Fried chicken dining chains were the leading subsector of the fast-food industry in 2025, as traffic to chicken concepts rose 3% in the year ending September 2025, while all concepts dropped 1% compared to the previous year, according to market research firm Circana, as reported by Fast Company. Chicken concepts did even better in 2024, rising 4.3% from the previous year, while other types of quick-service and fast-casual restaurant chains saw 1.3% and 2.4% growth, respectively, according to The Food Inst ...