With new joints popping up everyday and a growing trend for healthy fast food, the big names like McDonald’s, Panda Express, Pizza Hut and Subway had better watch out. From stone-baked pizzas that are ready in minutes to Vietnamese salad boxes we take a look at fast food's rising stars, set to make ground in 2019.

Move over Domino's, there’s a newcomer on the block. Founded in 2013, in Charleston, South Carolina, Stoner's Pizza Joint is a seven unit (and growing) chain of quick-service pizza restaurants and it’s set to expand in 2019. Earlier in 2018 the brand was bought by HHI Hospitality who intend to take Stoner’s Pizza Joint nationwide, with the potential for international outlets too.

Stoner’s Pizza Joint prides itself on quality food and impeccable service. Their pizzas taste stone-baked, but they’re ready in half the time, due to their ‘one of a kind’ ovens. In the market for something that’s not just pizza? They also do smoked Buffalo wings, pulled pork and chicken breasts.

Gourmet hot dog chain Dog Haus was founded in Pasadena, California, in 2010, by Partners Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz, and André Vener, who wanted to ‘recapture the nostalgic childhood experience of eating a hot dog’. Since then the chain has grown to 36 locations across the USA, but they aren’t stopping yet. They’ve revealed plans to double in size by the end of 2019, with new franchises opening in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland and Texas.

With more choice and fresh ingredients than your average chain restaurant, Dog Haus is known for its generously dressed sausage dogs and signature all-beef hot dogs. Options include ‘The Fonz’ (pictured), a spicy Italian sausage topped with pastrami, mozzarella and cheese and the ‘Pineapple Express’, a bacon-wrapped dog with bouillonnaise (Dog Haus's own mayo), ginger glaze, pineapple, scallions, jalapeños and crispy onions.

Asian Box was founded in 2012 to cater to the health-conscious lunch crowd with made-to-order Vietnamese salad boxes, inspired by Asian street-food vendors. Quickly expanding to 10 restaurants in Northern and Southern California, their plan for the future is ‘measured growth’ that won’t cost their social, eco-friendly and quality standards. Currently no Asian Box outpost has freezers and staff are allowed paid mental health breaks at little to no notice.

At Asian Box customers ‘create your own box’ from the menu, or choose a set box such as ‘The Workout’ with chicken, brown rice and veggies or ‘The Ox Box’ with double beef and jasmine rice. If you prefer to make your own, choose a base from brown rice, rice noodles or salad, a protein from chicken, pork, shrimp or beef and add toppings such as pickled vegetables, herbs, jalapeños, peanuts and crispy shallots, plus a sauce. What’s more, everything on the menu is gluten-free.

Wayback Burger, founded in Newark, Delaware in 1991, has enjoyed steady growth since opening and shows no signs of slowing down. In the early 2000s they began franchising across America and in 2013 announced they were going international. What followed was restaurant openings in Argentina, Brunei, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and mostly recently The Netherlands, with the company hitting a total of 100 outposts in 2018.

Wayback Burgers is the go-to place for double cheeseburgers and decadent sides. Choose between the ‘Classic’ burger, the ‘Double Bacon’, the ‘Rodeo’ which is stuffed with onion rings, and the ‘Cheeeesy’ which oozes melted cheese. Also, on the menu are chicken burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs. Don’t forget the milkshakes, mac and cheese bites, onion rings and bacon cheese fries.

Just over 40 years old, pizza chain Mountain Mikes, first established in 1978 in Palo Alto, California, has its sights set on becoming one of the country’s top ten players. They currently have 200 restaurants, the vast majority located in their home state, but with more being added every year – there were 18 new restaurants in 2017 and 20 new restaurants in 2018 – they’re on their way up.

One of the big appeals of Mountain Mike’s is the dine-in lunch buffet with all-you-can-eat salad, pizza, garlic sticks and dessert, for the wallet-friendly price of $6.99, Monday to Friday. However, opt to order online and there’s a selection of speciality pizzas, such as the meaty ‘Pike’s Peak’, covered in sausage, pepperoni, beef, salami, linguiça (smoke-cured pork sausage) and ham, and the garlicky ‘Robber’s Roost’ with chicken, tomato, olive, mushroom, onions and garlic sauce.

Pancheros Mexican Grill was launched in 1992 by Rodney Anderson, with two locations: one in Iowa City, Iowa and one in East Lansing, Michigan. But from small Midwest roots, this Tex-Mex fast-casual chain has grown to 67 restaurants across 13 states. With strategic franchise growth planned for 2019, including new restaurants in Texas and Minnesota, Taco Bell had better watch out.

