Fast food expansion in Australia defies economic challenges

The fast food and quick service restaurant (QSR) sector in Australia has shown robust growth in 2024, adding 178 net new stores across the country, despite significant economic challenges.

The data comes from GapMaps' 2024 Annual Fast Food & QSR Network Report, which provides a detailed analysis of store openings and closures in Australia for the year concluding on 31 December 2024. The report monitored 36 brands across 7,523 locations, revealing that 302 store openings occurred, with 19 brands demonstrating positive net store growth after accounting for closures.

The report highlights that eight leading brands were responsible for 152 of these new locations. Prominent chains such as KFC, Hungry Jack's, Subway, and McDonald's, alongside smaller networks like Zambrero, Guzman Y Gomez, and Oporto, were identified as key contributors to this expansion.

Andrew Smith, Head of Research and Economics at GapMaps, stated, "In 2024 population growth, estimated to have added 500,000 residents and inflation, have continued to support the food and beverage sector." He further emphasised the sector's resilience by noting, "In total, the 36 leading brands tracked collectively opened a net 178 new outlets in 2024, highlighting the sector's resilience and sustained growth."

Significant contributors to the increase were Guzman Y Gomez, which added 27 net new stores, with ten of these opening in Greater Sydney. Hungry Jack's and Zambrero also reported strong expansion, opening 16 and 20 net new locations, respectively. Additionally, Mad Mex, Betty's Burgers, and El Jannah each added ten new stores.

Among the major QSR brands, KFC experienced the most considerable growth, adding 23 net new stores, bringing its total to 804 nationwide. Subway, boasting the largest network with 1,246 stores, saw a net increase of 17 stores. McDonald's recorded a net increase of 19 stores, while Hungry Jack's added 16 new locations, now totalling 471 stores.

Guzman Y Gomez, Zambrero, and Oporto reported strong new store numbers, with 27, 20, and 16 new outlets added, respectively. Grill'd and Schnitz also showed positive growth, adding five and seven new stores, respectively.

In the sushi segment, which comprises 458 stores nationally, Sushi Hub led with a net new store growth of 14, bringing their total to 177 stores. Sushi Sushi followed closely, with a net increase of 11 stores, totalling 162 outlets now.

New store openings were geographically widespread across Australia. Melbourne led the way with 55 net new store openings, followed by Sydney with 31, Brisbane with 21, Perth with 19, and Adelaide with four. Regional store growth accounted for an additional 48 new stores outside the major cities.

Commenting on the increased availability of fast food options, Andrew Smith remarked, "In 2025, most Australians have significantly greater choice of accessing fast food and quick service restaurants." He noted that while over 75% of Australians have access to a Subway or McDonald's within 3km, approximately 53% can now access ten or more QSR brands within the same distance.

The report also explored the variation in brand access across major capital cities, indicating that suburban settings often host clusters of these brands around major shopping centres. GapMaps provides detailed analysis of these trends through their platform.