Fast casual chicken chains take flight

The last time I heard a chicken speak, he said that the sky was falling. That was in 2005. Today, Chicken Little is speaking to consumers in a different way, through fast casual chicken chains. There’s no denying that chicken chains like Raising Cane’s, Wingstop, and Dave’s Hot Chicken have become popular dining out options over the past few years.

Placer.ai data shows a significant post-pandemic rise in foot traffic for Raising Cane’s, Wingstop, and Dave’s Hot Chicken, which shows no sign of slowing down. Raising Cane’s, one of the hottest chicken chains, saw its foot traffic reach 490.3 million visits in 2024 compared to 189.5 million in 2019.

Wingstop’s foot traffic doubled from 75.2 million in 2019 to over 152 million in 2024. Despite ending 2024 with 2,204 U.S. locations, its foot traffic represents only 31% of Raising Cane’s, which has over 800 U.S. locations (according to ScrapeHero).

Dave’s Hot Chicken, which started as a parking lot pop-up in Los Angeles’ East Hollywood neighborhood in 2017, grew to nearly 300 locations by 2024 year-end (Scrape Hero). Its foot traffic skyrocketed from roughly 400,000 visits in 2019 to over 49 million in 2024.

These popular fast casual chicken chains are rapidly expanding to capitalize on growing demand for F&B. In 2024, Wingstop opened 349 locations (78% in the U.S.), compared to Raising Cane’s record-high of 118 openings and Dave’s Hot Chicken’s 80 openings.

A common characteristic among these fast casual chicken chains is their focus on attracting younger consumers through celebrity partnerships and sports collaborations, investing in brand awareness.

For example, Wingstop became the official chicken partner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in In October 2024 through a multiyear deal, while celebrities such as as rap-artist Rick Ross frequently promotes his love for the brand and its lemon pepper wings.

Raising Cane’s has partnered with celebrities as well, including rap icon Snoop Dogg (beginning in 2020) and musician Post Malone, who even designed a location in Midvale, Utah (opened April 2023).

Prior to private equity firm Roark Capital’s reported acquisition of Dave’s Hot Chicken for $1 billion in early June 2025, notable investors included high profile celebrities such as musician Drake and prolific actor Samuel L. Jackson. Like Wingstop, Dave’s Hot Chicken partnered with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in March 2025.

According to JLL’s Q1 2025 Retail Market Dynamics, value and F&B are driving new openings. Wingstop saw 126 new openings in Q1 2025 (77% in the U.S.), bringing its U.S. restaurant count to 2,301.

This is just the beginning for Wingstop as they follow through on their ambitious long-term growth plans of reaching over 10,000 locations worldwide, with the U.S. accounting for at least 60%, tripling its domestic presence in the process.

Despite economic uncertainty, fast casual chicken chains are thriving. Brand awareness investments, combined with the lower cost of chicken compared to beef, will continue to fuel consumer demand and support new openings.