Cava
Blue Bottle
Sweetgreen
Jeni’s
Sugarfish
Torchy’s
Snooze
Afuri
Dave’s Hot Chicken
Cava was once called “the Chipotle of Mediterranean food” but it’s long since come into its own as the king of the bowl era. Founded by three Greek American friends as a single one-off meze restaurant, it’s become an unlikely juggernaut of office lunches. The secret might be the flexibility of “Mediterranean” cuisine, a diet with many legitimate health benefits and also lots of cheese. In Cava’s interpretation, bowls come loaded with everything from salad greens to heaps of spicy feta. The assembly line ordering means you can easily pull back on the salad and go heavy on the feta, and shovel down a bowl of maybe-healthy slop on any given Wednesday.
The first decades of the 21st century will be remembered as the time when any kind of business could be a start-up, including a restaurant. Sweetgreen, founded by three Georgetown MBA’s, rode this rocket higher than anyone else in the food space, improbably rebranding the concept of the salad chain, previously associated with the saddest lunch at the mall, into a billion-dollar unicorn. Like many of its fellow unicorns, Sweetgreen claims that its fairly mundane business (selling salads and, increasingly, hot bowls) can transform our society for the better and forge cutting-edge innovation. The minimalist, aspirational interiors, simple mobile ordering, and legitimately tasty salads don’t hurt, either. Of course, Sweetgreen is the “surprise winner” of the Ozymic era. For better or worse, it always meets the moment.
On one hand, the explosion of craft ice cream makes no sense, because all ice cream is delicious. On the other hand, craft ice cream makes all the sense in the world, because there are few things Americans love more. A number of brands cracked the code around the same time: premium milk, no chemicals, quirky flavors and high prices. But Jeni’s stands out for their balance of creativity and deliciousness, the robust success of both scoop shops and their retail pints, and for being one of the few Midwestern-grown brands that expanded not only into suburban strip malls but into major coastal cities. Few places in the country are immune to Brambleberry Crisp.
Blond wood. Raw concrete. White ceramic. And, of course, that iconic robin’s egg blue. There are so many fancy coffee chains, probably too many, but the high-end minimalism of Blue Bottle defines what a craft coffee empire is supposed to look like, just as founder James Freeman’s obsession with perfect beans defines consumers’ expectations. Tech VC’s threw oodles of money at the chain in the mid-2010s, but instead of rocketing to IPO, in 2017 the company sold a controlling stake to Nestle, allowing the purveyors of NesCafe to get into the high-end coffee world. Blue Bottle’s identity did not appear to shift much post-acquisition, but now it’s no surprise to find them, like so many other properties of corporate behemoths, at the mall.
Torchy’s Tacos had the humble start of many a famous Austin restaurants, as a food truck in a dusty lot. But unlike the rest, it was started by a former corporate chef at Chuy’s, a ’90s-era Tex Mex chain, and the truck’s fusion-y tacos have translated far outside the Keep It Weird zone. Opening locations with a full bar hasn’t hurt, either. Tex-Mex is on its fourth or fifth round of transforming America’s collective taste, often through a successful chain. This time, in the aftermath we’ll all crave green chile queso.
Sugarfish is one of the smallest chains on this list, but it inspires unparalleled devotion in its fans, and is a paragon of the type of new-school chains radiating from Los Angeles. Sugarfish’s main draw is its high-quality ingredients and its almost magical levels of consistency. It’s as if Erewhon and In-N-Out had a baby, who also somehow grew up at an iconic Studio City sushi restaurant. Kazunori Nozawa’s dictate, Trust Me, once plastered behind him at his now-shuttered omakase restaurant, is now the name of a set menu that arrives exactly the same across every location, a chef’s ever-changing, specific selections transformed into a combo meal. But it’s the surest way to never be disappointed.
