5 High Growth Restaurant Stocks for 2026

2. Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) is among the 8 High-Growth Restaurant Stocks for 2026. On March 16, JPMorgan elevated the price target on Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) to $190 from $187 and reaffirmed an Overweight rating on the stock. According to the firm, the company is a strong near-term investment opportunity as the comparable sales pace is likely to remain steady due to new product platform upgrades.

JPMorgan believes Chili’s brand is “generating a flywheel of success,” resulting in reinvestments in the company’s current platform, with a roadmap to a stable remodel program and a return to unit growth, TheFly reported.

Wolfe Research, too, is confident in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) even amid the stock’s merely 3.94% surge over the past six months. The firm started coverage with an Outperform rating and a $184 price target on March 9. The firm attributed the company’s Chili’s brand performance as the major factor behind its optimism, saying that the brand has achieved both value credibility and cultural resonance. Wolfe Research also highlighted traffic outperformance at the restaurant chain, emphasizing the durability of these gains, which it believes is underestimated by the market.

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) is a Texas-based company owning and operating casual dining restaurants. Founded in 1975, the company manages Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant brands.