Chicken Salad Chick has taken the No. 1 position in a new national study of emerging restaurant brands, finishing ahead of Cook Out, Just Salad, Nothing Bundt Cakes and KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot.
The Auburn, Alabama-based fast-casual chain earned an Emerging Momentum score of 83.2 in YouGov’s inaugural 2026 U.S. emerging dining brands study. Cook Out placed second with 75.3, leaving a 7.9-point gap between the two leading chains.
The result matters because Chicken Salad Chick is still growing beyond its traditional Southern markets. For diners, the ranking identifies regional chains that could soon reach more cities. For restaurant operators, it shows how a focused menu and recognizable identity can compete with much broader fast-food concepts.
How Chicken Salad Chick secured the top score
The study began with 70 challenger, regional-to-national, international and specialty restaurant brands. YouGov narrowed that group to 34 chains recognized by at least 10% of Americans.
The qualifying brands were evaluated across five measures:
- Net buzz: Positive consumer conversations minus negative conversations.
- Consideration: Whether aware consumers would purchase from the brand if it operated nearby.
- Net recommendation: Recommendations from current and former customers.
- On the rise: Whether consumers believed the brand was gaining momentum.
- Innovation: Whether consumers thought the chain brought new ideas to foodservice.
Chicken Salad Chick performed strongly across the five categories. About 54% of consumers familiar with the chain said it was bringing new ideas to the market and believed it was on the rise.
The five highest Emerging Momentum scores were:
- Chicken Salad Chick — 83.2
- Cook Out — 75.3
- Just Salad — 72.9
- Nothing Bundt Cakes — 67.9
- KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot — 64.8
Golden Chick, Jet’s Pizza, Bb.q Chicken, American Deli and Mission BBQ completed the overall Top 10.
Chicken Salad Chick did not lead every category. Nothing Bundt Cakes and Jet’s Pizza recorded stronger net-buzz results. Cook Out, Golden Chick and Taco Casa were among the leading brands for purchase consideration.
Those differences show that the study is not a ranking based on sales, restaurant count or social-media mentions. A chain can lead an individual category but finish lower when awareness, recommendations, purchase interest, innovation and momentum are combined.
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Expansion is taking the brand beyond the South
Stacy and Kevin Brown founded Chicken Salad Chick in Auburn in 2008. The business developed from Stacy Brown’s homemade chicken salad operation into a fast-casual franchise offering more than a dozen chicken salad varieties.
Customers can choose traditional, spicy, savory and fruit-and-nut recipes served by the scoop or in sandwiches. The menu also includes soups, fresh sides and desserts.
The chain now operates more than 330 restaurants. A caption accompanying the initial report incorrectly referred to “more than 22 units,” but the larger figure reflects the company’s current national footprint.
Chicken Salad Chick opened 42 restaurants across 14 states in 2025 and awarded nearly 100 franchise agreements. Florida added nine locations and Texas added seven, while openings in Maryland and Kansas extended the company into new states.
Franchisees committed to another 52 restaurants during the first quarter of 2026, nearly 50% more than during the comparable development period a year earlier. Seven new franchise groups joined the system.
The company also signed a 25-unit New York agreement, its largest development deal so far. Planned markets include Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and the Upper Hudson Valley. Las Vegas, Phoenix and Philadelphia are among other areas targeted for growth.
Openings in Minnesota and Pennsylvania have taken the operating footprint to approximately 25 states. The expansion resembles the wider push by regional chains to reach new customers, including Freddy’s multi-state restaurant rollout.
Expansion helps explain why consumers increasingly view Chicken Salad Chick as a rising brand. New locations improve awareness, catering reach and delivery coverage, while regional clusters can make advertising and distribution more efficient.
Rapid franchising also brings risks. A made-from-scratch chain must maintain food quality, portions and service as more operators join the system. That challenge is especially important when several restaurant chains are facing criticism over prices and portion value.
The official emerging dining brands study indicates that Chicken Salad Chick’s advantage extends beyond its restaurant count. Consumers who know the company increasingly believe it is distinctive, innovative and positioned for further growth.
Some searches for “chicken salad” have also been driven by a separate Jersey Mike’s social-media giveaway asking users to post that phrase for a chance to win prizes. The promotion is unrelated to Chicken Salad Chick and did not influence the ranking.
Chicken Salad Chick must now turn growing awareness into repeat visits. Its ability to preserve the food, hospitality and value associated with its Southern roots will determine whether the current momentum continues as more restaurants open.
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