The quirky-boozy-brunch chain space is surprisingly packed, and one of the biggest players, funded by private equity hegemon Stripes, is a mid century-themed diner founded by two brothers in Denver. Like many of its competitors, the menu offers breakfast and brunch dishes for every possible desire, from tofu scrambles to Omg! French Toast (the omg is the mascarpone filling, maybe). More pertinent to the business model is the entire back of the menu dedicated to cocktails and coffee, with an inducement to order a flight of pancakes for the table.
In the 2010s, everyone was chasing Nashville-style hot chicken. No one, and I mean no one, would have expected that the winner of this frantic and sometimes cynical race would be the guys who started out frying up tenders and fries in a Los Angeles parking lot, in part to chase the hype of a different restaurant which was, at the time, running four hour lines. Investment from Drake and a well-timed franchise deal hurled Dave’s into the chain stratosphere — it is likely among the fastest growing in America. The menu consists of fried chicken, bread, french fries and slaw in four variations. That’s it. But clearly, that’s also enough.
Good Japanese ramen chains are a dime a dozen in most major American cities. Afuri, famous for its yuzu-shio ramen, made waves by opening first not in Los Angeles or New York but in Portland, where the company’s Japanese CEO also has made his home. The company’sir only other US city so far is Los Angeles. But the chain’s addition of a large dumpling menu, and the heavy emphasis on nut-based vegan broths and fillings, seems to have the DNA of Portland food fussiness as much as Tokyo ramen, and is well-poised to take over much larger swaths of the US.
American fast food comes in many forms, but its holy trinity is the burger, the fries, and the shake. By the dawn of the 21st century, however, this classic meal had become associated with America’s ills, from the isolation of the drive-thru to the bland sameness of the suburbs to chronic health conditions. And then, in New York City, a hot dog cart opened in Madison Square Park, operated out of the kitchen of what would later become the number one restaurant in the world. Burgers on potato buns, crinkle-cut fries, and custard shakes followed, all marketed with equal parts emphasis on quality and nostalgia, and a phenomenon was born. Danny Meyer and company understood that no one wanted to give up the holy trinity. They wanted to enjoy it again.
ESTABLISHED
Fancy burger (see also: Killer Burger, Hopdoddy)
GENRE
2001, New York, NY
Cava was once called “the Chipotle of Mediterranean food,” but it’s long since come into its own as the king of the bowl era. Founded by three Greek American friends as a one-off meze restaurant, it’s become an unlikely juggernaut of office lunches. The secret might be the flexibility of “Mediterranean” cuisine, a diet with many legitimate health benefits and also lots of cheese. In Cava’s interpretation, bowls come loaded with everything from salad greens to heaps of spicy feta. The assembly line ordering means you can easily pull back on the salad and go heavy on the feta, and shovel down a bowl of maybe-healthy slop on any given Wednesday.
ESTABLISHED
Bowl-based “Mediterranean” (see also: Luna Grill, Zoe’s Kitchen)
2006, Rockville, MD
GENRE
The first decades of the 21st century will be remembered as the time when any kind of business could be a start-up, including a restaurant. Sweetgreen, founded by three Georgetown MBAs, rode this rocket higher than anyone else in the food space by rebranding the salad chain, previously associated with the saddest lunch at the mall, into a billion-dollar unicorn. Like many of its fellow unicorns, Sweetgreen claims that its fairly mundane business (selling legitimately tasty salads and, increasingly, hot bowls) can transform our society for the better and forge cutting-edge innovation. Of course, Sweetgreen is the “surprise winner” of the Ozempic era. For better or worse, it always meets the moment.
ESTABLISHED
Fancy salad (see also: Tendergreens, Chopt, Honeygrow)
2007, Washington, D.C.
