LEXINGTON, Ky. — A fast-growing restaurant brand with an expanding Kentucky presence has been named the nation’s top emerging dining brand, providing another indication of the competitive strength of fast-casual concepts gaining ground with American consumers.
Chicken Salad Chick ranked No. 1 in YouGov’s 2026 U.S. emerging dining brands study, finishing ahead of Cook Out, Just Salad, Nothing Bundt Cakes and KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot.
The recognition has a direct Kentucky connection. Chicken Salad Chick entered the commonwealth in 2018 when its 100th restaurant opened in Nicholasville, just outside Lexington. The company has since expanded into markets across Kentucky, including Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Paducah and Hopkinsville. The brand opened its second Lexington-area restaurant in Hamburg in October 2025.
Chicken Salad Chick now operates more than 340 locations nationally across 25 states, according to the company’s franchise development information, with more than 270 additional locations in development.
The YouGov study examined emerging, challenger, regional-to-national, international and specialty dining brands that are gaining traction among U.S. consumers.
Unlike rankings based primarily on brand awareness, YouGov measured consumer momentum across five areas: Net Buzz, purchase consideration, Net Recommendation, perceptions that a brand is “On the Rise” and perceptions of innovation.
Chicken Salad Chick outperformed the average of the other qualifying restaurant brands across all five categories.
“Awareness is only part of the story when it comes to building momentum for emerging restaurant brands,” said Nora Hao, senior director at YouGov. “The brands breaking through are the ones turning that awareness into consideration and positive recommendation, while also giving consumers a sense that they’re bringing something distinctive to the market.”
Chicken Salad Chick leads in momentum and innovation
Chicken Salad Chick performed particularly well in consumers’ perceptions of growth and innovation. Among consumers familiar with the brand, 54.1% said Chicken Salad Chick was “On the Rise,” the highest percentage in the study and slightly ahead of KPOT at 53.6%.
Chicken Salad Chick also ranked first for innovation, with 54.4% of consumers aware of the company viewing it as innovative. KPOT followed at 53.7%.
The restaurant ranked third in positive buzz with a Net Buzz score of 10.3. Nothing Bundt Cakes led that category at 12.9, followed by Jet’s Pizza at 10.8.
Cook Out led the study in purchase consideration. Among consumers familiar with the Southern quick-service chain, 63.6% said they would consider purchasing from it. Golden Chick ranked second at 61%.
For Kentucky’s restaurant and franchise market, Chicken Salad Chick’s overall No. 1 ranking is notable because the company has been steadily investing in the state as part of its broader national expansion.
The company opened Kentucky’s first Chicken Salad Chick in Nicholasville in November 2018. By 2021, the brand had expanded to Hopkinsville and Louisville, and it added a Bowling Green restaurant in February 2025.
In October 2025, franchisee Vickie Tranter expanded the brand into Lexington’s Hamburg area with a restaurant on Bryant Road. Tranter had opened the original Nicholasville location seven years earlier. The Hamburg restaurant added a drive-thru and expanded the company’s reach in the Lexington market.
Chicken Salad Chick also currently lists three Louisville restaurants, including locations in Middletown, St. Matthews and Fern Creek. Others in Kentucky include Owensboro, Paducah, Murray and Crestview Hills in Northern Kentucky.
Restaurant brand coming off record expansion year
The YouGov recognition follows a significant period of national growth for Chicken Salad Chick.
The company said it awarded nearly 100 franchise agreements during 2025 and opened 42 restaurants across 14 states. Seventeen existing franchisees expanded into additional territories, while 12 new franchise partners joined the system.
That growth provides additional context for YouGov’s finding that consumers increasingly perceive the brand as being on the rise.
Chicken Salad Chick’s current franchise development information says it has sold territory rights across 32 states as it continues expanding beyond its traditional Southeast base.
YouGov’s study was conducted July 15-Aug. 2 among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Researchers began with 70 emerging and specialty dining brands, with 34 brands achieving national awareness above 10% and advancing to the final ranking.
The final Emerging Momentum Score equally weighted the five consumer measures. Brand awareness was used only to determine which companies qualified and was not included in the final score.
For Kentucky, Chicken Salad Chick’s top ranking highlights a broader restaurant development trend: regional concepts are increasingly using franchise expansion to move into new markets while competing with established national chains.
Chicken Salad Chick’s Kentucky experience mirrors that strategy. What began with a single Nicholasville restaurant in 2018 has developed into a broader statewide presence as the company simultaneously builds its national footprint.
And according to YouGov’s latest consumer research, the brand is doing more than simply adding locations — consumers are noticing.
Source: YouGov 2026 U.S. Emerging Dining Brands Study.
Methodology
YouGov’s 2026 U.S. emerging dining brands study was conducted July 15-August 2, 2026 among U.S. adults in a nationally representative survey. The study began with 70 emerging, challenger, regional-to-national, international and specialty dining brands. The 34 brands with national awareness above 10% advanced to the final ranking. The Emerging Momentum Score is an equal-weighted composite of five measures: Net Buzz, Consideration among aware consumers, Net Recommendation among current and former customers, On the Rise among aware consumers and Innovation among aware consumers. Each measure was indexed from 0 to 100 across the qualifying brands before being combined into the final score. Awareness was used only to qualify brands for the ranking and does not contribute to the final score.
About YouGov
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