Headlines

Restaurant Updates: Freddy’s, KBP/Sonic and Portillo’s

Two chains unveil expansion plans and a franchisee makes a major acquisition.

Published

1 month ago

February 24, 2026

VMSD Staff

Restaurant Updates: Freddy’s, KBP/Sonic and Portillo’s — Sonic Drive-In franchisee KBP Brands has bought 78 company-owned locales from the drive-in burger chain. Photo: hapabapa/iStock by Getty Images

Sonic Drive-In franchisee KBP Brands has bought 78 company-owned locales from the drive-in burger chain. Photo: hapabapa/iStock by Getty Images

* Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers (Wichita, Kansas) has unveiled plans to add restaurants in Canada’s Ontario and British Columbia provinces. Target cities include Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria. The fast-casual brand opened its first Canadian locales last year, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Okotoks, Alberta. In addition to its Canadian sites, the brand has about 580 eateries in the U.S.

* KBP Brands has acquired 78 company-owned locales from Sonic Drive-In (Oklahoma City) for an undisclosed price, giving it a total of 164 restaurants bearing that brand. The locales, in Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, make KBP Sonic’s fourth-largest franchisee. (The firm also operates restaurants under the KFC, Taco Bell, and Arby’s flags). Overall, Sonic has about 3400 locations in 47 states.

* Portillo’s (Oak Brook, Ill.) plans to open eight new restaurants this year, the same number as it did last year. The purveyor of Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches, hot dogs and char-grilled burgers currently has 104 restaurants. Related note: on Feb. 23, veteran restaurant industry executive Brett Patterson took over as Portillo’s President and CEO.

VMSD Staff

Drawing on more than 125 years of history serving the retail design market, VMSD magazine provides retail professionals with the most up-to-date, innovative retail design ideas and industry news through its industry-leading magazine, website, social media channels and bulletins.

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