Top 10 Quick Service Restaurant Franchises for 2023

The food industry has long dominated the franchise world. With a vast pool of opportunities, this segment of hospitality is one where the entrepreneurial business model shines. And within the restaurant category is what some would argue is the golden nugget of franchising: the QSR industry. 

Quick-service restaurants and large-scale food chains are often the first segments people envision when they think of franchising, and for good reason: QSR brands often top profit rankings and account for about 20% of Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 top-ranked companies. 

1851 Franchise compiled a list of the top QSR brands that are positioned for major success in 2023.

Oath Pizza

• Unit count: 30+
• Investment: $350,000–$505-200
• 1851 Newsroom

Oath Pizza is a fast-growing franchise known for its award-winning avocado oil crust, fresh, organic toppings, and efficient, innovative business model. Oath started in a seaside shop on Nantucket Island and has expanded nationwide under the leadership of former Chipotle executives who have built the brand and business to scale. The Oath franchise opportunity has quickly risen to a top business consideration for its unique advantages: low cost of entry, small 800 - 1,200 sq ft footprint, flexible build-out with no Type I venting or gas requirement, reliable supply chain, innovative digital systems, and a simple operation that requires only one-to-four employees per shift. 

Pollo Campero*

• Unit count: 350+
• Investment: $1,287,250–$2,491,500
• 1851 Newsroom

Family-founded in Guatemala in 1971, Pollo Campero is a fast-service restaurant specializing in uniquely flavorful chicken and a diverse menu offering individual and family meals made with quality ingredients. Using family recipes passed down from generation to generation and a fried chicken recipe that is considered a national treasure of Guatemala, Pollo Campero offers tender, juicy, hand-breaded fried chicken and slow-marinated, citrus-infused grilled chicken that is always fresh and prepared daily. Pollo Campero also offers hand-selected sides inspired by the brand’s roots in Latin America. Since its beginnings as a small, family-owned restaurant, Pollo Campero has grown to more than 350 restaurants around the world. To learn more about Pollo Campero, visit us.campero.com and follow the flavor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

A&W

• Unit count: 500+
• Investment: $276,000–$1,469,554
• 1851 Newsroom

Established in 1919 in Lodi, California, as a roadside stand, A&W Restaurants* now stands as a thriving part of the American experience. With 500-plus locations across the country, including 300 standalone restaurants, the brand remains a one-of-a-kind true original. Even its signature A&W Root Beer served in an iconic frosty mug, is handcrafted at the restaurant. Today, that traditional approach is resonating strongly with consumers looking for authentic brands. For more information, visit https://franchising.awrestaurants.com/.

Little Caesars Pizza

• Unit count: 5,500+
• Investment: $359,700–$1,686,000
• 1851 Newsroom

Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars was founded by Mike and Marian Ilitch in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant. Today, Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the world, with stores in each of the 50 U.S. states and 27 countries and territories. Known for its HOT-N-READY® pizza and famed Crazy Bread®, Little Caesars has been named "Best Value in America" for the past 14 years, made with quality ingredients. An exceptionally high-growth company with more than 60 years of experience in the $132 billion worldwide pizza industry, Little Caesars is continually looking for franchisee candidates to join the team in markets around the world.

Atomic Wings*

• Unit count: 85+
• Investment: $170,400–$377,355
• 1851 Newsroom

Atomic Wings was created in 1989 with a mission to share authentic New York-style Buffalo wings with the world. Now, with dozens of restaurants open in the U.S., Atomic Wings is setting its sights on nationwide growth. In addition to its existing locations in New York and Maryland, Atomic Wings has additional units signed to open in Arizona, Nevada, California, Indiana and Texas. The brand is led by owners and brothers Zak and Ray Omar and offers customers fresh, never frozen, natural and hormone-free chicken wings hand-tossed in 14 proprietary sauces, a classic menu, a welcoming dining experience and a commitment to quality. For more information about Atomic Wings, please visit https://www.atomicwings.com/franchising.

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes* 

• Unit count: 90+
• Investment: $477,918–$989,793
• 1851 Newsroom

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is a fast-casual, better-burger concept committed to providing the best-tasting burger experience possible with mouthwatering made-to-order burgers, hand-cut French fries and real ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, the Texas-based company serves fresh, 100% Certified Angus Beef® brand burgers, all-natural turkey burgers, and Dr. Praeger’s black bean vegan burgers. MOOYAH’s signature potato and multigrain buns are baked in-house daily, and Guests can choose from five real cheeses, bacon, avocado and 19 free sauces and toppings made from garden-fresh veggies. MOOYAH Guests can choose from eight flavors of 100% real ice cream shakes, including vanilla, Hershey’s chocolate, Reese’s, Oreo and more. While many Guests dine in, MOOYAH also offers online ordering, delivery and carry-out for Guests on the go as well as a loyalty app.

Layne’s Chicken Fingers*

• Unit count: 60+
• Investment: $656,000–$1,280,500
• 1851 Newsroom

Founded in 1994 in College Station, the original location became a Texas A&M legend known for its small-town charm, friendly service, iconic chicken fingers and secret sauce. While opening corporate locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the leadership team focused on fine-tuning its operations and starting to franchise.  Now, the company plans to bring Layne’s Soon to be Famous™ Chicken Fingers to the rest of the world with plans to open 100 locations by the next four years.

Topper’s Pizza

• Unit count: 70+
• Investment: $314,075–$530,000
• 1851 Newsroom

Founded in 1991 as an alternative to big-box pizza, Toppers is built on a bold attitude with the product to back it up. Headquartered in Whitewater, Wisconsin, 70+ Toppers locations are on a mission to redefine what customers should expect from QSR pizza. By consistently giving customers what they want, Toppers has forged an untapped space in the pizza industry and is thriving in a digital-first post-pandemic world. World-class technology ranking among the top QSR pizza concepts, consistent menu innovation, a powerfully focused digital media strategy, and Gen Z-centric social media channels drive 75%+ of sales online for the brand. Toppers Pizza* is primed for major growth and is looking for like-minded franchisees to join its system. For more information, visit https://www.toppers.com/franchise.

TaKorean 

• Unit count: 2
• Investment: $215,500–$781,500
• 1851 Newsroom

TaKorean is a quick-service concept inspired by Korean and Latin street food. Its “build your own” bowl and taco concept allows guests to create memorable meals catered to their specific preferences by combining the restaurant’s colorful, wholesome, made-fresh ingredients. The brand was originally founded in 2010 as a mobile vending concept designed to bring a lighter, fresh twist on Korean flavors to the DC food scene. Over a decade later, the brand has transitioned to brick-and-mortar restaurants and is looking to expand as it continues to bring new, exciting flavors and a stellar customer experience to its diners.

FAT Brands

• Unit count: 2,300+ 
• Investment: $349,000–$5,107,000
• 1851 Newsroom

FAT Brands, Inc operates as a leading global franchising company that strategically acquires, markets, and develops fast casual, quick-service, casual dining, and polished casual dining concepts around the world. The Company currently owns 17 restaurant brands: Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery*, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli’s, Twin Peaks, Great American Cookies*, Hot Dog on a Stick, Buffalo’s Cafe & Express, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Pretzelmaker, Elevation Burger, Native Grill & Wings, Yalla Mediterranean and Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses.