Covid was a disaster for a lot of businesses since 2019. These businesses that were affected certainly included a lot of restaurants, and many of them closed down. But somehow, quite a few US burger chains grew by a significant margin since 2019. They didn’t just survive the Covid crisis. They somehow thrived throughout that adversity. 

Here are the burger chains that grew since 2019: 

Wahlburgers

Paul Wahlberg started out this brand in Massachusetts in 2011, and now they’re running more than 90 locations across 23 states in the country. They even have locations in Canada, Germany, and Australia. Despite the pandemic, they boosted their sales by 104% since the start of the crisis in 2019. In other words, they somehow more than doubled their sales during times of lockdowns. 

Perhaps it helped that Paul Wahlberg had celebrities Donnie and Mark Wahlberg for sons. But that can’t be the only reason. The more likely reason here is that they also offer simply delicious gourmet burgers, using fresh Angus beef. 

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Combining frozen custards with burgers doesn’t seem intuitive, but it sure works for Freddy’s. The brand started its first location in 2002, and now they have 450 locations in about 35 states. They even increased their sales by 41.63% since 2019. 

Here you can get a great burger, and then have your frozen custard afterwards. Try the Double Steakburger California Style Combo with its 2 steakburger patties, plus cheese, a full slice of onion, Thousand Island dressing, tomato, and lettuce on a toasted bun. 

Culver’s

The first Culver’s opened in 1984, and they’re still going with more 862 locations these days. Like Freddy’s. they offer frozen custard to go along with traditional fast-food fare. Their sales increased by 38.64% since 2019. 

Their Original Butterburger remains a classic, with fresh (never frozen) beef on a lightly toasted bun. But a lot of fans also clamor for the Bacon Deluxe. You have your beef patties (1 to 3 patties) along with fresh lettuce, ripe tomatoes, sweet red onion, pickles, Wisconsin cheese, and the 2 strips of crisp bacon. This is the Butterburger with bacon that will become your instant favorite. 

Farmer Boys

The brand was started by boys who actually grew up on a farm, and they really want their burgers fresh and natural. They actually made their reputation by introducing the “Natural” burger. This uses a fresh (never frozen) ⅓ pound beef patty, made from beef with no added hormones and raised with no antibiotics. Then they added 2 slices of American cheese, diced onion, dill pickles, and house-made Thousand Island dressing on a locally baked toasted potato bun. 

That’s just the start, as the entire menu (see menu on PriceListo) is simply excellent. It’s not really surprising that their sales grew by 28.53% since 2019. 

Five Guys

This brand is perennially mentioned among the best burger brands today, so no one’s really surprised that their sales grew by almost 26% since the start of the pandemic. 

If you’re visiting here, you really should check out their classic Bacon Cheese Burger. The basic recipe calls for 2 tasty patties fresh from the grill, with Kraft American cheese and 2 strips of delicious applewood-smoked bacon. Then just add any other toppings you might want. 

Of course, you need to pair that with the Cajun Fries. The fries are covered in that special Cajun spice that nice and peppery, but not too overpowering. It’s just right, enough to spice things up. It sure serves as a nice complement to the burger. 

Cook-Out Restaurant

This brand started out in 1989, so it’s not exactly new. But it now has 290 locations spread out over 100 cities in the US. Their traditional formula is that they don’t usually offer indoor sitting. Instead, they have 2 drive-thru lanes and a walk-up window. No wonder they didn’t have any trouble during the Covid crisis. They even boosted their sales by almost 25% since 2019. 

Their specialty here is their highly customizable homemade char-grilled hamburgers. You start by choosing the size and number of patties. Then you pick out the style with the default toppings. You can go with the Cheddar Style and get cheddar cheese, bacon, grilled onions, and mayo. Or maybe you prefer the Cook Out Style, with homemade chili, slaw, mustard, and onion. Then you can add more toppings and extras, if you want. 

SONIC Drive-In

As this is another mainly drive-thru place, it may not have been as seriously affected by Covid as the other burger brands. In fact, their sales increased by 24.5% since 2019. 

When you do go through the place, don’t forget to get your cherry limeade and the mozzarella sticks. Or you can try the Sonic Blast with a 3-patty burger. Whether you’re just out for a snack or for a heavy meal, Sonic has you covered.