Regional burger chains are dramatically outpacing America's largest fast-food brands in sales growth.New data from Chicago-based food service research firm Technomic shows Culver's, In-N-Out Burger and Whataburger have grown far faster than McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King since 2019.Technomic data measured U.S.sales growth between 2019 and 2025 and found regional burger chains significantly outpaced their national rivals.CHEFS NAME AMERICA'S BEST FAST-FOOD FRIED CHICKEN AND BISCUITS — AND ONE CHAIN STANDS ABOVE THE RESTThe regional chains include Culver's in the Midwest, In-N-Out Burger in the West and Whataburger across the South and Southwest.While national chains remain the largest players, regional burger brands are growing at a much faster pace, according to new research.
(Mikayla Whitmore for The Washington Post via Getty Images)McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King posted U.S.sales growth of 36.2%, 16.5% and 8.5%, respectively, according to Technomic data.Meanwhile, Culver's sales surged 143% to $4.36 billion over the same period, while In-N-Out's climbed 91.7% to $2.58 billion and Whataburger's grew 68.6% to $4.31 billion.Fox News Digital reached out to McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King for comment.AUTOMATIC TIP OR SERVICE CHARGE? NEW STATE LAW REQUIRES RESTAURANTS TO TELL DINERS BEFORE THEY ORDERThe findings highlight how several regional chains are expanding their footprints and attracting loyal customers even as the nation's largest burger brands continue to dominate overall sales.The growth gap between national burger chains and regional operators has widened considerably over the past six years, said David Henkes, senior principal and head of strategic partnerships at Technomic.There are "some really strong and fast-growing brands" among regional burger chains, a food service expert told Fox News Digital.
(iStock)Henkes told Fox News Digital that there are "some really strong and fast-growing brands in the 'regional' bucket.""Across sales growth...