franchise development

Newport Beach, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened its 4,000th restaurant, located in Manhattan, Kan. Since current CEO Scott Boatwright joined Chipotle in 2017 as chief restaurant officer, the company has grown from over 2,300 restaurants to 4,000 locations, a 70% increase in 8 years. Chipotle will open between 315 to 345 restaurants for the full year 2025. For 2026, management is anticipating 350 to 370 new restaurant openings, including 10 to 15 international partner-operated locations. The new Manhattan, Kan., restaurant includes the brand’s signature Chipotlane, a drive-thru pickup …

San Diego — QDOBA Mexican Eats has signed new development agreements with several leading multi-brand operators, totaling nearly 90 new restaurants and fueling growth across the Eastern U.S. With these signings, QDOBA now has more than 650 development commitments in its pipeline. QDOBA signed a 35-restaurant development agreement with The Rose Group, plus two acquired corporate locations in State College and Williamsport, Pa., spanning key markets in Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. The Rose Group operates 55 Applebee’s Grill + Bar restaurants and Shannon Rose Irish Pubs across the Mid-Atlantic. …

Belmar, N.J. — Playa Bowls, the nation’s leading superfruit bowl shop, is closing out a high-growth year with multi-unit agreements signed throughout third and fourth quarters and continued expansion across key U.S. markets. Following the recent launch of its first international development agreement (in Canada), the brand maintained its upward trajectory domestically with 85 new shops opening in 2025, including first-time market entries across multiple states, and more than 200 signed franchise commitments. Playa Bowls enters 2026 with demand rising from both new and existing multi-unit operators. Within the past …

Wichita, Kan. — Newk’s Eatery will debut its first location in the state of Kansas on Dec. 10. Opening at The Waterfront on Wichita’s East Side, the new eatery’s dining room can seat up to 146 guests and has one of the largest Wichita flag murals in the city. “We have been looking forward to bringing Newk’s Eatery to Wichita for a long time,” says Melody Matulewic, franchise owner of Newk’s Eatery. “Our team values hospitality and service and we believe this community will connect with that. Opening here allows …

Dallas — Wingstop has opened its 3,000th restaurant globally — a significant milestone as the brand accelerates toward its vision of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand with more than 10,000 restaurants worldwide. Wingstop reached this milestone at a record pace, opening nearly 800 restaurants and expanding its global footprint by 50% in just 2 years. During this time, Wingstop entered six new markets: Australia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia and The Netherlands. Wingstop now operates in 47 U.S. states and 15 countries, and expects to soon open …