The Habit Burger Grill

The Habit Burger Grill is a fast-casual, Irvine, Calif.-based burger chain owned by Taco Bell/Pizza Hut parent company Yum Brands. The restaurant brand is known for its chargrilled-style burgers and California cuisine-influenced menu and is the second-largest fast-casual burger company in America, after Five Guys.

Habit Burger was founded in 1969 in Santa Barbara, Calif. and through 2007, the brand slowly expanded outside of the Los Angeles area. In 2007, Habit Burger was purchased by private equity firm KarpReilly, which also began franchising the regional burger chain. Soon, the company became one of the fastest-growing burger chains in the United States and in 2014 Habit Burger filed an initial public offering. In 2017, the company expanded internationally for the first time into the U.K. though growth had slowed significantly stateside

In March 2020, Yum Brands purchased Habit Burger right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, in a deal valued at $375 million. Yum said at the time that the acquisition was an opportunity for their company to invest in a trendy, tech-forward fast-casual concept.

Key Data: The Habit Burger Grill

Headquarters: Irvine, Calif.

Segment: Fast Casual

Restaurant Segment: LSR Burger

Number of US locations: 289

2020 Sales: $420.3 million

Annual Growth:

Source: Datassential Firefly 500

CEO: Russell Bendel    

Parent: Yum Brands