Sectors & Industries Consumer CyclicalRestaurants
Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Now (2026)
Top restaurant stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best restaurant stocks to buy now. Learn More.

Industry: Restaurants

Value Growth Financials Momentum Sentiment Forecast Dividends Due Diligence

Restaurants is Zen Rated F and is the 119th ranked industry out of 145 stock market industries

Ticker	Company	Price	1d %	1w %	1m %	3m %	6m %	1y %	3y %	5y %	10y %	52-week High	52-week Low	% off 52-week High	% off 52-week Low	Beta	Volume	Vol 1d %
ARCO	ARCOS DORADOS HOLDINGS INC	$8.25	4.04%	1.98%	-6.57%	12.40%	22.22%	2.36%	7.00%	64.41%	126.15%	$8.98	$6.51	8.13%	26.73%	0.79	833,000	-4.25%
LOCO	EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC	$13.86	0.43%	-1.84%	24.86%	32.50%	42.89%	34.56%	44.53%	-14.02%	3.90%	$14.50	$8.29	4.41%	67.19%	0.81	298,000	8.76%
YUMC	YUM CHINA HOLDINGS INC	$48.78	0.89%	-5.88%	-8.82%	2.18%	13.65%	-6.30%	-23.05%	-17.62%	N/A	$58.39	$41.00	16.46%	18.98%	0.75	1,865,000	29.60%
EAT	BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC	$142.77	4.45%	-5.82%	0.25%	-0.52%	12.70%	-4.21%	275.71%	100.91%	210.71%	$187.12	$100.30	23.70%	42.34%	1.30	766,000	-14.98%
MCD	MCDONALDS CORP	$310.79	0.73%	0.96%	-7.18%	1.69%	2.27%	-0.51%	11.15%	38.66%	147.29%	$341.75	$283.47	9.06%	9.64%	0.40	2,770,000	26.95%
BLMN	BLOOMIN' BRANDS INC	$5.40	1.12%	-5.76%	-14.56%	-12.48%	-24.69%	-24.69%	-78.95%	-80.04%	-67.99%	$10.70	$5.19	49.53%	4.05%	1.22	2,514,000	46.42%
DIN	DINE BRANDS GLOBAL INC	$26.24	0.92%	-3.92%	-13.34%	-18.36%	6.15%	12.76%	-61.21%	-70.85%	-71.91%	$39.68	$18.63	33.87%	40.85%	1.10	266,000	-5.67%
BJRI	BJS RESTAURANTS INC	$35.10	0.78%	-2.93%	-4.12%	-10.91%	14.97%	2.45%	20.45%	-39.57%	-15.56%	$47.02	$28.46	25.35%	23.33%	1.22	353,000	20.07%
CAKE	CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC	$54.75	0.70%	-3.93%	-13.03%	8.46%	0.20%	12.52%	56.21%	-6.43%	3.13%	$69.70	$42.69	21.45%	28.25%	1.13	1,056,000	8.53%
DPZ	DOMINOS PIZZA INC	$358.79	1.66%	-0.36%	-10.61%	-13.92%	-16.89%	-21.91%	8.77%	-2.45%	172.10%	$499.08	$346.34	28.11%	3.60%	0.67	1,147,000	-7.43%
NDLS	NOODLES & CO	$8.55	-0.70%	30.53%	36.25%	51.38%	68.14%	-1.95%	-77.96%	-89.67%	-90.99%	$10.00	$3.57	14.50%	139.50%	1.24	47,600	-56.33%
SHAK	SHAKE SHACK INC	$88.47	5.91%	-1.74%	-6.32%	8.99%	-5.49%	0.34%	59.43%	-21.55%	137.06%	$144.65	$72.93	38.84%	21.31%	1.53	1,331,000	53.52%
DRI	DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC	$196.04	0.51%	-2.23%	-6.59%	6.53%	2.98%	-5.64%	26.35%	38.06%	195.69%	$228.27	$169.02	14.12%	15.99%	0.79	804,000	-7.16%
YUM	YUM BRANDS INC	$155.48	0.58%	-2.48%	-4.57%	2.78%	2.29%	-1.19%	17.72%	43.72%	89.96%	$169.39	$137.33	8.21%	13.22%	0.56	1,183,000	25.99%
CCHH	CCH HOLDINGS LTD	$0.64	-1.54%	-1.08%	42.22%	25.00%	-85.59%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$15.38	$0.36	95.84%	77.78%	1.38	149,000	-4.49%