GENRE
Blond wood. Raw concrete. White ceramic. And, of course, that iconic robin’s egg blue. There are so many fancy coffee chains, probably too many, but the high-end minimalism of Blue Bottle defines what a craft coffee empire is supposed to look like, just as founder James Freeman’s obsession with perfect beans defines consumers’ expectations. Tech VCs threw oodles of money at the chain in the mid-2010s, but instead of IPO, in 2017 the company sold a controlling stake to Nestle, allowing the purveyors of NesCafe to get into the high-end coffee world. Blue Bottle’s identity did not appear to shift much post-acquisition, but now it’s no surprise to find them, like so many other properties of corporate behemoths, at the mall.
ESTABLISHED
Upscale coffee (see also: La Colombe, Intelligentsia, Philz, Stumptown, etc. etc. etc.)
2002, Oakland, CA
GENRE
On one hand, the explosion of craft ice cream makes no sense, because all ice cream is delicious. On the other hand, craft ice cream makes all the sense in the world, because there are few things Americans love more. A number of brands cracked the code around the same time: premium milk, no chemicals, quirky flavors, and high prices. But Jeni’s stands out for its balance of creativity and deliciousness, the robust success of both scoop shops and its retail pints, and for being one of the few Midwestern-grown brands that expanded not only into suburban strip malls but major coastal cities. Few places in the country are immune to Brambleberry Crisp.
ESTABLISHED
Craft ice cream (see also: Salt & Straw, Van Leeuwen)
2002, Columbus, OH
GENRE
Sugarfish is one of the smallest chains on this list, but it inspires unparalleled devotion in its fans, and is a paragon of the type of new-school chains radiating from Los Angeles. Sugarfish’s main draw is its high-quality ingredients and its almost magical levels of consistency. It’s as if Erewhon and In-N-Out had a baby, who also somehow grew up at an iconic Studio City sushi restaurant. Kazunori Nozawa’s dictate, Trust Me, once plastered behind him at his now-shuttered omakase restaurant, is now the name of a set menu that arrives exactly the same across every location, a chef’s ever-changing, specific selections transformed into a combo meal. But it’s the surest way to never be disappointed, and there’s no prettier box of takeout.
ESTABLISHED
Premium, locally beloved chain (see also: Soulva, Uchi)
2008, Los Angeles, CA
GENRE
Torchy’s Tacos had the humble start of many a famous Austin restaurant, as a food truck in a dusty lot. But unlike the rest, it was started by a former corporate chef at Chuy’s, a ’90s-era Tex Mex chain, and the truck’s fusion-y tacos have resonated far outside the Keep It Weird zone. Opening locations with a full bar hasn’t hurt, either. Tex-Mex is on its fourth or fifth round of transforming America’s collective taste, often through a successful chain. This time, in the aftermath we’ll all crave green chile queso.
ESTABLISHED
Next-wave Mexican (see also: Velvet Taco, Tacombi)
2006, Austin, TX
GENRE
The quirky-boozy-brunch chain space is surprisingly packed, and one of the biggest players, funded by private equity hegemon Stripes, is a mid century-themed diner founded by two brothers in Denver. Like many of its competitors, the menu offers breakfast and brunch dishes for every possible desire, from tofu scrambles to Omg! French Toast (the omg is the mascarpone filling, maybe). More pertinent to the business model is the entire back of the menu dedicated to cocktails and coffee, with an inducement to order a flight of pancakes for the table.
ESTABLISHED
Boozy brunch (see also: Breakfast Republic, Big Bad Breakfast)
2006, Denver, CO
GENRE
Good Japanese ramen chains are a dime a dozen in most major American cities. Afuri, famous for its yuzu-shio ramen, made waves by opening first not in Los Angeles or New York but in Portland, where the company’s Japanese CEO also has made his home. The company’s only other U.S. city so far is Los Angeles, but a Houston location is coming soon, and according to a representative, each franchisee signs a deal to open five outposts per city. The chain’s addition of a large dumpling menu, and the heavy emphasis on nut-based vegan broths and fillings, springs from the Portland test kitchen and is well-poised to take over much larger swaths of the U.S..
