8 High-Growth Restaurant Stocks for 2026

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6. Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA)

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) is among the 8 High-Growth Restaurant Stocks for 2026. During the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference on March 12, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) highlighted its strategic plans for growth, driven by three underlying drivers: innovation, value offerings, and operational enhancements. Although the domestic market is under strain, real prospects arise from international momentum and investments.

On the operational end, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) is focusing on menu innovation and technology improvements. The company plans to enhance the overall ordering experience by upgrading its website and app. In order to do this, the company is utilizing Google’s ordering agent for group and voice ordering.

For the future, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) is working to open 40 to 50 net new restaurants in North America and 180 to 220 internationally. With the first quarter expected to be challenging, the company projects North American sales to drop by 2% to 4% due to a decline in transactions. By 2028, the company anticipates $25 million in G&A savings and $60 million in supply chain savings.

On the same day, Stifel reaffirmed its Hold rating and price target of $32 on Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA). The firm highlighted a tough road ahead to improve performance in North America, mainly as scaled-value competitors prepare to increase promotions in FY26.

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) is a Kentucky-based company owning and managing pizza delivery and carryout restaurants. Founded in 1984, the company operates through Domestic Company-Owned Restaurants, North America Franchising, North America Commissaries, and International segments.

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Click to continue reading and see the 5 High-Growth Restaurant Stocks for 2026.

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