Use the 2025 store ranking to locate packaging touchpoints, then examine how 2026 developments are flowing through to cupstock, foodservice board, corrugated packaging, barrier systems and supplier qualification.
The top ten brands represent approximately 317,000 store touchpoints, creating a map of packaging demand. Whether that map converts into orders depends on aligning each SKU's specifications, material construction, food-contact compliance, commercial-scale production, franchisee implementation and local end-of-life infrastructure.
The greatest value of a restaurant chain is that a proven specification can be replicated across markets. The greatest challenge is that regional menus, procurement entities, franchise rights and recycling infrastructure can divide a single brand into multiple packaging programs.
This independent BIOTEN Packaging ranking is based on publicly disclosed global stores in operation at the end of 2025 and uses a single-brand methodology. Data from 2026 appear only in the development cards and do not affect the 2025 ranking.
317,000 store touchpoints · 10 brands · 2026 development cards
Based on the public figures used in this analysis, the top ten brands operated approximately 317,220 stores in total. The ranking extends from approximately 48,250 MIXUE stores to a reconstructed single-brand total of 19,155 Pizza Hut stores. Cotti Coffee, ranked eleventh, reported more than 18,000 stores and therefore did not enter the top ten. This scale can turn a change in cup or box format into a cross-market program, but it cannot be converted directly into tonnage, order value or supplier share.
Several developments in 2026 already point to more specific opportunities: Luckin Coffee added a net 5,262 stores in the first half; Burger King introduced a new clamshell for its core Whopper product; Starbucks' polypropylene cold cup in the United States received a How2Recycle Widely Recyclable designation; and Yum China completed the acquisition of Pizza Hut's brand ownership in mainland China. The store ranking maps the network, while the 2026 developments show suppliers which specifications, procurement rights and end-of-life conditions have begun to change.
2025 Store Ranking
01 | 2025 Global Top 10: Approximately 317,000 Store Touchpoints
No. 01
MIXUEApproximately 48,250 stores
Basis | As of 31 December 2025; reconstructed by BIOTEN from public disclosures. The total combines 43,789 stores in China with MIXUE Group's disclosed overseas network, while excluding the small number of overseas Lucky Cup pilot stores. Network and operations | The group operates primarily through franchising. Its flagship brand is present in China and 13 overseas countries. Packaging touchpoints | Beverage cups, lids, straws, sleeves, paper bags, ice-cream packaging and corrugated transport cases.
No. 02
McDonald's45,356 stores
Basis | As of 31 December 2025; precise figure reported by the company. Network and operations | 2,039 company-operated restaurants and 43,317 franchised or affiliated restaurants; approximately 95% franchised. Systemwide sales were US$139.4 billion in 2025. Packaging touchpoints | Paper cups, lids, paper bags, burger cartons and wraps, fry cartons, cutlery, delivery packaging and transport packaging.
No. 03
Starbucks40,990 stores
Basis | As of the end of fiscal 2025 (28 September 2025); precise figure reported by the company. Network and operations | 21,514 company-operated stores and 19,476 licensed stores across 89 markets. Fiscal 2025 revenue was US$37.1844 billion. Packaging touchpoints | Hot and cold beverage cups, lids, sleeves, straws, paper bags, food cartons, delivery packaging and reusable cups.
No. 04
SubwayNearly 37,000 stores
Basis | An official brand approximation published in 2025; the company did not report an exact figure for 31 December. Network and operations | Present in more than 100 countries, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees. Packaging touchpoints | Sandwich wraps, grease-resistant paper, paper bags, bowls, cup lids, napkins, cutlery and delivery packaging. Its publicly reported lead over KFC is sufficient to support fourth place.
No. 05
KFC33,897 stores
Basis | As of 31 December 2025; precise figure reported by the company. Network and operations | Present in 149 countries and territories, with 99% of stores franchised or licensed. System sales were US$36.434 billion in 2025. Packaging touchpoints | Chicken buckets, meal cartons, wraps, paper bags, cup lids, cutlery, delivery packaging and transport packaging.
