these snack and drink categories. All of which means that consumers are changing, and the fast-food world is changing with it.
JANUARY 2026 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
37
Powered by FlippingBook