At Pancheros Mexican Grill burritos are made with fresh pressed tortillas, with burrito bowls, salads, tacos, tortilla chips and quesadillas also available. Make the meal your own with a choice of fillings, including marinated and grilled steak, pork carnitas, chicken or plant-based meat substitute, whole pinto or black beans, rice, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

Charley’s Philly Steaks was established in 1986, by CEO Charley Shin. He opened up shop on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where Charley had tasted his first Philly Cheesesteak. The famous meaty subways have been fuelling students' study sessions ever since. They’ve just celebrated their 600th opening and the chain has plans for an additional 400 stores and to hit the 1,000-restaurant mark by 2022.

At Charley’s Philly Steaks the menu is simple. There are four ‘Philly cheesesteaks’, four ‘Chicken Phillys’ and four ‘Grilled Deli Phillys’ to choose from. The ‘Bacon 3 Cheesesteak’ comes stuffed with steak, bacon, provolone (Italian smoked cheese), Swiss and white American cheese, while the ‘Chicken Teriyaki Philly’, is loaded with chicken, grilled onions, Swiss cheese and teriyaki sauce. But the classic ‘Philly Cheesesteak’, steak, grilled onions, green peppers, mushrooms and cheese, also sounds good to us.

Known as the McDonald’s of the Philippines, Jollibee was founded in 1978, in Quezon City, northeast of Manila. The cult fast food chain has grown itself to a global level, with 1,289 stores worldwide, including locations in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Italy, and the UK. They have 38 outposts in the US, the most recently opened was Manhattan in 2018, and there’s rapid expansion plans for the future.

Jollibee is a one-stop fast food shop, where you can grab breakfast burgers, cheeseburgers, fried chicken, spaghetti, noodle and rice dishes, as well as combinations of the above. It’s a blend of east meets west. The ‘big burger steak supreme’ sees fried egg and rice served with chips, a burger patty and mushroom gravy, and ‘chickenjoy with jolly spaghetti’ features fried chicken alongside spaghetti bolognese.

Del Taco has been around since 1964, when its first American-style Mexican fast food joint was opened in Yermo, California, by partners Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson. They’re now at a whopping 564 locations and business is roaring. In 2017 US sales were $783.86 million and in 2018’s first quarter they had just seen 18 consecutive quarters of sales growth. 

Much of Del Taco’s success has been attributed to its “Buck & Under” menu which includes mini chicken quesadillas known as ‘chicken quesadilla snackers’ and ‘value tacos’ which are crunchy corn tortillas with ground beef, lettuce and cheddar, amongst other snack-sized bites. Pricier items include full-sized burritos, avocado salads and battered fish tacos.

Opened in 1994, in Garland, Texas, Wingstop is a 1940s aviation-themed chicken wing chain and the latest brand to join the billion-dollar club. With just over a thousand outposts, in 2017 they were recording sales of $1087.43 million, which might be attributed to their new pricing strategy. Success is set to continue in 2019 as they roll out a national delivery service with DoorDash.

Heaven on earth for chicken-lovers, Wingstop’s entire focus is chicken wings: bone in, boneless and crispy tenders. Customers choose between 12 spice rubs, ‘Atomic’, ‘Mango Habanero’, ‘Cajun’, ‘Original Hot’ and ‘Spicy Korean Q’ bring the heat, while ‘Hawaiian’, ‘Hickory Smoked BBQ’, ‘Lemon Pepper’, ‘Garlic Parmesan’, ‘Louisiana Rub and ‘Mild’ are low on spice, but high in flavour.

The Midwest’s answer to regional chains, Culver’s was first opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1984. However, it’s been topping big names in annual sales, having made $1.43 billion compared to Shake Shack's $359 million and In-N-Out's $908 million in 2017. Operating in 25 states and still expanding, they opened their 685th restaurant in Foley, Alabama, in December 2018.

Culver’s is best known for its ‘ButterBurgers’, fresh frozen custard and ‘flavour of the day’ programme, and their commitment to quality. The original ‘ButterBurger’ is Midwest-raised beef, seared on a grill and served on a lightly buttered, toasted bun, with Wisconsin cheddar, made to order and never frozen. Opt for the ‘Wisconsin Swiss Melt’, beef, Swiss cheese and red onions on grilled rye bread if you want something a bit different.

Opened in 2003, Mama Fu’s is the pan-Asian fast-casual that’s taking over Texas. What started as a single unit in Austin has expanded to 27 venues, but this is just the beginning. Sales are up and they’re in the midst of an aggressive growth campaign that’s seen three new executives join the leadership team and new openings planned for Austin, Houston and San Antonio.

At Mama Fu’s there’s plenty to choose from, whether you’re in the mood for Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese. Popular starters include pork egg rolls with chilli sauce, sesame crusted tuna with pickles and mustard, chicken lettuce wraps with shiitake mushrooms and scallions, and wonton soup. Looking for something more substantial? Try the sweet and sour rice bowl, pad thai or Vietnamese noodle soup.

