The restaurant sector has been a mixed bag so far in 2026. Commodity prices like beef and oil have been a major pressure point, and several fast casual chains like Sweetgreen Inc. (NYSE: SG) and Papa John’s International Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) recently reported disastrous earnings. But the industry has its fair share of winners as well, and the following two companies are pulling off an impressive double-feat: growing comps and margins. With commodity pressures (hopefully) in the rearview and consumer sentiment bouncing off historic lows, these three restaurant stocks look like good candidates for a strong second-half finish.