No. 06
Luckin Coffee31,048 stores
Basis | As of 31 December 2025; precise figure reported by the company. Network and operations | 20,234 self-operated stores and 10,814 partnership stores. Average monthly transacting customers reached 94.2 million in 2025. Packaging touchpoints | Hot and cold beverage cups, lids, sleeves, paper bags, cup carriers, food bags and cartons, and delivery packaging.
No. 07
Domino's22,142 stores
Basis | As of 28 December 2025; precise figure reported by the company. Network and operations | Present in more than 90 markets, with approximately 99% of stores franchised. Global retail sales were US$20.1268 billion in 2025. Packaging touchpoints | Corrugated pizza boxes, dipping cups, paper bags, cutlery, delivery packaging and transport packaging.
No. 08
Burger King19,900 stores
Basis | As of 31 December 2025; precise figure reported by the company. Network and operations | Present in 126 countries and territories. System sales were US$29.368 billion in 2025. Packaging touchpoints | Burger clamshells and wraps, paper bags, fry cartons, cup lids, cutlery and delivery packaging.
No. 09
Wallace19,482 stores
Basis | Based on the original 2025 year-end brand table from Narrow Door Restaurant Data, cross-checked against the brand website's statement of approximately 20,000 stores; a credible research-table figure. Network and operations | The network is concentrated across China's 31 provincial-level regions. Public disclosures do not provide a consistent breakdown between company-operated and franchised stores. Packaging touchpoints | Burger cartons and wraps, fried-chicken cartons and buckets, fry cartons, cup lids, paper bags and delivery packaging.
No. 10
Pizza Hut19,155 stores
Basis | As of 31 December 2025; single-brand figure reconstructed by BIOTEN. Network and operations | Present in 108 countries, with more than 99% of stores franchised. Division-level system sales of US$12.794 billion are included only as supplementary context. Packaging touchpoints | Corrugated pizza boxes, chicken-wing cartons, paper bags, cup lids, cutlery, delivery packaging and transport packaging.
Two reconstruction boundaries | MIXUE Group's total of 59,823 stores cannot be treated as the store count of the MIXUE brand alone. For Pizza Hut, the reconstructed figure is 19,974 - (702 - 16) - (243 - 110) = 19,155. The calculation starts with the Yum! Brands division total and removes the identifiable Telepizza-brand differences in Spain and Portugal. It is a reproducible research estimate, not an exact single-brand figure reported by the company.
Sources: Annual reports and quarterly disclosures from MIXUE Group, McDonald's, Starbucks, Yum! Brands, Luckin Coffee, Domino's and Restaurant Brands International (RBI, Burger King's parent company); Subway brand materials; Narrow Door Restaurant Data; the Ibersol annual report; and Pizza Hut Spain network data.
Large restaurant chains amplify more than material consumption. They also magnify the cost of failed line changeovers, incomplete franchisee implementation and rejection by local end-of-life systems.
2026 Tracking Checklist
02 | 2026 Paper-Packaging Development Checklist
Network and procurement | First determine whether demand has actually changed
01 Stores and transactions | Each quarter, verify stores in operation at period-end, net openings, the company-operated/franchised split and transacting customers. If store count rises without transaction growth, packaging volume may not increase at the same pace. 02 Packaging SKUs | Use product launches, new store formats, collaborations and core-product announcements to confirm whether the cup body, carton format, wrap or paper bag has actually changed. Record the market and launch date. 03 Supplier onboarding | Review procurement notices, supplier specifications and financial disclosures for the approved region, purchasing entity, initial volume, dual-sourcing arrangement and expansion date. Sample approval is not the same as a systemwide order. 04 Franchise replication | Determine whether headquarters mandates the specification, permits local sourcing or grants SKU-level exceptions in major franchise markets, and verify the actual coverage rate. One brand does not necessarily represent one order.
Materials and execution | Then determine whether the solution can be delivered reliably
05 Bill of materials (BOM) and food contact | Verify the paper grade, basis weight, recycled content, coating or liner, adhesive, ink, contact temperature and duration, and certificate validity. 06 Commercial-scale yield | During trials, equipment acceptance and the 30/60/90-day ramp-up, track line speed, changeovers, leakage, dusting, crush performance, nesting and scrap rate. 07 End-of-life acceptance | Verify municipal or recycler acceptance lists, sorting methods, repulping yield, contamination rate, end-market demand and losses in reusable systems. 08 Actual material reduction | Separate projected plastic reduction and design for recyclability from annual actual material use, capture rate and recycling rate, and compare them consistently across reporting years.
