Datassential: Chicken is the Fastest-Growing Restaurant Segment

Chicken is the fastest-growing restaurant segment in America right now, according to Datassential research. The category expanded at a 4.4% annual rate in 2025, the highest unit growth rate of any segment tracked. Sales grew 4.2% to $55.24 billion in 2025, according to the research.

“At the top of the segment, the story is about sustained momentum, not new entrants. Chick-fil-A, named America’s Favorite Chain for the second consecutive year in the 2026 Datassential 500 Awards, added 178 net new units in 2025, rising two spots in the overall rankings to 16. … Raising Cane’s, whose focus on a deliberately narrow menu of chicken tenders has made it one of the most-watched expansion stories in the industry, added 85 net new units in 2025, a 10.3% growth rate, crossing the top-50 threshold in the 2026 rankings,” Datassential wrote.

The research firm noted that the chicken boom isn’t coincidental, with protein being the most prominent tailwind. According to Datassential research, 66% of consumers are interested in high-protein foods and beverages. Menu penetration of the word protein has grown 111% over the past four years across chain menus. Chicken is the “most intuitive and accessible expression of protein in chain dining.”

Plus, off-premise strength is worth noting. Chicken travels well and maintains quality in delivery and drive-thru contexts better than many other protein formats, the firm said.

“For suppliers and distributors, [limited-service restaurant] LSR chicken’s continued expansion isn’t just a chain growth story: it’s a purchasing volume story. The fastest-growing brands in this segment are scaling quickly and building supply relationships now. Understanding which formats and flavor profiles are driving their growth is the difference between being a commodity vendor and a category partner. For operators, the data is a reminder that consumer demand for protein, global flavors and off-premise convenience isn’t softening. Brands that align their menus and operations around those three forces have the clearest path forward in the current environment,” Datassential concluded.

Among QSRs, McDonald’s recently introduced McCrispy Chicken, its first permanent new menu item in four years, and brought back its crispy chicken Snack Wrap; Taco Bell revived Crispy Chicken Nuggets for a limited time and expanded its chicken offerings overall; and Culver’s said it improved the fillet on its chicken sandwich, which comes crispy, spicy or grilled. Read more about new chicken innovations in the November 2025 issue of NACS Magazine feature “Pickin’ Chicken.”

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