Australia’s fast food sector has had a robust 2025, with a new report revealing the strongest year of net growth recorded over the last decade.
The GapMap 2025 Annual Fast Food & Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Network Report tracks store openings and closures in Australia for the 12 months to 31 December 2025.
The report reveals a net increase of 250 stores across the country. There were 109 stores closed, and 359 opened, across the top 36 brands.
Toby Wooldridge, associate director of research and insights at GapMaps, said the QSR sector has demonstrated remarkable strength in 2025.
“This was the strongest year of net growth we have recorded, driven by the second highest number of openings on record and the lowest number of closures in the past decade.
“The major brands are expanding in line with population growth, while key segments like Mexican and chicken are showing incredible momentum,” Wooldridge said.
Zambrero tops the growth chart
GapMaps tracks more than 1,500 brands across Australia, providing insights into expansion patterns and network optimisation.
Its report shows QSR brands continued to grow their footprints in step with population growth.
In the fast-growing Mexican QSR segment, Zambrero and Guzman Y Gomez each recorded more than 30 openings. Zambrero led the way with net growth of 31 stores, while GYG had a net growth of 27 stores.
In the major brands, KFC forged ahead, adding 29 stores to its footprint. McDonald’s boosted its network by 25 stores; Subway added 18 stores.
Sushi Hub was the standout in the sushi category expansion, adding 22 net stores to reach a 200-store footprint in Australia.
Mid-sized chicken brands also posted solid growth. Craveable’s Oporto added 17 stores to the network while El Jannah boosted its footprint by 15 stores. Nando’s added 10 net locations.
Melbourne overtakes Sydney
Melbourne has for the first time in the report’s history overtaken Sydney in the number of fast food sites.
The Victorian capital now boasts 1522 QSR locations, a net increase of 60. This compares to a net increase of 32 for Sydney, taking the total number of fast food locations to 1507.
- This story was originally published on Franchise Executives.
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