9 Rising Fried Chicken Chains That Will Take Over In 2026

It's no secret that the last few years have been tough for restaurants, and everyone's feeling the squeeze. A combination of tariffs, higher wages, and other rising costs has left food businesses struggling more than ever, and customers are pulling back on spending to save those all-important pennies. However, restaurants that serve fried chicken seem to be suffering slightly less than others, perhaps due to the food's everlasting appeal and its relatively uncomplicated nature, which can allow eateries to keep spending down. Not only does this mean that heavy hitters who might not normally focus on fried chicken, like Chili's, have been trying to offer more chicken-based menu options, but it also means that it's a great time to be a chicken chain.

Going into 2026, there are a fair few names in the fried chicken world that you'll probably be seeing way more of. Not all of these rising chains are necessarily new: Some of them have been around for a few decades, but are only now hitting their stride. Others have been operating for just a few years, but through a combination of canny business sense and incredible fried chicken, they look set to rival the biggest players out there. Let's take a look at your new favorite fried chicken chain restaurants.

Few fried chicken restaurants — and few restaurants in general — can boast the amount of wild success that Dave's Hot Chicken has had. This restaurant started life in 2017, and within just a few years, it was the fastest-growing chain in the United States, with 700 locations in development by 2022. Cut to the end of 2025, and the business shows no sign of slowing down; if anything, it's expanding more quickly than ever before. Dave's Hot Chicken is hoping that it will rake in a whopping $1.6 billion in sales by the end of 2026, a projected increase of $400 million from 2025. The way that it will do this, of course, is by expanding rapidly, and it's already got some big plans for the coming year.

In 2026, Dave's Hot Chicken is looking to both build upon its footprint in existing states while entering new ones for the first time. New stores in Washington State and Wyoming are planned, with the latter restaurants building on the chain's success in Montana. Dave's Hot Chicken also has its sights on international domination, and it's not moving slowly overseas. It currently has 180 new units planned across Europe, with 57 of them located in the United Kingdom. It feels like the sky's the limit for this chain — not bad for a business that started with just $900 of investment.

Huey Magoo's has been moving very quickly recently. The chain was founded in 2004, and for the last few decades, its growth has been steady, but not especially remarkable. Going into 2026, though, that all looks set to change. The chicken tender chain has 240-odd units in development, more than triple the number of its current locations, which sit at a count of 77. This development number has been reached through some impressive franchising deals, with dozens of stores making their way to states like Arizona, Texas, and Virginia. We predicted that Huey Magoo's chains would be all over the place in 2025, and that looks to be even more true in 2026.

Some of these new stores have already started coming to fruition, and we can expect to see more of them springing up through 2026 and beyond. The chain is smartly building its stores in good proximity to amenities and new apartment buildings, giving it a baked-in customer base from the outset. What's especially impressive about Huey Magoo's rise is that it's not isolated to one part of the country (which is partly why you're probably gonna see it everywhere): The Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest are all key regions for its expansion. Odds are you'll likely have one near you pretty soon.

There's no stopping Bonchon. The chain has capitalized on the U.S.'s taste for Korean fried chicken, and it's moving incredibly quickly to expand its operations throughout the country. Bonchon is aiming to open 30 stores per year domestically, increasing its current number of 150 by 20% throughout 2026 and getting even bigger beyond that. Its ultimate goal is to have 500 stores in the U.S., which doesn't seem unlikely given the quality of its fried chicken. Like Huey Magoo's, Bonchon was everywhere in 2025 and will continue to take over in 2026.

Bonchon is moving towards this goal by harnessing technologies that will help to streamline its operations and simplify its training program, allowing it to onboard new staff efficiently. It's currently working with Opus Training, a key step in its ability to achieve consistency across its franchises. 2026 will also see Bonchon enter Puerto Rico for the first time, with six stores set to open across the territory starting towards the end of the year. Omaha, San Antonio, Chicago, and Kansas City are also set to see Bonchons sprout up everywhere, as the four cities have been designated priority areas by the brand. With global expansion also underway, Bonchon's going to be everywhere going forward.

Big Chicken is making big moves. This chicken chain has only been around since 2018, but in that time, it's amassed dozens of units, helped by the star power of its owner, Shaquille O'Neal. From 2026 onward, though, it looks as though Big Chicken is going to get even larger than ever. In early 2025, the chain became one of Craveworthy Brands' restaurants, and this managing partnership has given it a lot of newfound firepower. An estimated 20 to 30 units are going into construction in 2026, and there's little doubt that many more are on the way.

Big Chicken's expansion efforts are set to occur all over the United States, but certain areas are already seeing some movement going into 2026. The brand has its sights set on capturing a college market, with a unit on the Penn State campus set to open at the start of the year. It's also renewing its focus on Boston, with a new restaurant replacing a former one in early 2026. As the year goes on, though, you can likely expect to see more Big Chicken units springing up — and they might even be near you.