Developments Across Ten Brands
03 | Ten 2026 Development Cards
2026 development
MIXUE | Aggregate packaging volume disclosed; brand-level allocation remains unavailable
As of | 30 June 2026. Stores and markets | MIXUE Group operated 63,987 stores across its three brands. MIXUE entered Mexico, Kyrgyzstan and Brazil. The group total does not alter the 2025 single-brand ranking. Packaging, brand and materials | The 2025 ESG Report, published in 2026, disclosed 305,264.65 tonnes of packaging materials used at production facilities; cardboard boxes made from recycled pulp accounted for 69.13%. More than 3,000 MIXUE stores deployed fully automatic coffee machines. Change from 2025 | The group has provided greater transparency on total packaging materials used at production facilities, while coffee products and equipment have entered more stores. The data, however, are still not split by individual brand or between paper and plastic. Industry implications | Demand is increasing for cupstock, lids, barrier systems, sealing performance and cross-regional print consistency. The disclosed tonnage is not the packaging consumption of MIXUE stores alone. Next signal | Whether the 2026 ESG report provides brand-level and paper/plastic breakdowns, along with coffee-machine coverage and cup formats in new markets. Sources: MIXUE Group 2026 Interim Results; MIXUE Group 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.
2026 development
McDonald's | Store count continues to rise; responsible sourcing reaches 95.8%
As of | 30 June 2026. Stores and markets | 46,028 restaurants, a net increase of 672 from year-end 2025; approximately 95% franchised. Packaging, brand and materials | The company reported that, at year-end 2025, 95.8% of primary guest packaging was sourced from renewable, recycled or certified materials. McDonald's China is advancing a transition to new bio-based packaging. Change from 2025 | The restaurant network continued to expand, and the responsible-sourcing rate rose to 95.8%, still short of 100%. China has moved into SKU-specific packaging changes. Industry implications | Opportunities exist in certified fiber, paper-cup and carton coatings, and large-scale line conversions. Responsible sourcing does not by itself establish actual recyclability. Next signal | The remaining 4.2% of packaging components and the actual scope of changes underlying McDonald's China's projected annual plastic reduction of more than 5,800 tonnes. Sources: McDonald's Q2 2026 Form 10-Q; company packaging-progress update; McDonald's China packaging-upgrade announcement.
2026 development
Starbucks | Moving from design attributes to recycling access
As of | 28 June 2026. Stores and markets | 41,304 stores, a net increase of 314 from the end of fiscal 2025. Packaging, brand and materials | Starbucks' polypropylene (PP) cold cup in the United States received a How2Recycle Widely Recyclable designation, meaning that at least 60% of U.S. households have access through curbside collection or drop-off programs. The fiscal 2025 report also stated that 75% of customer-facing packaging was designed to be reusable, recyclable or compostable (RRC), while 25% incorporated recycled content. Change from 2025 | The U.S. polypropylene cup has advanced from design intent to the threshold for recycling access, but the actual capture rate has not yet been demonstrated. Industry implications | Both paper and plastic cups must demonstrate alignment among the cup body, lid, sorting acceptance and end-market demand; a material label alone is insufficient. Next signal | Actual capture rates for polypropylene cups, scale-up of paper cups and fiber lids in Europe, and the share of beverages served in reusable cups. Sources: Starbucks Q3 Fiscal 2026 Results; Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report; polypropylene-cup recyclability announcement.
