Yelp, a leading provider of crowd-sourced local business reviews and social networking, has released its inaugural list of the 50 fastest-growing brands of the past year. The firm ranked businesses based on such data as net new location openings, consumer interest, and searches. (The full methodology can be found here.)
Yelp identifies many of the restaurant and retail brands on its list as challenger brands. That is, they are not market leaders but aim to compete by disrupting their industries. These include Cava Grill, Scooter’s Coffee, and Wawa, which all did exceptionally well last year. (See 29 iconic brands that completely collapsed and we forgot.)
In addition, Yelp ranked the fastest-growing brands by region and state. Denizens of both the Northeast and the South were all in for Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. In the Midwest, Scooter’s Coffee topped the list. The same drive-through coffee chain was popular in the West, though it was bested by apparel brand Levi Strauss.
Here is a breakdown of Yelp’s findings state by state. Note that each state’s population data comes from the 2020 national census, and the growth is compared with the 2010 census.
Alabama
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Cava (a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Olive Garden, Scooter’s Coffee, Ace Hardware
- State Population (growth): 5.11 million (+5.12%)
Alaska
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Ace Hardware (a chain of independently owned hardware stores)
- Runners Up: Cinnabon, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Nordstrom
- State Population (growth): 0.73 million (+3.26%)
Arizona
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Habit Burger Grill (a California-based fast-casual restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: HomeGoods, Costco Wholesale, Jack in the Box
- State Population (growth): 7.43 million (+11.88%)
Arkansas
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Scooter’s Coffee (an Omaha-based drive-through coffee chain)
- Runners Up: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Olive Garden, Insomnia Cookies
- State Population (growth): 3.07 million (+3.28%)
California
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Cava (a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: LongHorn Steakhouse, Habit Burger Grill, Jack in the Box
- State Population (growth): 38.97 million (+6.13%)
Colorado
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Cava (a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Panera Bread, Insomnia Cookies, Cinnabon
- State Population (growth): 5.88 million (+14.8%)
Connecticut
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Ace Hardware (a chain of independently owned hardware stores)
- Runners Up: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Panera Bread, Krispy Krunchy Chicken
- State Population (growth): 3.62 million (+0.89%)
Delaware
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Costco Wholesale (a membership-only big-box warehouse club retailer)
- Runners Up: HomeGoods, Ace Hardware, First Watch
- State Population (growth): 1.03 million (+10.25%)
District of Columbia
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Ace Hardware (a chain of independently owned hardware stores)
- Runners Up: Insomnia Cookies, Kung Fu Tea, Nordstrom
- State Population (growth): 0.68 million (+14.60%)
Florida
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers (a Baton Rouge-based fast-food chain)
- Runners Up: Scooter’s Coffee, Cava, Wawa
- State Population (growth): 22.61 million (+14.56%)
Georgia
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Cava (a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Jersey Mike’s Subs, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
- State Population (growth): 11.03 million (+10.57%)
Hawaii
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Jack in the Box (a San Diego-based fast-food chain)
- Runners Up: L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Ace Hardware
- State Population (growth): 1.44 million (+6.98%)
Idaho
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Olive Garden (an Italian-American restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Jack in the Box, Ace Hardware, Crumbl Cookies
- State Population (growth): 1.96 million (+17.32%)
Illinois
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Kung Fu Tea (a chain of franchised bubble tea outlets)
- Runners Up: Scooter’s Coffee, Olive Garden, Culver’s
- State Population (growth): 12.55 million (−0.14%)
Indiana
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Rally House (a Kansas-based sports apparel retailer)
- Runners Up: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Culver’s
- State Population (growth): 6.86 million (+4.65%)
Iowa
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Rally House (a Kansas-based sports apparel retailer)
- Runners Up: Scooter’s Coffee, Ace Hardware, Olive Garden
- State Population (growth): 3.21 million (+4.73%)
Kansas
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Nordstrom (an upscale department store chain)
- Runners Up: Marco’s Pizza, Red Wing Shoes, Rally House
- State Population (growth): 2.94 million (+2.97%)
Kentucky
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Scooter’s Coffee (an Omaha-based drive-through coffee chain)
- Runners Up: LongHorn Steakhouse, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Rally House
- State Population (growth): 4.53 million (+3.84%)
Louisiana
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Red Wing Shoes (a Minnesota-based footwear brand)
- Runners Up: Insomnia Cookies, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Ace Hardware
- State Population (growth): 4.57 million (+2.74%)
Maine
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Olive Garden (an Italian-American restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Nordstrom, Ace Hardware, Charleys Philly Steaks
- State Population (growth): 1.40 million (+2.56%)
Maryland
- Fastest-Growing Brand: First Watch (a Florida-based restaurant specializing in breakfast)
- Runners Up: Kung Fu Tea, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Rack Room Shoes
- State Population (growth): 6.18 million (+6.99%)
Massachusetts
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Panera Bread (a St. Louis-based bakery and cafe chain)
- Runners Up: Ashley, Cava, Insomnia Cookies
- State Population (growth): 7.00 million (+7.37%)
Michigan
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Scooter’s Coffee (an Omaha-based drive-through coffee chain)
- Runners Up: Caribou Coffee, LongHorn Steakhouse, Ace Hardware
- State Population (growth): 10.04 million (+1.96%)
Minnesota
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Scooter’s Coffee (an Omaha-based drive-through coffee chain)