To say that the success of Layne's Chicken Fingers has been a slow burn is a real understatement. The restaurant first started doing business way back in 1994, and for the last few years, the Texas-based chain has been rolling along, slowly but surely increasing its unit size. During 2025, though, Layne's started supercharging its growth. Its first quarter of that year was incredibly busy, with the restaurant opening nine new units and seeing franchise deals fulfilled.

Going into 2026, it looks like all of that activity is going to pay off. In October 2025, the restaurant signed an enormous 44-restaurant franchise deal, alongside several other agreements that will see its footprint increase like never before. These deals were accompanied by the opening of new restaurants from former franchise agreements, bumping its unit size up even further. The combination of newly established brick-and-mortar locations, a massive number of restaurants in development, and a huge third quarter in 2025 means that it's poised to become a very big deal in 2026. Don't be surprised if its chicken fingers start to work their way into your state pretty soon.

If you haven't heard of Starbird Chicken yet, get used to everyone talking about it in 2026. This chicken chain was founded in 2016, and in the decade that it's been in operation, it's amassed around 19 stores. Going forward, though, that number looks set to get even higher. Starbird has been happily signing franchise agreements throughout 2025, and as a result, it's got dozens of locations in development for the coming years, with plenty of them slated to open in 2026.

Among the locations that could see a Starbird Chicken soon are Salt Lake City and Chicago, with both cities set to gain five units each. Colorado will also see Starbirds arriving at its door, and Castle Rock is set to gain one of its restaurants in 2026. The brand has been given a new jolt of energy by fresh CEO Maria Rivera, who has an astonishing amount of experience that she brings to the role, having formerly been the U.S. president of Krispy Kreme and CEO of Smalls Sliders. With an executive like that at its helm, this chain will see nothing but growth.

It can be difficult for fried chicken chains to stand out. However, that's definitely not a problem for Pollo Campero. This Guatemalan fried chicken concept specializes in serving a combination of fried and roasted spicy chicken, with sides like beans, rice, yuca fries, and some of the best fast-food coleslaw, all helping it stand apart from the pack. This distinctive menu is paying off, and going into 2026, the chain looks set to be pretty much everywhere.

The chain's aiming to reach 250 units by 2028, and with an astonishing amount of investment behind it from the Campero family (who are both its owners and its namesake), there's little doubt that it'll start inching towards that goal in the coming year. Pollo Campero has recently seen its footprint increase across states like Louisiana and Minnesota, and it's also got a firmer foothold in New York City. Its growth drive is also paying off with increased customer recognition as a reward: In August 2025, it was given a Readers' Choice Award by USA Today for being one of the best fast-food fried chicken joints across the country. It looks like a chain that currently seems like an underdog could be one of the most prominent around in just a few years.

Trust us when we say that the chances of Slim Chickens being huge in the next few years are anything but slender. This fried chicken concept has had a stellar few years, growing by almost 25% in 2024 and amassing hundreds of locations. It also announced that year that it had an astonishing 1,200 units in development, while its international footprint grew significantly.

This chain is one we've been seeing everywhere for a while, but as we enter 2026, it looks set to dominate the marketplace. The brand has been inking franchise deals left, right, and center to expand in states like Virginia, Maryland, and Texas, with the first of these restaurants due to open in 2026. Its already impressive international presence is going to get even more prominent, too: Throughout the year, the brand wishes to open up to 50 locations in the UK, adding to its roughly 75-strong portfolio across the country. Not bad for a restaurant that's only been around for a little over 20 years, right?

Houston TX Hot Chicken is leaving a path of dust through the fried chicken space, as it tears towards unstoppable expansion. The fried chicken restaurant opened a mere five years ago, but since 2020, it's been making waves across the country, with new units popping up everywhere. In 2024, the chain reached a size of 25 units, and its sales grew by an eye-watering 105%. It set its sights on gaining nine further units throughout 2025, to reach a total of 34; as of November, it had 30 units in operation.

It's probably no surprise that Houston TX Hot Chicken's ambitions for 2026 are big. Throughout the year, the brand hopes to open 15 to 20 further units, increasing its total number considerably. Beyond that, it hopes to open a whopping 50 to 60 restaurants per year. It's doing this with the backing of private equity firm Savory Fund, but what's really driving its growth is its product. The Nashville-style hot chicken on offer at Houston TX Hot Chicken feels like it stands apart from the crowd, and the fieriness of its product makes it a must for spice-heads: One of its seasoning blends hits two million on the Scoville scale, which feels refreshing (if not terrifying) in a world of mild fast food options.