Popeyes U.S. comps -5.2% Q2’26Wingstop domestic SSS -7.5% Q2’26KFC U.S. units 3,523 YE’25Dave’s unit growth +52.3% FY’25Chick-fil-A AUV $9.16MCane’s systemwide $5.48B FY’25Franchisee QSR cap 6.85%Corporate QSR cap 5.85%Category growth +5.3% ’25Wings wholesale $0.98/lb YE’25
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Unit movement

Openings & Closures

Physical unit movement across the industry. The closure database is the more valuable half — closures create distressed property, conversions, landlord problems, franchisee distress and acquisition opportunities.

Closures

PeriodBrandGeographyUnitsDetail
2025-07 to 2026-07KFCUnited States312312 U.S. restaurants permanently closed in twelve months — 7.64% of the American footprint.1
2025KFCUnited States161161 U.S. closures against 15 openings; U.S. count fell from 3,669 to 3,523.2
2026-Q1KFCUnited States4646 additional closures in the first quarter of 2026.2
2026PopeyesFlorida and Georgia33Sailormen rejected leases on roughly 33 locations it could not sell in Chapter 11, forcing permanent closures.3
2025-06-04HootersFL, GA, MI, NC, SC, TN, TX30Roughly 30 restaurants closed on one day during Chapter 11 restructuring.4
2025Church's Texas ChickenUnited States1412 units ceased operations, one franchise agreement terminated and one corporate restaurant closed — against 26 openings.5
2026-H1Jollibee Foods CorporationGlobal (all brands)200More than 200 stores closed group-wide; 2026 opening target cut to 1,000–1,100 from 1,200–1,300.6

Openings

DateBrandLocationDetail
2026-07Zaxby'sUpper East Side, Manhattan, NY1267 First Avenue; 2,800+ SF with 16 dine-in seats and self-order kiosks.7
2026-06-29Zaxby'sBronx, NYFirst Zaxby's restaurant in New York City; 24th state for the brand.8
2026-04Dave's Hot ChickenEight U.S. markets in one dayBrand record: eight restaurants opened on a single day, pushing the system past 400 locations worldwide.9
2026-03Raising Cane'sHollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA1,000th Raising Cane's — two stories, LED screens and a seven-foot golden statue of Cane III.10
2026Golden ChickLittle Elm, TX250th restaurant, following a record 23 openings in 2025.11
2025-12Zaxby'sMagnolia, NJFirst New Jersey location and the brand's Northeast debut.8
2025El Pollo LocoColorado Springs, CO500th El Pollo Loco restaurant; nine openings in 2025.12
2025-05Chicken Salad ChickUnited States300th location; unit count up 13% year over year.13
2025-01BojanglesLas Vegas, NVFirst Las Vegas restaurant with four more planned.14
2026-02Zaxby'sNationalBrand surpassed 1,000 locations.15

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Sources

Every figure on this page is attributed. CSW does not publish estimates as facts — where a number is unavailable it is shown as “—”, and where a figure is derived arithmetically from two published figures it is marked as derived.

  1. [1] TheStreet — Classic fried chicken chain closes over 300 restaurants (2026-07)
  2. [2] TheStreet — KFC closes 207 U.S. restaurants in 15 months, filings confirm (2026)
  3. [3] QSR Magazine — One of Popeyes' Largest Franchisees Sells 97 Restaurants out of Bankruptcy (2026)
  4. [4] Restaurant Dive — Hooters of America closes dozens more restaurants (2025-06)
  5. [5] Franchise Times — Church's Chicken Goes Back to Basics to Drive Double-Digit Sales Growth (2026)
  6. [6] TheStreet — Fast-growing chicken chain closes 207 restaurants, cuts expansion (2026)
  7. [7] Commercial Observer — Chicken Shop Chain Zaxby's to Open First NYC Location (2026-02)
  8. [8] Restaurant Dive — Zaxbys debuts in New York (2026-07)
  9. [9] International Franchise Association — Dave's Hot Chicken Opens Record Eight Restaurants in a Single Day (2026-04)
  10. [10] QSR Magazine — Raising Cane's to Open London Flagship as it Journeys Toward 1,600 Restaurants Globally (2026)
  11. [11] QSR Magazine — Golden Chick Opens 250th Restaurant (2026)
  12. [12] El Pollo Loco Holdings — Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2025 Financial Results (2026-03-12)
  13. [13] Restaurant Dive — Chicken Salad Chick hits 300 restaurants (2025-05)
  14. [14] QSR Magazine — Bojangles Proves Portability as New Markets Fuel Record Growth (2026)
  15. [15] International Franchise Association — Zaxbys Surpasses 1,000 Locations as Brand Transformation Fuels Momentum Into 2026 (2026-02)