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The food and beverage industry continues to be one of the strongest-performing sectors in franchising, generating more than $1 trillion in U.S. restaurant revenue in 2024 and showing no signs of slowing as consumers prioritize convenience, comfort, quality and global flavor experiences. Even amid labor pressures and rising operating costs, food and beverage brands with streamlined operations, off-premise strength and strong community appeal are outperforming expectations.

That’s why this list of top food and beverage brands matters. Prospective franchise owners are looking for the concepts that can weather economic uncertainty, deliver consistent traffic and ticket averages, and offer long-term growth potential. The brands highlighted here reflect the biggest trends shaping the industry going into 2026 — mobile food experiences, bold flavor innovation, daytime dining, beverage-forward concepts and chef-crafted fast casual models designed for efficient labor and high profitability.

If you're evaluating where to invest next year, these are the concepts worth watching.

BBQ Holdings

BBQ Holdings is a multi-brand restaurant platform known for operating several smokehouse and comfort-food chains under one umbrella, such as Famous Daves, Village Inn and Real Urban BBQ. The company focuses on scalable casual-dining concepts supported by strong culinary identity and franchise infrastructure.

Beef 'O' Brady's

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is a family-friendly sports pub offering classic American fare in a comfortable neighborhood setting. Its model centers on community engagement, local sports partnerships and consistent dine-in traffic.

BIGGBY® COFFEE

BIGGBY® COFFEE is a high-energy coffee franchise known for its friendly culture, creative beverage lineup and strong community presence. The brand emphasizes accessible ownership and a supportive franchise system built around people-first values.

Biscuit Belly

Biscuit Belly is a modern Southern breakfast franchise built around chef-crafted biscuit sandwiches and a fun, brunch-forward atmosphere. The concept appeals to operators with its streamlined menu, fast-casual efficiency and all-day demand. 

Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream 

Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream uses liquid nitrogen to freeze custom ice cream creations on the spot, producing a smooth, premium texture. The brand blends science, entertainment and high-margin desserts into a simple, efficient store model.

Dillas Quesadillas

Dillas Quesadillas specializes in gourmet quesadillas stuffed with chef-inspired flavor combinations and house-made sauces. The brand offers a fast, family-friendly experience focused on bold flavors and consistent off-premise performance.

Jollibee (JBM LLC)

Jollibee is a global quick-service phenomenon known for its joyful brand personality and signature menu items like Chickenjoy and Jolly Spaghetti. Its highly loyal customer base and international reach give it strong expansion momentum.

Keke’s Breakfast Cafe

Keke’s Breakfast Cafe offers a polished breakfast and lunch experience built around fresh ingredients and made-to-order dishes. It appeals to both operators and guests with daytime-only hours and a clean, inviting dining atmosphere.

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Layne’s Chicken Fingers* is a Texas-born chicken franchise known for its crinkle fries, signature sauce, and Soon to be Famous™ brand culture. The concept focuses on simple operations, high-volume potential and memorable guest experiences. 

Mellow Mushroom 

Mellow Mushroom is a full-service pizza and craft beer concept built around creative stone-baked pizzas and an eclectic, art-driven atmosphere. Each restaurant takes on a unique design theme, creating a one-of-a-kind dining experience in every market.

Newk's Eatery

Newk’s Eatery is a fast-casual café offering scratch-made sandwiches, salads, soups and artisan pizzas with generous portions and high-quality ingredients. The brand emphasizes open kitchens, chef-led flavors and consistent weekday traffic.

Onigilly Japanese Kitchen

Onigilly serves Japanese onigiri rice-ball meals filled with high-quality proteins, vegetables and seasonings for a healthy, portable dining option. Its menu centers on clean ingredients, customizable combinations and fast-casual convenience.

Papa Murphy’s International, LLC

Papa Murphy’s is the nation’s leading take-and-bake pizza franchise, offering freshly prepared pizzas for customers to bake at home. The model eliminates dine-in, reduces labor needs and leans heavily into value, convenience and family meals.

Paris Baguette*

Paris Baguette is a bakery café franchise known for its fresh pastries, cakes, breads and made-to-order café items in a bright, welcoming setting. The brand operates on a fast-casual bakery platform with strong daytime traffic and premium product appeal.

