Fast food companies are adding stores in California, LA and Santa Clara much faster than in the rest of the country.

• Since California increased the fast food minimum wage to $20 an hour, the fast food industry is adding stores in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties and in the entire state of California much faster than in the rest of the U.S. That’s according to the latest government data, released June 2, 2026.
  • Since the April 1, 2024 increase, the number of fast food restaurants in California rose 7% the number in Los Angeles County rose 6.9%; and the number in Santa Clara County rose 6.5%. That’s through fourth quarter 2025, the most recent period for which numbers are available.
  • The LA-area and California statewide increases are both more than twice as fast as the increase in fast food restaurants in the rest of the nation. The Santa Clara County increase is almost twice the rate for the rest of the U.S.:
    • The U.S. increase excluding California was only 2.9% in that time.
    • For the U.S. excluding LA County the increase was 3.3%.
    • For the U.S. excluding Santa Clara County, the increase was 3.5%

_{Updated June 4, 2026}