2026 development
Subway | Store-count wording moves lower; quantified packaging data do not follow
As of | 30 August 2026. Stores and markets | The current brand page states more than 35,000 restaurants. Because this is not a same-date, like-for-like figure with the nearly 37,000 reported in 2025, it does not revise the ranking. Packaging, brand and materials | No verifiable new global material metric for 2026 was identified. Public commitments continue to focus on recyclable, compostable and recycled-content materials. Change from 2025 | The brand has revised its global network description to more than 35,000 restaurants, while packaging disclosures still provide direction rather than new quantitative metrics. Industry implications | Opportunities in grease-resistant sandwich wraps, paper bags and bowls require confirmation of SKUs, coatings and approved-supplier lists in major franchise markets. Next signal | A precise global system count, packaging specifications in major franchise markets and SKU coverage rates. Sources: Subway brand page; Climate and Conservation page.
2026 development
KFC | 850 net new stores in the first half; global packaging metrics remain absent
As of | 30 June 2026. Stores and markets | 34,747 restaurants, a net increase of 850 from year-end 2025. Packaging, brand and materials | No verifiable new global brand-level packaging metric for 2026 was identified. Yum's reporting primarily covers individual brand or market initiatives. Change from 2025 | The network continued to expand, but no quantitative global brand-level packaging data have emerged. Industry implications | Chicken buckets, meal cartons, grease-resistant paper and paper bags offer substantial scale, but 149 markets, local regulation and franchise procurement divide the opportunity into multiple orders. Next signal | KFC brand-level packaging KPIs, packaging SKUs for new stores, supplier certification and franchisee implementation rates. Sources: Yum! Brands Q2 2026 Form 10-Q; 2025 Global Citizenship and Sustainability Report.
2026 development
Luckin Coffee | 5,262 net new stores in the first half rapidly expand beverage-packaging touchpoints
As of | 30 June 2026. Stores and markets | 36,310 stores, a net increase of 5,262 from year-end 2025. Luckin opened a net 2,714 stores in Q2, while average monthly transacting customers reached 112.7 million. Packaging, brand and materials | No verifiable 2026 change in paper-cup or lid materials was identified. The financial statements refer only to delivery packaging materials within the cost definition for self-operated stores. Change from 2025 | Stores and transacting customers both increased, but the bill of materials (BOM), material weight per cup and supplier shares remain undisclosed. Industry implications | Cupstock, lids, sleeves, cup carriers, paper bags and high-speed forming and inspection systems all show strong volume potential, but store count cannot be converted directly into tonnage. Next signal | Cup-format SKUs, large-size expansion, supplier onboarding, material weight per cup and commercial-scale yield. Sources: Luckin Coffee Q2 2026 Results.
2026 development
Domino's | The pizza-box network continues to expand; material disclosures have not been updated
As of | 14 June 2026. Stores and markets | 22,531 stores, a net increase of 389 from year-end 2025. Packaging, brand and materials | No verifiable new global pizza-box material development for 2026 was identified. Publicly disclosed actions still center on more than 70% recycled content in U.S. pizza boxes and historical source reduction. Change from 2025 | The pizza-box network continued to expand, while material information remains concentrated on U.S. examples. Industry implications | The principal interfaces are lightweight, high-strength corrugated board; grease resistance with repulpability; digital printing; and acceptance by local recycling systems. Next signal | The 2026 responsibility report, box basis weight and recycled content, and local acceptance rates. Sources: Domino's Q2 2026 Results; 2024 Stewardship Report; pizza-box recycling guidance.
2026 development
Burger King | A new package for its core burger SKU
As of | 30 June 2026. Stores and markets | 19,933 restaurants, a net increase of 33 from year-end 2025. Packaging, brand and materials | Restaurant Brands International (RBI), Burger King's parent company, announced an upgraded Whopper served in a new clamshell. Its 2025 report stated that more than 95% of approved guest-facing fiber packaging was sourced from recycled or certified materials. Change from 2025 | The core burger SKU has entered a structural packaging redesign, but the bill of materials (BOM), launch markets and volume remain undisclosed. Industry implications | Food-grade paperboard, grease barriers, stiffness, locking and sealing performance, print consistency and franchise replication are direct qualification thresholds. Next signal | The clamshell BOM, launch scope, conversion yield and franchisee coverage. Sources: RBI Q2 2026 Form 10-Q; 2025 Restaurant Brands for Good Report; investor-day update.
