Tennessee's fast-food boom: Whataburger, In-N-Out and more in high demand in Nashville

While traditional table-service restaurants continue their long journey to bounce back from 2020, the fast-food industry is booming. That’s why Nashville expects so many new drive-thru joints coming to the area in the next few years — from California’s “animal-style” chain In-N-Out opening at least three restaurants around the city to new Whataburger locations cropping up regularly .

Tennessee ranks among the top-10 states in the country with the most fast-food restaurants per capita — 44.72 fast-food restaurants for every 100,000 residents, according to a 2024 study from price-tracking site PriceListo . The study also notes that Tennessee has the third-highest number of Sonic Drive-Ins in the country with 228 of the branded restaurants.

In-N-Out Burger, Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken, Raising Cane's and more are building Nashville presences while long-standing local chains like Chick-fil-A continue to grow.

The fickle restaurant industry depends upon consumer habits and narrow profit margins to stay afloat, and somehow, fast-food companies seem to have it figured out.

Quick-service restaurants have been consistently on the rise since drive-thru concepts became popularized in the 1970s, and even as disruptors like dynamic pricing , worker shortages and automated ordering impact the market, fast-food demand stays strong.

Right now, 74% of all restaurant traffic across the United States is off-premises, meaning customers are either picking up takeout food from restaurants or getting it delivered, according to National Restaurant Association Senior Vice President of Research Hudson Riehle. That represents a 13% increase since 2019.

“Here we are, entering the fifth year after the pandemic, and still, over this time period, consumers’ usage of off-premises options remains elevated, while consumers’ on-site restaurant patronage across all three meal periods remain hampered,” Riehle said.

Convenience, demand for off-premises options and value pricing are the most important drivers for the fast-food sector right now, he said.

Fast-food restaurant hiring up 'substantially'

Over the last four years, employment in the table-service segment of the restaurant industry declined by more than 230,000 people, according to the National Restaurant Association. Meanwhile, Riehle said quick-service employment is up “substantially.”

“Employment is a good indicator of what's going on with sales,” he said. “So there, definitely, from the consumer perspective, is a greater reliance upon the quick-service segment, particularly among younger age groups.”

He specified that Gen Z and millennials are especially reliant on fast-food concepts.

What’s the latest with In-N-Out Burger coming to Nashville?

California-based In-N-Out Burger announced in January 2023 that it would create a corporate hub in Franklin , along with at least three drive-thru restaurants in the area, by 2026.

Since then, the company moved up the opening for its Williamson County location on Goose Creek Bypass in the Berry Farms area to 2025. The other two locations will be in Antioch at Century Farms and in Goodlettsville near RiverGate Mall.

Construction will begin in the next six months, according to In-N-Out Burger Chief Operating Officer Denny Warwick.

“We are grateful for our customers in Tennessee who let us know over the years that they’d like an In-N-Out close by and, more recently, have been checking in with us about the progress of our future restaurants there,” Warwick said. “We look forward to the day we’re able to serve our first customers in Middle Tennessee.”

Will Raising Cane’s open more restaurants in Tennessee?

Another fast-casual brand that’s had focused growth in Tennessee recently is Louisiana-based chicken shop Raising Cane’s.

Currently, the brand has six restaurants open in the state, but by 2026, that number will triple. The new flagship store just opened last month on Broadway, and another 10 are planned throughout the state, according to a Cane’s spokesperson.

“Within the next year we have plans to open locations in Murfreesboro, Franklin, and Clarksville, and will continue expanding from there into existing cities as well as new cities like Chattanooga, Memphis, and more,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

What new fast food restaurants are opening in Nashville soon?

• Raising Cane’s, Lower Broadway, 212 Broadway, opened June 26
• Whataburger, North Mt. Juliet, 11190 Lebanon Rd., opened July 8
• Whataburger, South Mt. Juliet, Rutland Drive, opening spring 2025
• Whataburger, Antioch, Century Farms, recently opened
• Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken, Antioch, Century Farms, opening date unannounced
• In-N-Out Burger, Antioch, 4136 William Turner Pkwy., expected opening in 2026
• In-N-Out Burger, Franklin, near Berry Farms, opening by 2025
• In-N-Out Burger, Goodlettsville, near RiverGate Mall, expected opening in 2026
• Chick-Fil-A, Antioch, Century Farms, opening date unannounced

Hadley Hitson covers trending business, dining and health care for The Tennessean. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com . To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean .

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee's fast-food boom: Whataburger, In-N-Out and more in high demand in Nashville