UK restaurant expansion slows by more than half in H1 2026
Growth remains uneven in the fast food industry, with chicken and ethnic quick-service brands thriving.
UK fast-food expansion slowed significantly in the first half of 2026, with the number of outlets increasing by just 1% year-on-year (YoY), compared with 2.3% in H1 2025 and 4% in H1 2024, according to Meaningful Vision
Growth was uneven across the fast-food industry in the UK. Chicken and ethnic quick-service restaurants continued to expand strongly, whilst pizza outlet numbers declined and coffee-shop growth slowed to below 1%.
Chicken remained the fastest-growing segment in the fast-food market, with outlet numbers increasing by 6.3% in H1 2026. This matched the growth recorded in the first half of 2025, showing that chicken operators maintained momentum despite the wider slowdown.
Ethnic quick-service concepts recorded the second-highest growth rate, accelerating from 2.2% in H1 2025 to 5.4% in H1 2026.
Burger outlet numbers grew by 2.1%, whilst bakery and sandwich chains expanded by 1.5%. Coffee-shop growth slowed from 2.8% to 0.8%. Pizza was the only major segment to decline, with outlet numbers falling by 3.2%.
Openings have been concentrated across regions, with South East accounting for the largest share of new openings in 2026, at 13%, followed by the North West at 12%. London and the East each represented 11% of openings.
However, the number of openings does not always translate into the highest regional growth rate. Regions with an already large and dense restaurant market may add more outlets in absolute terms but record slower percentage growth.
The East recorded the strongest YoY store growth, at 3.3%, followed by the East Midlands at 2.9%. Scotland grew by 2.1%, whilst the North East and Northern Ireland each increased by 1.9%.
By contrast, outlet numbers fell by 1.9% in London and by 0.1% in Greater London, indicating that closures outpaced openings in these highly competitive, saturated markets.
Meaningful Vision said it saw a smaller group of brands thriving. Greggs, Popeyes, McDonald’s, Pret A Manger, Pepe’s Piri Piri, and Wingstop were amongst the leading brands by new openings.
The top expanding chains also included Gail’s, Taco Bell, Domino’s, Joe & The Juice, Chaiiwala, Chopstix, German Doner Kebab, Black Sheep Coffee and Blank Street Coffee.
Across more than 200 leading QSR chains reviewed, 90 grew in number of stores, 90 declined, and 25 recorded no change in outlet numbers. Expansion across the quick service industry is therefore becoming more selective, with growth concentrated among brands that can identify clear demand and viable locations.
"The UK fast-food market is still expanding, but the pace has slowed considerably. Chicken and ethnic concepts continue to attract investment, while performance in coffee and pizza shows that growth cannot be taken for granted. Operators need to look beyond the total number of openings and understand where local demand, competition and outlet density create the strongest opportunities," Maria Vanifatova, CEO of Meaningful Vision, said.