2026 development
Wallace | A slightly smaller network, with frequent collaboration-driven artwork changes
As of | 8 March 2026. Stores and markets | A regulatory filing reported 19,437 stores, 45 fewer than the 2025 research-table figure. Packaging, brand and materials | No verifiable 2026 bill-of-materials (BOM) upgrade was identified. The brand continues to run frequent collaborations. Change from 2025 | The network edged lower, while visual redesigns remained frequent. No unified packaging specification has been publicly disclosed. Industry implications | Demand exists for food-grade paperboard, burger cartons, fried-chicken cartons and buckets, grease-resistant paper and short-run printing, but public information still lacks parameters for nationwide replication. Next signal | The year-end 2026 store count, unified specifications, collaboration volumes and obsolescence or scrap rates. Sources: Baili Foods public-offering application filed with the Beijing Stock Exchange; Narrow Door Restaurant Data 2025 year-end brand table.
2026 development
Pizza Hut | A change in brand ownership reshapes procurement governance
As of | 7 August 2026. Stores and markets | The division-level store count for Q2 2026 was 19,985. It is not used to revise the 2025 single-brand ranking. Packaging, brand and materials | Yum China completed its acquisition of Pizza Hut's brand ownership in mainland China; the transaction for markets outside mainland China is proceeding separately. Change from 2025 | A single brand is beginning to map to different owners and procurement systems, creating new governance boundaries for global specifications. Industry implications | Suppliers of pizza boxes, chicken-wing cartons and delivery packaging must track procurement authority, specifications and certification separately for China and other markets. Next signal | Completion of the transaction outside mainland China, new approved-supplier lists, and differences between packaging specifications in China and other markets. Sources: Yum! Brands Q2 2026 Form 10-Q; Yum China announcement confirming completion of the mainland China brand acquisition.
Packaging Component Map
04 | Packaging Component Map: Opportunities Differ by Use Conditions
Beverage packaging | MIXUE, Starbucks, Luckin Coffee, McDonald's and KFC use cups, lids, sleeves, cup carriers, straws and paper bags at high frequency. Opportunities center on cupstock, barrier coatings, web printing, sealing and high-speed inspection. Qualification thresholds include hot and cold beverages, fruit acids, leakage, cup-lid fit and food-contact compliance.
Hot-food packaging | McDonald's, KFC, Wallace and Burger King use burger cartons and wraps, fried-chicken cartons and buckets, and fry cartons. Opportunities lie in food-grade paperboard, fluorine-free grease resistance and structural locking. Qualification thresholds include hot oil, steam-induced moisture, stiffness, folding speed and migration testing on the finished article.
Pizza packaging | Corrugated pizza boxes are central to Domino's and Pizza Hut. Opportunities lie in lightweight, high-strength corrugated board, grease resistance with repulpability, digital printing and structural optimization. Qualification thresholds include crush performance, the balance between heat retention and moisture release, acceptance of oil-contaminated fiber and regional recycling rules.
Molded fiber and reuse | Fiber lids, cup carriers, cutlery and trays require validation of wet-heat strength, nesting performance, dusting, forming yield and food-contact compliance. Reusable systems must also demonstrate collection points, washing, number of rotations, loss rates and participation.
Transport packaging | Group factories, distribution centers and franchise networks use recycled-content corrugated packaging, reusable pallets, warehouse and logistics labels, and automated case packing. Transport packaging and customer-facing packaging must be reported separately.
The only directly usable aggregate disclosure comes from MIXUE Group. In 2025, the group's production facilities used305,264.65 tonnesof packaging materials, including 111,602.18 tonnes classified as Sustainable Packaging Material Usage and 193,662.47 tonnes as Other Packaging Material Usage. The classification includes paper cups, crystallized polylactic acid (CPLA) straws and polylactic acid (PLA) plastic cups. It is neither a paper/plastic split nor the packaging consumption of MIXUE stores alone.
The other nine brands do not disclose a unified global, all-channel total for paper, plastic or all packaging SKUs. This analysis therefore does not estimate tonnage by multiplying store count by assumed consumption per store.
