Growth on the horizon
Everyone wants to find the next big thing in restaurants. That’s the very reason we launched this list back in 2017, in fact; the industry stands to benefit by knowing who’s carrying the torch with innovation. But while the past decade provided a fairly consistent stream of intriguing food ideas and concepts, 2020 completely shuffled the deck, decimating some of those concepts while supercharging others.
With the end of the pandemic possibly in sight, here’s a look at the 40 fast-casual concepts with fewer than 40 locations that survived COVID-19 and— barring any future crises—are primed for success in our new normal.
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken
HQ: Durham, NC
Units: 16
What originally launched as a biscuit-and-doughnut joint has since evolved to primarily focus on the former of those two. Founder Tom Ferguson has spent the last few years tinkering with the model, scaling back doughnut innovation while expanding the menu to include more biscuit sandwiches and biscuits and gravy. There’s also the Righteous Chicken, which is tenderized, brined in buttermilk, fried, and served on a biscuit, bun, or as strips with a choice of toppings and sauces.
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