Meet 12 rising coffee chains poised to challenge the giants

• Emerging Chains

Readers choose emerging restaurant brands that have the best potential for success

From Yemeni coffeehouses to student-run cafes, these emerging brands are brewing up serious competition.

July 13, 2026

While major drive-thru coffee chains like 7 Brew (which was the fastest-growing restaurant last year) and Dutch Bros (which recently passed the 1,000-unit mark) dominate headlines with rapid growth, a new generation of coffee brands is quietly building momentum across the country.

These 12 up-and-coming chains represent the diverse future of coffee culture, with unique stories and impressive growth numbers, including both sales and unit count.

In this pack is a Yemeni coffeehouse that saw 56.5% sales growth last year, a 30-year-old Milwaukee-based chain, a human-rights-focused brand, and so much more. What these chains have in common is a belief that authentic storytelling and quality brewing can compete with the giants.

Whether it’s with Puerto Rican farm origins or a student-run campus model, these chains are redefining what coffee culture can mean to local communities nationwide.

Watch the video to learn more, then head to NRN’s Instagram and LinkedIn accounts to vote for which one you think has potential to be the next Starbucks.

About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservice Media, with brands including Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Business, and Foodservice Director. Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Technomic Top 500 report. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history.

Email Leigh Anne at [email protected]

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience:

• Group Managing Editor, Foodservice Media (June 2026-present)

• Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-June 2026)

• Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

• Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

• Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

• Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

• Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

Group Managing Editor, Foodservice Media (June 2026-present)

Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-June 2026)

Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

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