Supplier Qualification
05 | Six Opportunity Areas, All Subject to Supplier Qualification
Paper producers | Opportunities lie in differentiated grades of cupstock, foodservice board, bag paper, grease-resistant paper and corrugated medium or linerboard. Entry evidence includes certified fiber, lightweight strength, coating compatibility, batch consistency and cross-regional supply capability.
Packaging converters | Opportunities combine standardized global formats with short-run collaboration designs. Entry evidence includes die-cutting, forming, print registration, sealing, dusting, crush performance, artwork-change waste and 30/60/90-day ramp-up records.
Functional materials | Water-based, bio-based and fluorine-free describe material attributes only. Supplier qualification must be tied to the final food-contact surface, temperature, duration, acid/oil/water environment, converting process and end-of-life pathway.
Equipment and inspection | Changes in packaging SKUs increase demand for cup-forming, folder-gluing, die-cutting, vision inspection, and inline leakage and seal control. The critical records are line speed, yield, changeover time, defect criteria and stability reports.
Recycling and repulping | After establishing design for recyclability, suppliers must still provide data on local acceptance, collection, sorting, repulping yield, contamination and end-market demand.
Brand procurement | Store count is only an entry point for commercial discussions. A supplier-qualification matrix must identify headquarters specifications, major franchise markets, local sourcing, mandatory franchisee compliance, dual-sourcing strategies, legacy-inventory transition and the owner of each specification version.
Necessary Calibration
06 | A Large Network Is Not the Same as a Unified Order
Luckin Coffee's 5,262 net new stores in the first half clearly expanded touchpoints for cups, lids, bags and cup carriers. Without cup formats, basis weights, transaction volumes and supplier shares, however, the increase still cannot be converted into tonnage. Burger King's new clamshell has entered a core product SKU, but that does not mean all 126 markets will change at the same time. After Pizza Hut's brand ownership is divided, the same brand will correspond to different procurement entities.
Paper substitution does not work automatically either. If a paper-based structure adds composite layers, slows production, increases scrap or is not accepted by local infrastructure, it merely shifts the cost and environmental burden. Suppliers must answer five questions at once: functionality, compliance, commercial-scale production, commercial replication and end-of-life performance.
BIOTEN by the Numbers
The 2025 ranking provides network coordinates: approximately 317,000 stores across the top ten brands. The 2026 development cards translate that network into specific order signals: Luckin Coffee's rapid store expansion, Starbucks' progress on recycling access, Burger King's change to core-product packaging and Pizza Hut's restructuring of brand ownership.
For the paper-packaging value chain, a more useful way to track paper substitution is to break it into six questions: Does net store growth come with transaction growth? Has the packaging entered a defined SKU? Is the bill of materials complete? Can the supplier deliver stable commercial-scale production? Will the franchise system implement the change? Will local end-of-life systems accept it? Only sustained progress on these measures can turn a global restaurant network into durable orders.
When the coffee is finished, the paper cup begins to grow: the BIOTEN nursery paper cup.
BIOTEN Packaging | Industry Insight | Research Note
This article is an independent BIOTEN Packaging study based on corporate annual reports, regulatory filings, sustainability reports, official brand materials and credible original research tables. Information was verified through 30 August 2026. It is provided solely for industry research and learning and does not constitute procurement, investment or compliance advice. If you have concerns regarding the content, data or rights involved, you may request a correction, clarification or removal. We will review the request within 24 hours of receipt.
BIOTEN Observer Data and Verification Sources
MIXUE Group | 2025 Annual Report; MIXUE Group | 2026 Interim Results; McDonald's | 2025 Form 10-K; Starbucks | 2025 Form 10-K; Subway | 2025 Brand Materials; Yum! Brands | 2025 Form 10-K; Yum! Brands | 2025 Global Brand and Market Store Table; Luckin Coffee | Fiscal 2025 Results; Domino's Pizza | 2025 Annual Report; Restaurant Brands International (RBI, Burger King's parent company) | 2025 Form 10-K; Beijing Stock Exchange | Baili Foods Public-Offering Application; Ibersol | 2025 Annual Report; Yum China | Announcement on the Acquisition of Pizza Hut's Brand Ownership in Mainland China; Starbucks | Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report.
