Markets 
The Big Mac can take a nap.
As customers become increasingly wary of “shrinkflation” and price hikes at big burger chains, smaller fast-food purveyors are cashing in.
Industry data shows that regional chains and cult favorites like In-N-Out Burger, Whataburger, and Culver’s are driving growth in the hamburger category, putting their larger competitors to shame.
Put that on your bun and bite it.
In 2025, California-based In-N-Out’s domestic sales grew by around 10%.
Meanwhile, according to Technomic’s market research, Wisconsin-based Culver’s and Texas-born Whataburger now rank as the fifth- and sixth-largest U.S. burger chains by sales.
Though larger chains like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King outrank these smaller brands in terms of marketing budgets and sheer number of locations, regional competitors are coming for their ketchup thanks to uncompromising quality, fierce brand loyalty, and customer customization.
Whatagburger, which operates in 17 states and generates more than $4 billion in annual sales, is growing at six times its pre-COVID rate with plans to open 60 additional locations this year.
“There is a craveability that I think has created this loyalty over so many decades,” Whataburger CEO Debbie Stroud told WSJ earlier this month.
“Our customers understand that they can add grilled jalapeños or swap out grilled onions for our freshly cut tomatoes,” she added.
Julie Fussner, chief executive of Culver’s, which operates 1,066 locations across 26 states, calls out customer service as the key differentiator between her beloved regional chain and behemoth national brands.
“It’s the breadth of the menu and the quality of our food,” she told WSJ.
While regional chains are booming, Technomic found that fast-food burger chains en masse are experiencing the slowest growth among the top ten restaurant categories, except for pizza and sandwiches.
Fast-food chains have been grappling with prolonged sales weakness in major markets like the US, as rising living costs and softer job conditions curb consumers’ willingness to eat out.
Though trying economic times typically correlate with an uptick in fast-food purchases, cost-conscious customers are not buying.
And while growth is slow going, prices have been adding up.
According to the Consumer Price Index Report, which tracks fast-food prices, prices have risen by around 38% from the 2020 pandemic through 2025, outpacing inflation over the same period by around 56%.
In 2024, a report found that McDonald’s had hiked its menu prices by more than 100% over the last decade — more than three times the rate of US inflation.
Some of the most egregiously inflated items included $18 for a Big Mac meal in Connecticut, $7.29 for an Egg McMuffin, and $5.69 for a side of hash browns.
Meanwhile, higher prices have not correlated with higher marks.
The share of US customers who said McDonald’s offers good value fell from 55% to roughly 40% between 2020 and 2024, and has largely stayed there since, according to surveys from UBS Evidence Labs shared with Reuters last month.
In response, McDonald’s has launched upgraded burgers and vowed to improve its food quality, create more inviting restaurant spaces, and resurrect play spaces.
Top-tier competitors are following suit. This year, Burger King made its first major changes to the classic Whopper in nearly a decade, upgrading the bun, mayonnaise and packaging after customer feedback.
While larger chains continue to try to rebound by offering upgrades and introducing discounted menu items, brands like Whataburger have kept sales steady with an unwavering commitment to quality and the customer experience.
According to survey data, while Culver’s and Whataburger do not rank high among customers for price point or speed, they get consistently high marks for food quality and overall satisfaction.
Essentially, in a market where fast food is increasingly expensive, customers are willing to pay more for a product that feels high-value.
Part of maintaining that high value is a dedication to consistency over growth.
Indeed, a majority of regional chains are privately owned with founding families still involved in operations.
In-N-Out, California’s favorite burger chain, was founded in 1948 by Harry and Ester Snyder in Baldwin Park as California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand. The company remains owned and operated by the Snyders’ granddaughter, Lynsi, and does not franchise its restaurants.
Though the company now operates restaurants across California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and Tennessee, it has only added four states to its coverage area in the last ten years.
Moreover, the brand chose to slow its growth in 2010 to maintain food quality and service.
“An overemphasis on growth would compromise our performance,” explained In-N-Out Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick.
To that end, or, pickle spear, In-N-Out burgers are still made with fresh, never-frozen beef patties produced by In-N-Out’s own butchers, while fries are hand-diced from whole potatoes inside each restaurant.
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