Peterbrooke Chocolatier

Peterbrooke Chocolatier is a neighborhood chocolate shop concept offering hand-made chocolates, truffles, gelato and novelty treats. Its artisan production, gifting business and community-driven model create steady, year-round demand.

Shuckin' Shack

Shuckin’ Shack is a laid-back oyster and seafood bar built around fresh coastal flavors and a casual, come-as-you-are vibe. The brand blends approachable seafood with a lively social atmosphere that performs well in beach towns and suburban markets.

Slim Chickens

Slim Chickens is a fast-casual chicken brand known for hand-breaded tenders, cooked-to-order meals and its lineup of signature Southern-inspired sides. The brand blends comfort-food appeal with a modern dining experience that attracts both dine-in and off-premise guests.

The Brass Tap

The Brass Tap is a craft beer bar and kitchen offering an extensive rotating tap list, upscale bar food and an energetic neighborhood atmosphere. The concept is built around local beer partnerships, live entertainment and strong community engagement.

Melting Pot 

Melting Pot is a full-service fondue restaurant that creates an interactive dining experience centered on shared pots, multi-course meals and slow-paced social dining. Guests come for celebrations, special occasions and a memorable night out built around connection.

Voodoo Brewing Co. 

Voodoo Brewing Co. offers a craft brewery franchise built on a chef-driven pub menu, award-winning beer and a laid-back, community-focused taproom vibe. The brand combines strong beverage expertise with a streamlined, semi-absentee operational model.

Wild Bill's

Wild Bill’s is a mobile craft soda franchise known for its vintage-inspired beverage trucks, stainless-steel mugs and all-you-can-drink event experiences. The brand thrives at fairs, festivals and community gatherings where nostalgic soda flavors draw large crowds.

Wings and Rings*

Wings and Rings is a polished sports restaurant offering chef-crafted wings, sandwiches and shareables in a brighter, more family-friendly setting than traditional sports bars. The brand focuses on a refined dining experience supported by strong community engagement and sports-centric events.

Bagel Boss (Bagel Boss Franchising)

Bagel Boss is a New York–style bagel café known for kettle-boiled bagels, classic deli sandwiches and a loyal breakfast-and-lunch following. The brand combines authentic bagel-making traditions with a modern, fast-casual neighborhood feel.

bb.q Chicken

Founded in Korea in 1995 and expanding to the U.S. in 2014, bb.q Chicken focuses on delivering high-quality, authentic Korean fried chicken. Its recipes and ingredients follow traditional Korean methods, while the flavor lineup blends classic and modern influences. The brand positions itself as a strong opportunity for both new and experienced franchise owners. 

Caffe Aronne

Caffe Aronne is a European-inspired coffee shop concept known for premium beans, artisanal preparation methods and a warm, intimate café feel. Its mobile carts and cafés emphasize quality-driven beverages and a stylish, boutique atmosphere.

Cannoli Kitchen Pizza (CK Franchising, LLC)

Cannoli Kitchen Pizza delivers a mix of New York-style pizzas, classic Italian dishes and fresh-made cannoli in a casual neighborhood environment. The brand pairs comfort-food appeal with streamlined operations ideal for takeout and delivery.

Church's Chicken

Church’s Chicken is a heritage fried chicken brand offering hand-battered chicken, honey-butter biscuits and Southern-style comfort food at a value price point. Its menu and operations are built for high-volume service and strong takeout demand.

Desert Donuts

Desert Donuts is a customizable donut concept where guests choose their batter, toppings and drizzle, creating a made-to-order dessert experience. The brand emphasizes freshness, speed and a fun, interactive approach to gourmet donuts.

District Taco

District Taco brings Yucatán-inspired Mexican cuisine to a fast-casual setting with freshly prepared proteins, house-made sauces and customizable entrées. The brand prides itself on clean ingredients, approachable flavors and strong all-day traffic.

Egg On A Roll

Egg On A Roll is a breakfast-forward franchise specializing in hearty egg sandwiches, burritos and morning comfort classics. Its simple menu and fast service model cater to commuters, families and consistent daytime traffic.