BROS	DUTCH BROS INC	$50.66	5.56%	-3.82%	-4.85%	-17.25%	-3.21%	-17.95%	60.16%	N/A	N/A	$77.88	$44.58	34.95%	13.64%	1.65	4,200,000	20.86%
RICK	RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS INC	$22.81	-2.15%	-7.73%	2.38%	-4.32%	-25.24%	-46.88%	-70.82%	-64.13%	157.45%	$47.00	$20.76	51.47%	9.87%	1.24	164,000	156.25%
BRCB	BLACK ROCK COFFEE BAR INC	$12.92	5.38%	-12.05%	-6.31%	-41.93%	-45.85%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$30.40	$11.51	57.50%	12.25%	2.22	695,000	-5.31%
CMG	CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL INC	$32.01	2.73%	-2.29%	-12.76%	-13.49%	-18.32%	-36.25%	-6.31%	12.65%	239.84%	$58.42	$29.75	45.21%	7.60%	1.05	17,761,000	37.78%
SBUX	STARBUCKS CORP	$89.59	3.31%	-2.60%	-7.41%	6.39%	5.90%	-8.67%	-13.96%	-18.01%	50.07%	$104.82	$75.50	14.53%	18.66%	1.01	9,545,000	29.51%
QSR	RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC	$73.90	0.19%	0.07%	2.71%	8.31%	15.22%	10.89%	10.07%	13.69%	90.32%	$75.67	$58.71	2.33%	25.87%	0.59	1,951,000	-9.13%
CHA	CHAGEE HOLDINGS LTD	$9.31	-3.12%	-8.09%	-15.67%	-19.95%	-43.75%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$41.80	$8.98	77.73%	3.67%	0.76	2,237,000	375.96%
FWRG	FIRST WATCH RESTAURANT GROUP INC	$10.48	3.66%	-8.55%	-15.89%	-30.50%	-32.99%	-37.06%	-34.74%	N/A	N/A	$20.55	$10.09	49.00%	3.87%	1.16	2,377,000	31.84%
HCHL	HAPPY CITY HOLDINGS LTD	$1.53	2.68%	2.00%	53.00%	-60.87%	-54.33%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7.25	$0.80	78.90%	91.25%	0.40	6,400	-90.66%
WING	WINGSTOP INC	$154.97	0.21%	-9.94%	-35.48%	-35.02%	-38.43%	-31.30%	-15.58%	21.86%	583.29%	$388.14	$150.86	60.07%	2.72%	1.27	1,508,000	69.06%
PZZA	PAPA JOHNS INTERNATIONAL INC	$32.41	0.06%	-6.28%	1.47%	-15.80%	-32.69%	-21.11%	-56.75%	-63.44%	-40.19%	$55.74	$29.55	41.86%	9.68%	0.85	737,000	-19.80%
RRGB	RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS INC	$2.93	13.13%	-4.87%	-36.44%	-27.65%	-57.29%	-17.70%	-79.54%	-92.65%	-95.46%	$7.89	$2.46	62.84%	19.35%	1.34	816,000	67.90%
JACK	JACK IN THE BOX INC	$9.67	2.93%	-10.71%	-37.29%	-48.97%	-51.09%	-64.44%	-88.96%	-91.19%	-84.86%	$29.40	$8.92	67.11%	8.47%	0.92	1,730,000	36.11%
BH	BIGLARI HOLDINGS INC	$329.59	5.86%	4.34%	-2.02%	-0.85%	1.84%	52.21%	94.79%	148.26%	-11.33%	$483.60	$195.05	31.85%	68.98%	0.76	42,500	-24.11%
TXRH	TEXAS ROADHOUSE INC	$165.14	1.74%	-1.66%	-8.35%	-0.52%	-0.61%	-0.89%	52.82%	72.13%	278.94%	$199.99	$148.73	17.43%	11.03%	0.88	945,000	11.57%
CAVA	CAVA GROUP INC	$80.90	5.15%	-4.18%	3.07%	37.84%	33.92%	-6.38%	N/A	N/A	N/A	$101.50	$43.41	20.30%	86.36%	1.85	2,763,000	1.69%
WEN	WENDY's CO	$6.95	2.51%	-2.11%	-6.59%	-16.57%	-24.13%	-52.49%	-68.09%	-65.70%	-36.18%	$14.87	$6.67	53.26%	4.20%	0.62	7,458,000	-25.62%
PTLO	PORTILLO's INC	$5.29	0.76%	-0.56%	1.15%	16.52%	-17.98%	-55.51%	-75.25%	N/A	N/A	$13.55	$4.41	60.96%	19.95%	1.25	1,114,000	-18.69%