ESTABLISHED
Japanese ramen (see also: Jinya Ramen, Ippudo)
2001, Japan; 2016, U.S.
GENRE
In the 2010s, everyone was chasing Nashville-style hot chicken, a dish invented and safeguarded by the Prince family that went queasily viral. No one, and I mean no one, would have expected that the winner of this frantic and sometimes cynical race would be the guys who started out frying up tenders and fries in a Los Angeles parking lot, in part thanks to the hype generated by a local restaurant which was, at the time, running four-hour lines. Investment from Drake and a well-timed franchise deal hurled Dave’s into the chain stratosphere — it is likely among the fastest growing in America. The menu consists of fried chicken, bread, french fries, and slaw in four variations. That’s it. But clearly, that’s also enough.
ESTABLISHED
Fried chicken sandwiches (see also: Gus’s, Hattie B’s, Joella’s)
2017, Los Angeles, CA
GENRE
Keep strolling
Wander Down Chain Street
Just about every large city in America has a strip in a trendy neighborhood that looks like this. Whether it’s these exact chains or their eerily similar competitors, chances are high they’ll fuel your next visit to, say, Warby Parker, or that one vintage store that improbably hangs on. Take a stroll and meet the winners of modern day Chainification.
Good Japanese ramen chains are a dime a dozen in most major American cities. Afuri, famous for its yuzu-shio ramen, made waves by opening first not in Los Angeles or New York but in Portland, where the company’s Japanese CEO also has made his home. The company’s only other US city so far is Los Angeles, but a Houston location is coming soon, and according to a representative, each franchisee signs a deal to open five outposts per city. The chain’s addition of a large dumpling menu, and the heavy emphasis on nut-based vegan broths and fillings, springs from the Portland test kitchen and is well-poised to take over much larger swaths of the U.S..
ESTABLISHED
Japanese ramen (see also: Jinya Ramen, Ippudo)
2001, Japan; 2016, U.S.
GENRE
The quirky-boozy-brunch chain space is surprisingly packed, and one of the biggest players, funded by private equity hegemon Stripes, is a mid century-themed diner founded by two brothers in Denver. Like many of its competitors, the menu offers breakfast and brunch dishes for every possible desire, from tofu scrambles to Omg! French Toast (the omg is the mascarpone filling, maybe). More pertinent to the business model is the entire back of the menu dedicated to cocktails and coffee, with an inducement to order a flight of pancakes for the table.
ESTABLISHED
Boozy brunch (see also: Breakfast Republic, Big Bad Breakfast)
2006, Denver, CO
GENRE
Torchy’s Tacos had the humble start of many a famous Austin restaurant, as a food truck in a dusty lot. But unlike the rest, it was started by a former corporate chef at Chuy’s, a ’90s-era Tex Mex chain, and the truck’s fusion-y tacos have resonated far outside the Keep It Weird zone. Opening locations with a full bar hasn’t hurt, either. Tex-Mex is on its fourth or fifth round of transforming America’s collective taste, often through a successful chain. This time, in the aftermath we’ll all crave green chile queso.
ESTABLISHED
Next-wave Mexican (see also: Velvet Taco, Tacombi)
2006, Austin, TX
GENRE
Sugarfish is one of the smallest chains on this list, but it inspires unparalleled devotion in its fans, and is a paragon of the type of new-school chains radiating from Los Angeles. Sugarfish’s main draw is its high-quality ingredients and its almost magical levels of consistency. It’s as if Erewhon and In-N-Out had a baby, who also somehow grew up at an iconic Studio City sushi restaurant. Kazunori Nozawa’s dictate, Trust Me, once plastered behind him at his now-shuttered omakase restaurant, is now the name of a set menu that arrives exactly the same across every location, a chef’s ever-changing, specific selections transformed into a combo meal. But it’s the surest way to never be disappointed, and there’s no prettier box of takeout.