Fajita Pete's

Fajita Pete’s focuses on fresh fajitas, handcrafted sides and Tex-Mex meals designed primarily for takeout, delivery and catering. The concept is built around a small footprint and strong off-premise sales, making it efficient and scalable.

Freshslice

Freshslice Pizza is a quick-service pizza brand known for its value pricing, lighter crust and fast, slice-driven ordering model. The brand emphasizes convenience, simplicity and consistent walk-in traffic.

Gigglewaters

Gigglewaters is a speakeasy-style restaurant and cinema offering comfort food, premium cocktails and a boutique movie-theater experience. Its blend of entertainment and dining creates a memorable destination ideal for date nights, groups and events.

Graze Craze

Graze Craze specializes in charcuterie-style grazing boards filled with meats, cheeses, fruits and artisanal accompaniments for events, gifting and everyday occasions. The brand’s catering-centered model offers strong margins and minimal equipment needs.

Great Greek Mediterranean Grill

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill serves classic Mediterranean dishes such as gyros, bowls, salads and platters with fresh ingredients and bold flavors. Its fast-casual format offers a healthy, craveable alternative with strong lunch and dinner appeal.

Hoppin' Brands

Hoppin’ is a self-pour craft beer and wine taproom concept built around a lively, social atmosphere and modern pour-your-own technology. The model reduces labor needs while offering guests freedom to try a wide variety of beverages at their own pace.

Island Fin Poké

Island Fin Poké serves Hawaiian-style poké bowls made with fresh fish, house-made sauces and premium toppings in a relaxed, beach-inspired setting. The brand focuses on customization, fresh flavors and fast-casual efficiency.

Pure Green

Pure Green is a wellness café concept offering cold-pressed juices, smoothies, bowls and functional nutrition products. Its menu and branding focus on performance, recovery and high-quality, nutrient-dense ingredients.

SabaRaba’s

SabaRaba’s brings South Asian street-food flavors to a fast-casual setting with wraps, bowls and snacks rooted in bold spices and regional dishes. The brand emphasizes fast service and a customizable menu designed for broad guest appeal.

Teriyaki Madness

Teriyaki Madness is a fast-casual Asian grill concept serving large bowls packed with fresh vegetables, grilled meats and house-made teriyaki sauces. The brand emphasizes bold flavors, customizable meals and a simple operational model built for strong off-premise performance.

Firehouse Subs

Firehouse Subs is a premium sandwich franchise known for hearty steamed subs, high-quality meats and cheeses, and a firefighter-inspired brand story. Its community focus and flavorful menu have helped it attract loyal guests across both lunch and dinner dayparts.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Freddy’s offers a nostalgic, diner-style experience with steakburgers, crispy fries and rich frozen custard served in a retro-inspired setting. The brand blends classic comfort food with efficient operations and strong drive-thru/digital demand.

Jersey Mike's

Jersey Mike’s is a fast-casual sub shop renowned for its “fresh sliced, fresh grilled” approach and signature subs prepared to order. Its strong culture, community engagement and simple, repeatable operations support high-volume traffic and rapid franchise growth.

Scooter’s Coffee

Scooter’s Coffee is a drive-thru coffee franchise known for fast service, quality espresso drinks and a friendly, community-focused brand personality. Its small-footprint kiosk model is built for speed, consistency, and strong morning daypart traffic.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Tropical Smoothie Cafe offers a menu of smoothies, flatbreads, wraps and bowls designed to appeal to guests looking for fresh, flavorful meals on the go. The brand’s upbeat atmosphere, consistent product innovation and strong customer loyalty have fueled its nationwide growth.

Wingstop

Wingstop is a global wing franchise offering cooked-to-order chicken wings, tenders, fries and signature flavors with heavy emphasis on delivery and carryout. The brand’s flavor variety, digital strength and streamlined operations have made it one of the fastest-growing concepts in the chicken category.

As the food and beverage industry heads into a new year, these brands stand out for their ability to meet shifting consumer expectations and deliver strong performance across a range of formats. Whether it’s mobile dessert concepts, fast-growing chicken brands or chef-driven neighborhood favorites, each franchise on this list brings a lot to the table. 

Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.

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Victoria Campisi

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Victoria Campisi

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