CNNE	CANNAE HOLDINGS INC	$11.37	2.62%	6.86%	-6.34%	-27.72%	-37.90%	-37.97%	-43.66%	-71.30%	N/A	$21.92	$10.46	48.13%	8.70%	1.22	517,000	8.39%
VENU	VENU HOLDING CORP	$3.31	6.09%	4.09%	-35.98%	-60.69%	-74.16%	-64.22%	N/A	N/A	N/A	$18.16	$3.06	81.77%	8.17%	0.84	470,000	50.16%
CBRL	CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE INC	$28.11	1.26%	3.23%	-12.95%	10.67%	-36.20%	-27.59%	-75.26%	-83.74%	-81.59%	$71.93	$24.85	60.92%	13.12%	1.01	852,000	-23.66%
KRUS	KURA SUSHI USA INC	$69.79	7.20%	8.74%	-1.97%	33.37%	17.47%	36.31%	6.00%	120.58%	N/A	$95.98	$40.03	27.29%	74.34%	1.77	165,000	-48.11%
SG	SWEETGREEN INC	$5.19	8.35%	-0.57%	-3.71%	-23.22%	-34.96%	-79.26%	-33.80%	N/A	N/A	$25.88	$4.49	79.95%	15.59%	1.92	4,210,000	-4.43%
THCH	TH INTERNATIONAL LTD	$2.06	-0.96%	2.49%	-1.90%	-17.27%	-20.46%	-29.69%	-89.88%	-95.75%	N/A	$3.25	$1.69	36.62%	22.26%	0.29	1,700	13.33%
BDL	FLANIGANS ENTERPRISES INC	$31.00	0.00%	-6.79%	-8.01%	4.73%	-2.76%	25.46%	10.83%	31.02%	58.97%	$35.98	$22.61	13.84%	37.11%	0.20	0	-100.00%
STKS	ONE GROUP HOSPITALITY INC	$1.78	0.00%	0.00%	-11.00%	1.71%	-39.86%	-40.47%	-78.02%	-76.20%	-40.67%	$5.26	$1.66	66.16%	7.23%	1.44	40,300	65.84%
GENK	GEN RESTAURANT GROUP INC	$1.96	4.26%	-5.31%	0.00%	-7.11%	-28.73%	-64.49%	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5.59	$1.50	64.94%	30.67%	1.50	50,000	320.17%
GTIM	GOOD TIMES RESTAURANTS INC	$1.17	-1.68%	-1.68%	-2.50%	-3.31%	-28.22%	-52.44%	-57.14%	-70.75%	-70.60%	$2.44	$1.10	52.05%	6.36%	0.65	19,800	-68.06%
MB	MASTERBEEF GROUP	$5.93	0.17%	4.96%	8.81%	-16.83%	-34.11%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$16.40	$2.73	63.84%	117.22%	0.18	4,000	566.67%
RAVE	RAVE RESTAURANT GROUP INC	$2.65	4.33%	9.96%	-6.03%	-19.70%	-20.16%	-3.64%	84.03%	86.62%	-50.19%	$3.75	$2.01	29.33%	31.84%	0.62	16,500	-53.39%
SDOT	SADOT GROUP INC	$1.54	-0.65%	-6.10%	-28.70%	27.27%	-72.30%	-94.25%	-98.56%	-99.32%	N/A	$26.90	$1.17	94.28%	31.62%	1.05	4,800	-53.40%
REBN	REBORN COFFEE INC	$1.97	3.68%	1.03%	15.88%	32.21%	-19.26%	-46.61%	-73.49%	N/A	N/A	$4.00	$1.37	50.75%	44.32%	1.04	40,400	47.99%
VSTD	VESTAND INC	$0.26	-3.30%	-14.29%	8.20%	15.28%	-83.60%	-91.39%	-92.72%	N/A	N/A	$4.73	$0.20	94.42%	30.69%	0.46	29,200	66.86%
NATH	NATHANS FAMOUS INC	$100.73	-0.12%	0.18%	0.15%	7.65%	-9.04%	4.52%	33.24%	59.66%	131.03%	$118.50	$88.00	15.00%	14.47%	0.53	22,400	-36.90%
BTBD	BT BRANDS INC	$1.75	10.76%	23.24%	40.00%	25.90%	-11.62%	37.80%	-40.68%	N/A	N/A	$5.60	$1.00	68.75%	75.00%	0.34	433,000	37.03%
HDL	SUPER HI INTERNATIONAL HOLDING LTD	$14.56	-2.77%	-4.27%	-12.08%	-9.34%	-22.51%	-37.19%	N/A	N/A	N/A	$23.62	$14.51	38.36%	0.34%	0.32	5,300	783.33%
CHSN	CHANSON INTERNATIONAL HOLDING	$2.90	11.11%	12.40%	45.15%	31.82%	14.62%	-84.24%	-98.28%	N/A	N/A	$70.40	$1.50	95.88%	93.33%	1.06	39,500	5,166.67%
ARKR	ARK RESTAURANTS CORP	$6.56	-5.13%	-2.96%	-2.53%	-2.16%	-7.87%	-35.05%	-62.87%	-67.43%	-68.16%	$12.60	$5.75	47.92%	14.17%	0.40	1,800	-14.29%

