5 Popular Chain Restaurants That Are Family-Owned In 2026

It is common for families to start restaurants as businesses and eventually sell part or all of them to large restaurant operators or business management companies as they grow into chains with locations across the country. For instance, Inspire Brands owns and operates Baskin Robbins, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Arby's, and Buffalo Wild Wings. It is rarer for a restaurant chain to remain primarily operated by the family that started it, but it is not impossible.

Several popular chains that have been passed down through the generations of the founding family include Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out Burger, Five Guys, and Panda Express. Then, there are restaurants like Waffle House that are partially owned by their employees. While some of these restaurants have franchise programs, they are not all traditional models. Additionally, all of them remain privately owned and have no financial partnerships with third parties. Let's take a look at each chain — who established it, who in the family does what, and how its franchise program (if any) works.

In 1967, S. Truett Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A in Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta, Georgia, just a few years after he invented the original chicken sandwich that the chain serves today. He was building on the success of the restaurant business — The Dwarf Grill (now The Dwarf House) — that he started with Ben (his brother) in 1946. The year before Truett's death in 2014, his son Dan was appointed as the chain's CEO but currently serves as chair since grandson Andrew took the CEO position. Meanwhile, the founder's son Donald (Bubba) is the executive vice president of Chick-fil-A and president of The Dwarf House, and his daughter Trudy Cathy White is the fast food restaurant's ambassador. Several other second and third generation family members have roles in Chick-fil-A as well.

One thing you probably did not know about Chick-fil-A is that, as the chain grew into the biggest fast food chicken restaurant in the country, it developed a one-of-a-kind franchise model. Rather than franchisees buying the locations they operate, Chick-fil-A maintains ownership after choosing the locations and building the restaurants, reducing the initial franchise fee significantly. There is also a limit on how many stores the franchisees can operate, which helps maintain quality of food and service and which the company credits for its massive success. However, not all of its franchise locations operate under this model. Some are non-traditional, licensed locations (such as those on college campuses and in theme parks) that it plans to transition to its owner-operator model to expand and unify the customer experience. With this move, Chick-fil-A looks in a strong position to remain family-owned for many years to come.

Established in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder, In-N-Out Burger is one of the oldest fast food chains in the United States. It was also the first drive-thru hamburger joint in California, occupying just 100 square feet in Baldwin Park. By the time Harry died in 1976, the restaurant had grown into a chain, added milkshakes to the menu, and started selling T-shirts. It was left to his two sons: Rich as president and Guy as vice president. After Rich died in a plane crash in 1993, Guy stepped into the president role until his death of an accidental prescription overdose in 1999.

That's when 17-year-old Lynsi, Harry's granddaughter and Guy's daughter, started working at In-N-Out as an associate while a team of executives continued to run the everyday operations. Esther was also actively involved until her passing in 2006. In the meantime, Lynsi slowly received shares in the company as part of a complex trust and eventually took on the president role in 2010 at the age of 27, where she has helmed the operations and opened more than 150 locations. She took full ownership of the company in 2017, becoming a billionaire at the age of 35, and has not changed much at the chain during her oversight, except for bringing back hot cocoa. Like her grandfather, father, and uncle avoided franchising, Lynsi has no plans to franchise the restaurants either.

Founded by two neighbors — Tom Forkner and Joe Rogers Sr. — Waffle House's first restaurant opened in Avondale Estates, Georgia, during Labor Day weekend of 1955. That location is no longer a working restaurant (it's the Waffle House Museum now), but the chain has around 2,000 restaurants across 25 states. Interestingly, the founders met when real estate agent Forkner sold a house to Rogers Sr., who always thought of himself as more a cook than an executive. They became partners with a handshake and remained active in the business with Rogers Sr. running the restaurants and Forkner running the real estate side.

While the pair died less than two months apart in 2017 — Rogers Sr. on March 3 at 97 years old and Forkner on April 26 at 98 years old — they had long since sold their ownership of Waffle House in the 1970s. Joe Rogers Jr. had already stepped into a leadership role at the chain in 1973. At the time, the chain was owned by two family groups and only controlled 30% of its locations. With him at the helm, the ownership was consolidated within his family, and he created a plan that provides 3,500 Waffle House employees with a stake in the business. At least 80% of the locations are now owned by the company as well.

While there are some franchise locations, no franchise opportunities are available for the general public. Any franchise expansions are only typically considered for existing or very successful franchisees to maintain consistency across its locations. But, hey, at least the Southern breakfast chain is taking Valentine's Day reservations again in 2026

Jerry and Janie Murrell started Five Guys in 1986 in Arlington, Virginia, after asking his three teenage sons Chad, Jim, and Matt (whom he had with his first wife) whether they wanted to go to college or open a business. When they chose a restaurant and name, it stood for Jerry Murrell, his first three sons, and his fourth son Ben (whom he had with Janie). The Five Guys name became slightly inaccurate after a fifth son — Tyler — came into the world in 1987, so Jerry Murrell switched gears to say that the name stood for the five sons instead. As a family business, Jerry Murrell oversaw the restaurant operations and flipped burgers, his wife managed the finances, and the three oldest sons did everything from cleaning to cooking. The two youngest sons eventually grew into working within the company.

In 2003, Five Guys started offering franchise opportunities and sold more than 300 locations in less than 18 months. It has continued to expand into the United States' biggest fast-casual burger chain with almost 1,500 locations and $2.3 billion in sales as of the 2024 year end. Then, an aggressive international expansion started with the first Canadian location in 2010 and has grown to now operating in 29 countries with $1.1 billion in international sales. The chain hired several high-level executives in 2008 to strengthen the brand and its infrastructure to accommodate its fast growth. Staying true to its roots through it all, the Murrell sons have maintained an active role in the company with their father acting as CEO.

Blending Chinese and American cuisines, the first Panda Express was opened in 1983 by Andrew and Peggy Cherng in Glendale Galleria Mall in California. It was a fast-casual version of the Pasadena restaurant — Panda Inn — that Andrew opened in 1973 with his father master chef Ming-Tsai Cherng. In just 20 years, the restaurant had turned into a chain of more than 100 locations. Then, its first international location was opened in 2011 in Mexico City, Mexico. It has become the biggest Asian restaurant chain in the United States and is Hawaii's favorite fast food chain. Across 12 countries, it now has more than 2,600 locations.

Both Panda Inn and Panda Express are part of parent company Panda Restaurant Group, Inc., which owns and operates all of the restaurant locations, except for select campus locations, such as those at airports, amusement parks, casinos, hospitals, and universities. There's no franchise program in place, and Andrew and Peggy Cherng have maintained their roles as co-founders, co-chairs, and co-CEOs of the parent company. Additionally, their daughter Andrea Cherng has had an active role and is currently the chief brand officer. Her first formal role involved developing and leading the digital business team to create a digital marketing strategy with e-commerce platforms and a social media presence, elevating Panda Express as a premier American Chinese restaurant.