- Runners Up: Culver’s, Costco Wholesale, Caribou Coffee
- State Population (growth): 5.74 million (+7.59%)
Mississippi
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Marble Slab Creamery (an Atlanta-based chain of ice cream shops)
- Runners Up: Jack’s, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Krispy Krunchy Chicken
- State Population (growth): 2.94 million (−0.20%)
Missouri
- Fastest-Growing Brand: LongHorn Steakhouse (an Orlando-based restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Scooter’s Coffee, Panera Bread, Once Upon a Child
- State Population (growth): 6.20 million (+2.77%)
Montana
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Ace Hardware (a chain of independently owned hardware stores)
- Runners Up: Costco Wholesale, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, Nothing Bundt Cakes
- State Population (growth): 1.13 million (+9.58%)
Nebraska
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Rally House (a Kansas-based sports apparel retailer)
- Runners Up: Scooter’s Coffee, Ace Hardware, Culver’s
- State Population (growth): 1.98 million (+7.40%)
Nevada
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Ace Hardware (a chain of independently owned hardware stores)
- Runners Up: Jersey Mike’s Subs, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
- State Population (growth): 3.19 million (+14.96%)
New Hampshire
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (a Miami-based chain of fried chicken restaurants)
- Runners Up: REI, HomeGoods, Ashely
- State Population (growth): 1.40 million (+4.66%)
New Jersey
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers (a Wichita-based chain)
- Runners Up: Cava, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Wawa
- State Population (growth): 9.29 million (+5.65%)
New Mexico
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Dutch Bros (an Oregon-based drive-through coffee chain)
- Runners Up: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Scooter’s Coffee, Ace Hardware
- State Population (growth): 2.11 million (+2.83%)
New York
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Playa Bowls (a chain offering fruit-based and other treats)
- Runners Up: Jersey Mike’s Subs, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Cava
- State Population (growth): 19.57 million (+4.25%)
North Carolina
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers (a Wichita-based chain)
- Runners Up: Ashley, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Cava
- State Population (growth): 10.84 million (+9.48%)
North Dakota
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Costco Wholesale (a membership-only big-box warehouse club retailer)
- Runners Up: Ace Hardware, Crumbl Cookies, Culver’s
- State Population (growth): 0.78 million (+15.83%)
Ohio
- Fastest-Growing Brand: First Watch (a Florida-based restaurant specializing in breakfast)
- Runners Up: Caribou Coffee, Levi Strauss, Rally House
- State Population (growth): 11.79 million (+2.28%)
Oklahoma
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Mod Pizza (a Seattle-based fast-casual pizza restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Rally House, Scooter’s Coffee, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
- State Population (growth): 4.05 million (+5.54%)
Oregon
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Kung Fu Tea (a chain of franchised bubble tea outlets)
- Runners Up: Nordstrom, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Krispy Krunchy Chicken
- State Population (growth): 4.23 million (+10.60%)
Pennsylvania
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Cava (a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Rally House, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
- State Population (growth): 12.96 million (+2.36%)
Rhode Island
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Ace Hardware (a chain of independently owned hardware stores)
- Runners Up: Ethan Allen, Insomnia Cookies, Panera Bread
- State Population (growth): 1.10 million (+4.26%)
South Carolina
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Habit Burger Grill (a California-based fast-casual restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Kung Fu Tea, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Cava
- State Population (growth): 5.37 million (+10.66%)
South Dakota
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers (a Wichita-based chain)
- Runners Up: Caribou Coffee, Scooter’s Coffee, Ace Hardware
- State Population (growth): 0.92 million (+8.90%)
Tennessee
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Kung Fu Tea (a chain of franchised bubble tea outlets)
- Runners Up: Scooter’s Coffee, Ace Hardware, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers
- State Population (growth): 7.13 million (+8.90%)
Texas
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Scooter’s Coffee (an Omaha-based drive-through coffee chain)
- Runners Up: Bojangles, Jack in the Box, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
- State Population (growth): 30.50 million (+15.91%)
Utah
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Jack in the Box (a San Diego-based fast-food chain)
- Runners Up: Scooter’s Coffee, Habit Burger Grill, LongHorn Steakhouse
- State Population (growth): 3.42 million (+18.37%)
Vermont
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Ace Hardware (a chain of independently owned hardware stores)
- Runners Up: Olive Garden, Panera Bread, REI
- State Population (growth): 0.65 million (+2.77%)
Virginia
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Crumbl Cookies (a Utah-based chain of franchise bakeries)
- Runners Up: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Ashley, Wawa
- State Population (growth): 8.72 million (+7.88%)
Washington
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Nordstrom (an upscale department store chain)
- Runners Up: Mod Pizza, Ace Hardware, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
- State Population (growth): 7.81 million (+14.58%)
West Virginia
- Fastest-Growing Brand: LongHorn Steakhouse (an Orlando-based restaurant chain)
- Runners Up: Ace Hardware, Charleys Philly Steaks, Marco’s Pizza
- State Population (growth): 1.77 million (−3.20%)
Wisconsin
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Scooter’s Coffee (an Omaha-based drive-through coffee chain)
- Runners Up: Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Olive Garden, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
- State Population (growth): 5.91 million (+3.64%)
Wyoming
- Fastest-Growing Brand: Jersey Mike’s Subs (a New Jersey-based submarine sandwich chain)
- Runners Up: Caribou Coffee, Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Panera Bread
- State Population (growth): 0.58 million (+2.35%)
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