Restaurant Stocks FAQ

What are the best restaurant stocks to buy right now in Apr 2026?

According to Zen Ratings, our proprietary rating system that evaluates 115 factors proven to drive growth in stocks and assigns each stock in our system an overall letter grade as well as 7 individual Component Grades for Value, Growth, Momentum, Sentiment, Safety, Financials, and proprietary AI algorithms, the 3 best restaurant stocks to buy right now are:

1. Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO)

Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO) is the #1 top restaurant stock out of 53 with a Zen Rating of B. Stocks with a rating of B have had an average return of +19.88% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO) is: Value: A, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO) has a Due Diligence Score of 46, which is 17 points higher than the restaurant industry average of 29.

ARCO passed 17 out of 38 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Arcos Dorados Holdings has seen its stock return 2.36% over the past year, overperforming other restaurant stocks by 11 percentage points.

2. El Pollo Loco Holdings (NASDAQ:LOCO)

El Pollo Loco Holdings (NASDAQ:LOCO) is the #2 top restaurant stock out of 53 with a Zen Rating of B. Stocks with a rating of B have had an average return of +19.88% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for El Pollo Loco Holdings (NASDAQ:LOCO) is: Value: B, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: A, Safety: B, Financials: C, and AI: C.

El Pollo Loco Holdings (NASDAQ:LOCO) has a Due Diligence Score of 28, which is -1 points lower than the restaurant industry average of 29. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates LOCO as a "B".

LOCO passed 9 out of 33 due diligence checks and has average fundamentals. El Pollo Loco Holdings has seen its stock return 34.56% over the past year, overperforming other restaurant stocks by 43 percentage points.

El Pollo Loco Holdings has an average 1 year price target of $13.50, a downside of -2.6% from El Pollo Loco Holdings's current stock price of $13.86.

El Pollo Loco Holdings stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 3 analysts covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, 66.67% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 0% have issued a Buy, 33.33% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

3. Yum China Holdings (NYSE:YUMC)

Yum China Holdings (NYSE:YUMC) is the #3 top restaurant stock out of 53 with a Zen Rating of B. Stocks with a rating of B have had an average return of +19.88% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Yum China Holdings (NYSE:YUMC) is: Value: C, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: B, Safety: D, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Yum China Holdings (NYSE:YUMC) has a Due Diligence Score of 40, which is 11 points higher than the restaurant industry average of 29.

YUMC passed 14 out of 38 due diligence checks and has average fundamentals. Yum China Holdings has seen its stock lose -6.3% over the past year, overperforming other restaurant stocks by 2 percentage points.

What are the restaurant stocks with highest dividends?

