A 7 Brew location in Thomasville, Georgia. Public Domain photo.
Yelp’s annual ranking of the fastest-growing brands in the United States underscores the rapid ascent of drive-through coffee chains focused on speed, convenience and customization of often heavily sweetened drinks.
7 Brew, the Arkansas-born drive-through operator backed by Blackstone, topped the 2026 list with 244% growth in consumer interest on Yelp, up from its debut at number 23 in 2025.
Three other coffee brands joined it in the top 50: Black Rock Coffee Bar at number 8, Scooter’s Coffee at number 13 and Dutch Bros at number 38. The four coffee brands in the top 50 match the number that appeared in 2025, after three coffee-focused chains appeared in the inaugural 2024 list.
Speed Catches Up
The similarities among the coffee brands appearing on the 2026 list are striking. All are drive-through-centered brands. All emphasize speed, customization and what the report calls “peak personalization.”
Starbucks and Dunkin’, which together still dominate the U.S. away-from-home coffee market, do not appear on the 2026 list. Starbucks ranked number 43 in 2025.
Coffee’s rise on the list tracks across all three editions. In 2024, Scooter’s Coffee ranked number 2 overall — the highest-ever placement for a coffee brand — while 7 Brew didn’t make the list at all.
In 2025, Scooter’s fell to number 10, 7 Brew appeared at number 23, Caribou Coffee at number 32 and Starbucks at number 43.
U.S. coffee chains by approximate location count in 2025-26. Data sources include published company reports, press releases and location data from company websites.
‘Dirty Soda’ and Chicken
One trend connecting multiple coffee brands and other quick-service brands on this year’s list is the “dirty soda” — customized fountain drinks blended with flavored syrups, cream and fruit. According to Yelp, searches for “dirty soda” have risen 2,547% since the platform first flagged the format in 2022, including a 675% jump in 2025 alone.
7 Brew has moved aggressively into the category with its 7 Fizz line, while other beverage chains have expanded menus around customized energy drinks, refreshers and soda-style drinks.
Beyond coffee and beverages, the 2026 list is dominated by chicken, with eight brands including Bojangles (3), Wingstop (10), Dave’s Hot Chicken (18) and Zaxbys (22). Yelp attributed the surge in chicken-brand growth in part to Americans’ growing focus on protein-rich diets.
Yelp’s methodology combines three data points: net new business openings; consumer interest, measured by Yelp user interactions including page views, photo uploads and reviews; and Yelp search volume. The data is compared to the year prior to back the “fastest growing” designation.
The ranking reflects momentum on Yelp, not total market size or overall consumer share. It also reflects Yelp’s user base and platform activity.
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