Gourmet sandwich chain Jimmy John’s was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in Charleston, Illinois, in 1983. Jimmy graduated second to last in school and his father gave him the choice to join the military or start a business, and the rest was history. They currently have 2,800 stores, an increase of 500 since 2015, and 2017 sales came in at $2139.62 million. What are their future plans? They’ve recently announced they’re expanding, opening 10 to 25 stores every month. 

The place to pick up a freshly-made sandwich, favourites include roast beef, ham and provolone (Italian smoked cheese) and the ‘Big Italian’ which is salami, capicola (cured pork meat), ham, provolone, salad and dressing. Bread is baked in store fresh every day and served within four hours. They’ve recently released the ‘Unwich’, a wrap version of every sandwich, which claims to have 10g carbs or less.

Opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2000 by Ralph Bower, Pei Wei is a pan-Asian chain restaurant making a name for itself. Second place behind Panda Express, they’re directly challenging them on their marketing campaign, regarding themselves as a healthier option. It’s working too, in 2016 they were recorded to have 214 units and sales of $365,594, an increase of nearly 5% on the year before.

At Pei Wei you can get quality Asian dishes such as sushi, noodle bowls and rice bowls, salads and soups at wallet-friendly prices. The menu is vast, with at least 14 rice bowl options to choose from and classic small plates such as Vietnamese chicken salad rolls, crab wontons, miso salad and edamame beans, so there’s something to satisfy every craving. Trademarked ‘Wei Better Orange Chicken’ – which doesn't use any frozen ingredients – is a popular choice with customers.

Student hotspot Junzi Kitchen, serving Northern Chinese-inspired food, was launched in 2015 opposite the Yale campus in New Haven, Connecticut. Predicting success in New York, the Yale graduate founders opened a second site next to Columbia University, a third near NYU, and have a fourth planned for 2019. Not quite there yet, Junzi Kitchen has big dreams and sees a future with 2,000 outposts across the country.

At Junzi Kitchen it’s noodle bowls and bings (Northern Chinese wraps) with tasty meat options such as chicken and kale, beef and cucumber, and pork and cabbage, as well as meat-free choices like tofu and long bean, and mushroom and sweet potato. However, Thursday to Saturday, for night owls and party goers, there’s an after-hours menu that runs until 1.30am and includes crispy pancakes with pork belly and fried custard buns.

Mary Aregoni, the owner of the Vietnamese fast-casual Saigon Sisters, worked for years in the corporate world before turning to hospitality and opening the outpost in 2009, a kiosk in Chicago’s French Market food hall. From small to big, Aregoni has grown the business into two brands – the other Bang Chop Thai – which together have six location in Chicago. The future will see Saigon Sisters grow across the US and then internationally.

Saigon Sisters is the go-to place for Vietnamese food served quickly, with its bánh mì, rice bowls and pho big hitters with the lunch time crowds. There’s a wide choice of bánh mì filling combos including the classic, Vietnamese pork with American ham, chicken pâté and mayo, and they all come with jalapeños, cucumbers, cilantro, carrots and pickled daikon. Bowl options include brown rice, rice vermicelli salad and stir-fry noodle, all with a choice of protein. For snackers there’s spring rolls, egg rolls and shrimp chips.

 

Guy Vaknin founded plant-based sushi chain Beyond Sushi in 2012, New York, with the $70,000 he had in life savings and as much as he predicted it’s success, the turn of events was nothing short of phenomenal. After an appearance on television’s Shark Tank, the following week day-to-day sales exploded by 40%, website business doubled and third-party delivery skyrocketed 70%. In 2015 sales were $978,000, in 2016 they were $2.4 million and in 2017 $4 million. Future plans include expansion on the West Coast.

 

Beyond Sushi has a vibrant menu of vegan sushi, dumplings, rice paper wraps, salads and noodle soups, all made with natural ingredients. They don’t use meat and seafood alternatives, but unexpected combinations of fruits, vegetables and grains keep dishes interesting. The spicy mango rolls, mighty mushroom rolls, and coconut curry are deserved favourites.

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When Leon launched in the UK in 2004, it became a lunch hour staple for city workers in pursuit of a quick but healthy bite, fast fuelling its growth to 53 countrywide locations. However, following a $31 million funding boost in 2017, the company announced it would be expanding to the US. Their first Stateside branch opened in Washington DC, at the end of 2018, to enormous success and they now have plans for a second DC location and expansion to Seattle, Denver and Austin, Texas.

Take a look at the tasty new restaurants to try in 2019.

Leon is all about ‘naturally’ fast food and is best known for its hot boxes and salad boxes. Customer favourites include the ‘Lebanese mezze salad’, Harissa-roasted carrot and butternut squash served with falafel, pomegranate-studded hummus, lentils, kale and pickled onion, and the ‘chicken satay hot box’, chicken thigh on Italian brown rice, served with satay sauce, parsley and mint. However, they do 'healthier' versions of fast food classics such as gluten-free chicken nuggets, fish finger wraps, oven-baked waffle fries and coleslaw.

Check out the best burger and fries joint in your state.