Out of 22 restaurant stocks that have issued dividends in the past year, the 3 restaurant stocks with the highest dividend yields are:

1. Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK)

Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK) has an annual dividend yield of N/A, which is N/A percentage points lower than the restaurant industry average of 3.32%. Jack In The Box's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. Jack In The Box's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Jack In The Box's dividend payout ratio of -7.2% indicates that its dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

2. Chagee Holdings (NASDAQ:CHA)

Chagee Holdings (NASDAQ:CHA) has an annual dividend yield of 9.88%, which is 7 percentage points higher than the restaurant industry average of 3.32%.

Chagee Holdings's dividend payout ratio of 14.7% indicates that its high dividend yield is sustainable for the long-term.

3. Wendy's Co (NASDAQ:WEN)

Wendy's Co (NASDAQ:WEN) has an annual dividend yield of 8.06%, which is 5 percentage points higher than the restaurant industry average of 3.32%. Wendy's Co's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% two times in the last 10 years. Wendy's Co's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Wendy's Co's dividend payout ratio of 78.8% indicates that its high dividend yield is sustainable for the long-term.

Why are restaurant stocks up?

Restaurant stocks were up 2.21% in the last day, and down -1.44% over the last week.

We couldn't find a catalyst for why restaurant stocks are up.

What are the most undervalued restaurant stocks?

Based on the Valuation rating, one of the 7 components of a stocks overall Zen Ratings grade, which evaluates factors including estimated earnings yield, earnings before interest and taxes/enterprise value, cash flow yield, free cash flow to price, and price-to-earnings growth (PEG ratio), the 3 most undervalued restaurant stocks right now are:

1. Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN)

Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) is the most undervalued restaurant stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Bloomin' Brands has a valuation score of 43, which is 12 points higher than the restaurant industry average of 31. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Bloomin' Brands's stock has dropped -24.69% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the restaurant industry by -16 percentage points.

2. Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO)

Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO) is the second most undervalued restaurant stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Arcos Dorados Holdings has a valuation score of 43, which is 12 points higher than the restaurant industry average of 31. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Arcos Dorados Holdings's stock has gained 2.36% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the restaurant industry by 11 percentage points.

3. Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK)

Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK) is the third most undervalued restaurant stock based on its Valuation Rating of B. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Jack In The Box has a valuation score of 29, which is -2 points higher than the restaurant industry average of 31. It passed 2 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates JACK a Valuation Rating of "B".

Jack In The Box's stock has dropped -64.44% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the restaurant industry by -56 percentage points.

Are restaurant stocks a good buy now?

37.5% of restaurant stocks rated by analysts are a strong buy right now. On average, analysts expect restaurant stocks to rise by 25.95% over the next year.

0% of restaurant stocks have a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), 7.89% of restaurant stocks are rated B (Buy), 68.42% are rated C (Hold), 13.16% are rated D (Sell), and 10.53% are rated F (Strong Sell).

What is the average p/e ratio of the restaurants industry?

The average P/E ratio of the restaurants industry is 37.19x.

WallStreetZen does not provide financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security.

Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes and is not advice. WallStreetZen does not bear any responsibility for any losses or damage that may occur as a result of reliance on this data.

Sectors & Industries Consumer CyclicalRestaurants
Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Now (2026)
Top restaurant stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best restaurant stocks to buy now. Learn More.

Restaurant Stocks FAQ

1. Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO)

2. El Pollo Loco Holdings (NASDAQ:LOCO)

3. Yum China Holdings (NYSE:YUMC)

1. Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK)

2. Chagee Holdings (NASDAQ:CHA)

3. Wendy's Co (NASDAQ:WEN)

1. Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN)

2. Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO)

3. Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK)

Company

Stock Tools

Stock Ideas

Sectors & IndustriesConsumer CyclicalRestaurantsBest Restaurant Stocks to Buy Now (2026)Top restaurant stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best restaurant stocks to buy now. Learn More.

Restaurant Stocks FAQ

1. Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO)

2. El Pollo Loco Holdings (NASDAQ:LOCO)

3. Yum China Holdings (NYSE:YUMC)

1. Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK)

2. Chagee Holdings (NASDAQ:CHA)

3. Wendy's Co (NASDAQ:WEN)

1. Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN)

2. Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE:ARCO)

3. Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK)

Company

Stock Tools

Stock Ideas

Sectors & Industries Consumer CyclicalRestaurants
Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Now (2026)
Top restaurant stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best restaurant stocks to buy now. Learn More.