The news: Cost-conscious consumers may be dining out less often at many casual and quick service restaurants (QSR), but chicken-focused eateries are still attracting an audience. Dave’s Hot Chicken, Huey Magoo’s, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, and Super Chix—all fast-casual chicken chains—had strong YoY growth in Q1 visits, per Placer.ai data.

Among those four, the rise in Q1 traffic was strongest at Dave’s Hot Chicken (60%) and softest at Huey Magoo’s (11.8%). That growth far outpaced fast-casual restaurants as a whole (0%) and QSRs (-1.2%).

Spreading its wings: The fast-casual chicken restaurant category is growing as consumers seek convenience and value amid economic uncertainty. Chicken prices haven’t increased as much as those of beef or seafood.

New, globally inspired flavors and fresh takes on staples like sandwiches are drawing younger customers to chicken chains, increasing competition for established players like Yum Brands’ KFC. Even as buyers scaled back discretionary purchases, quick-service chicken chains posted the strongest consumer restaurant spending in 2024, per Circana’s Definitive US Restaurant Ranking 2025 Report.

Crowded and competitive: Brands large and small, new and established are feeding the chicken category’s growth.

• KFC launched Saucy, a spinoff brand that serves tenders with various dipping sauces, at the end of 2024.
• Philippines-based Jollibee Foods plans to expand its 76 North American fried chicken eateries by launching its first US franchising program. It aims to add 350 stores in North America.
• Wingstop, which went public 10 years ago, raised its long-term growth target to 10,000 locations worldwide; it currently has more than 2,500 restaurants.

At the same time, major QSR brands long known for their beef dishes are leaning into chicken. McDonald’s recently added McCrispy Strips as a permanent menu fixture, and Taco Bell brought back Crispy Chicken Nuggets last month for a limited run. It plans to add crispy chicken permanently by 2026.

Our take: In a softening restaurant market, chicken chains are leading the pecking order by offering a compelling mix of value, variety, and convenience.

But rising food and labor costs and heated competition could present challenges. To keep outperforming the broader restaurant sector, chicken eateries should keep their focus on creating fresh offerings that give diners a reason to seek them out, even when they are guarding their wallets.

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