ESTABLISHED
Premium, locally beloved chain (see also: Soulva, Uchi)
2008, Los Angeles, CA
GENRE
On one hand, the explosion of craft ice cream makes no sense, because all ice cream is delicious. On the other hand, craft ice cream makes all the sense in the world, because there are few things Americans love more. A number of brands cracked the code around the same time: premium milk, no chemicals, quirky flavors, and high prices. But Jeni’s stands out for its balance of creativity and deliciousness, the robust success of both scoop shops and its retail pints, and for being one of the few Midwestern-grown brands that expanded not only into suburban strip malls but major coastal cities. Few places in the country are immune to Brambleberry Crisp.
ESTABLISHED
Craft ice cream (see also: Salt & Straw, Van Leeuwen)
2002, Columbus, OH
GENRE
Blond wood. Raw concrete. White ceramic. And, of course, that iconic robin’s egg blue. There are so many fancy coffee chains, probably too many, but the high-end minimalism of Blue Bottle defines what a craft coffee empire is supposed to look like, just as founder James Freeman’s obsession with perfect beans defines consumers’ expectations. Tech VCs threw oodles of money at the chain in the mid-2010s, but instead of IPO, in 2017 the company sold a controlling stake to Nestle, allowing the purveyors of NesCafe to get into the high-end coffee world. Blue Bottle’s identity did not appear to shift much post-acquisition, but now it’s no surprise to find them, like so many other properties of corporate behemoths, at the mall.
ESTABLISHED
Upscale coffee (see also: La Colombe, Intelligentsia, Philz, Stumptown, etc. etc. etc.)
2002, Oakland, CA
GENRE
The first decades of the 21st century will be remembered as the time when any kind of business could be a start-up, including a restaurant. Sweetgreen, founded by three Georgetown MBAs, rode this rocket higher than anyone else in the food space by rebranding the salad chain, previously associated with the saddest lunch at the mall, into a billion-dollar unicorn. Like many of its fellow unicorns, Sweetgreen claims that its fairly mundane business (selling legitimately tasty salads and, increasingly, hot bowls) can transform our society for the better and forge cutting-edge innovation. Of course, Sweetgreen is the “surprise winner” of the Ozempic era. For better or worse, it always meets the moment.
Fancy salad (see also: Tendergreens, Chopt, Honeygrow)
2007, Washington, D.C.
ESTABLISHED
GENRE
Cava was once called “the Chipotle of Mediterranean food,” but it’s long since come into its own as the king of the bowl era. Founded by three Greek American friends as a one-off meze restaurant, it’s become an unlikely juggernaut of office lunches. The secret might be the flexibility of “Mediterranean” cuisine, a diet with many legitimate health benefits and also lots of cheese. In Cava’s interpretation, bowls come loaded with everything from salad greens to heaps of spicy feta. The assembly line ordering means you can easily pull back on the salad and go heavy on the feta, and shovel down a bowl of maybe-healthy slop on any given Wednesday.
Bowl-based “Mediterranean” (see also: Luna Grill, Zoe’s Kitchen)
2006, Rockville, MD
ESTABLISHED
GENRE
American fast food comes in many forms, but its holy trinity is the burger, the fries, and the shake. By the dawn of the 21st century, however, this classic meal had become associated with America’s ills, from the isolation of the drive-thru to the bland sameness of the suburbs to chronic health conditions. And then, in New York City, a hot dog cart opened in Madison Square Park, operated out of the kitchen of what would later become the number one restaurant in the world. Burgers on potato buns, crinkle-cut fries, and custard shakes followed, all marketed with equal parts emphasis on quality and nostalgia, and a phenomenon was born. Danny Meyer and company understood that no one wanted to give up the holy trinity. They wanted to enjoy it again.
Fancy burger (see also: Killer Burger, Hopdoddy)
2001, New York, NY
ESTABLISHED
GENRE