7 Dessert Chains That Will Expand In 2026

Many of us have honest intentions to hit the gym and eat healthier in 2026, but some of our favorite dessert chains have a different objective in mind. Amid all the resolutions to get in shape, these companies are broadening their menus and expanding their restaurants to grow their reach and entice customers with decadent sweet treats. From rapidly growing cookie brands to long-standing family-owned ice cream shops, these chains are gearing up to meet consumer demand in 2026 with indulgent comforts and show no signs of slowing down.

Many of these brands spent 2025 testing new menus, streamlining operations, and clearing a path for growth. Now, they are using the new year as an opportunity to reach new markets and reinforce customer loyalty through bold flavors and more accessibility. Whether you have a hankering for a late-night cookie, a premium scoop of ice cream, or a decadent international-style treat, these dessert chains are expanding in 2026 to make it easier than ever for you to indulge.

Since debuting in Utah in 2017, Crumbl has quickly become a household name and remains one of the fastest-growing chains in the U.S. It continues to keep its menu fresh with rotating cookie lineups each week. Now, the company has over 1,000 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada and has ambitions to expand to other countries in the coming years. For instance, after a mix-up in 2024 where an unauthorized Crumbl pop-up started selling cookies in Sydney, Australia, the company posted to Instagram: "Aussies, we heard you loud and clear. The REAL Crumbl is coming soon."

Despite some store closures in 2025, the company remains committed to expanding in 2026. Crumbl co-founder Sawyer Hemsley confirmed on TikTok that these plans involve moving to a new office that will allow for growth in the test kitchen, expand the marketing efforts, and make room for the big ideas the company has for the future. In addition to store expansion, the company is already making menu changes in the new year. The menu will expand to include six fan-favorite flavors that will always be available, including the chocolate chunk cookie the company became famous for, as well as four new flavors that rotate weekly.

Paris Baguette experienced massive expansion in 2025, victoriously opening its 250th store in North America and marking a significant milestone for the French-inspired bakery. It also opened a massive new manufacturing facility in Texas, which is set to be operational by 2027 and will allow for further expansion in the North American market. The chain's goal is to open 1,000 stores in the U.S. by 2030, focusing on key markets such as Massachusetts, Florida, and Michigan.

In addition to high sales and expansion efforts, this rising restaurant chain rang in the new year with an exciting new flavor lineup. The salted caramel pretzel menu includes seven products, including croissants, a cream donut, and a tart, as well as three options for salted caramel pretzel-flavored coffees. And if that weren't enough of a splash into 2026, the store also dropped a brand new Dubai chocolate hot chocolate and brought back the fan-favorite mochi donut to pair. This rapidly growing French-themed bakery is rising in popularity and has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

NaYa Dessert Cafe is a unique dessert chain known for its Thai-inspired sweet treats that are "IG picture worthy", according to one customer on Yelp. The San Francisco company's Asian-inspired menu will be available at a new location in early 2026 in downtown Davis. The new location will mark the third opening for the company and an exciting growth opportunity to reach more customers.

Fans of NaYa Dessert Cafe appreciate the store's use of the four pillars of Thai flavors. One favorite dish is the bingsu, which is a form of creamy-textured shaved ice made with frozen milk. The store is also well-liked for its mango sticky rice, crepes, and cakes, as well as Thai drinks such as Thai tea and other milk teas. The store's name refers to a friendly way to end a sentence in Thai, and the company aims to bring more connection, warmth, and friendliness to its customers through its delicious sweets and store expansion in 2026. Per its website, "Anytime is dessert time."

True to its name, Insomnia Cookies is the place to go when hunger strikes in the late hours of the evening, as many of its locations are open until midnight, and some even as late as 3 a.m. In addition to staying open late into the night, the chain is also expanding to ensure that no sweet tooth goes untreated. The company released a video on Facebook at the end of 2025 with the caption "Milk cheersing to more bakeries in 2026," indicating tons of new openings coming in 2026. Some cities that can expect a new store include Minneapolis, Miami, Seattle, Scottsdale, Portland, Dallas, and more.

The cookie chain took off running in the new year by dropping two unique limited-time flavors: peanut butter jelly is a peanut butter cookie with grape jam filling, and fruity cereal 'n milk, which has fruity cereal pieces baked into it and is filled with a cereal-milk buttercream. Not to mention, the store is running a promotion in January that allows anyone in an area that hits 26 degrees Fahrenheit to get a free cookie. It's safe to say no cookie-lovers will be going hungry this year.

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream is a Madison, Wisconsin-based chain that first opened in 1962 with a commitment to quality and originality. Chuck Sr. and Nancy Deadman tested several flavors, manufacturing techniques, and machines to find the right original ice cream flavors to be sold in their shops. Over the years, the family-owned business has earned several awards for its premium ice creams, including gold medals for flavors like butter pecan, zanzibar chocolate, s'mores to love, and more at the Los Angeles Dairy Competition.

Not to mention, the North American Ice Cream Association has granted the company the title of Grand Master Ice Cream Maker three times. Since its humble beginnings as a candy and ice cream shop, the business has grown to serve 8 locations in and around Madison, and has one new opening coming soon at a shopping center in Hilldale. Andy Lanz, the current owner of the ice cream shop, stated in an interview with the local news station WMTV, "As a locally owned business for over 60 years, connecting with the vibrant Madison community has always been our priority, and Hilldale, with its unique mix of local favorites and great atmosphere, is the perfect new home for us."

Mango Mango Dessert is a shop that specializes in bold, fruity, flavorful desserts starring its namesake: mangoes. The menu boasts everything from Hong Kong-style classics like mango juice sago and ice cream to rich cakes and crepes, sundaes, and plenty of milk and fruit teas to choose from. It opened its first store in Chinatown in NYC in 2013 and has expanded to several locations across the U.S. since then.

In 2025, the chain developed collaborations with major brands like Tajin and Redbull, opened several new locations, and its plans to expand in 2026 are already underway. The shop is making something of a triumphant return with its expansion to Rockville, Maryland. It previously opened a store in the area in 2019 but was forced to shutter its doors in 2021, due to the pressures from the pandemic. Now, it will relaunch its fruity, rich desserts in Rockville once again in an effort to spread the "celebration of life" through its fruity and sweet drinks and desserts.

The Cheesecake Factory, known for its iconic 20-page menu, has plans to expand its reach to customers through new locations and through its new app, which will launch in the first half of 2026. In 2025, the company (which owns the Cheesecake Factory, North Italia, Flower Child, and Fox Restaurant Concepts) opened several new locations and shows no signs of stopping, with goals to open four new Cheesecake Factory locations in the current fiscal year.

The company launched the rewards program in 2023 and will now capitalize on it with the introduction of its app in 2026. President David Gordon explained that it took the company a little longer than the competition to enter the app game because they really wanted to find a way to make it valuable to the consumer. He told Nation's Restaurant News, "We really wanted to make sure this made sense for someone to take up that real estate on their phone, when your average guest is coming four to six times a year." Pro tip: You might want to check out these helpful Cheesecake Factory dining rules before you go.