QSR network growth hits decade high in 2025
Australia’s top 5 QSRs are within 3 km of 82% of Australians.
Net restaurant openings rose from 178 in 2024 to 250 in 2025, an increase of 72 locations, representing a 40.4% year-on-year growth, according to the latest Annual Fast Food & Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Network Report by GapMaps.
“The Australian QSR sector has demonstrated remarkable strength in 2025,” said Toby Wooldridge, Associate Director, Research & Insights, at GapMaps. “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.
Mexican and chicken chains were amongst the fastest-growing nationally. Zambrero and Guzman y Gomez each recorded more than 30 openings, with net growth of 31 and 27 restaurants, respectively.
Mid-sized chicken brands also posted solid growth, with Oporto opening a net 17, El Jannah 15, and Nando’s 10, all delivering strong numbers of net new locations. The sushi segment also expanded, with Sushi Hub adding 22 net new stores to reach a 200-store milestone nationally. Nearest rival Sushi Sushi only opened a net two restaurants in 2025, despite opening 11 a year before
Meanwhile, the five major QSR brands continued to grow their footprints in step with population growth, with Subway, McDonald’s, and KFC each opening 25 or more stores. When factoring in store closures, KFC led the net growth with +29 stores, followed by McDonald's (+25) and Subway (+18). Hungry Jack’s opened a net 16 restaurants whilst Red Rooster closed a net 1 restaurant.
The report measures the net change in restaurant locations, accounting for both openings and closures across tracked brands.
