When traveling abroad, it’s common to stumble upon those familiar golden arches or the friendly face of Colonel Sanders. But while many U.S.-based food chains have expanded around the globe, the opposite doesn’t always hold true. There are a number of highly popular international chains that have yet to open any locations stateside. Some may pop up as the chains grow; others remain committed to developing a strong customer base in their home country and nearby regions. Here’s a look at six popular international food chains that you won’t find anywhere in the U.S.

Greggs – United Kingdom

Greggs is a bakery chain that was founded in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1939. It now boasts over 2,500 locations throughout the United Kingdom. Nearly 80% of the chain’s locations are in England, with 50 in London alone. The rest are scattered across Scotland and Wales, along with a few dozen locations in Northern Ireland. In fact, Greggs is more prevalent in the U.K. than both McDonald’s and Subway.

The casual eatery is best known for its affordable savory baked goods, especially the highly popular sausage roll, of which they sell more than 1 million every day. Greggs also offers tea, coffee, breakfast sandwiches, lunch salads, and pizzas, among many other menu staples.

Tastien – China

Many Chinese food chains have recently broken into the U.S. market, including Mixue, Luckin Coffee, and Wallace Chicken. But one Chinese-style burger chain with thousands of locations is focusing their operations in China, at least for now. Tastien began as a pizza joint in 2012, though the chain initially struggled to find success. After pivoting to burgers, Tastien realized it had found its niche. However, these aren’t the typical beef or turkey burgers that are familiar stateside — Tastien’s burgers are instead made from ingredients such as Peking duck, braised pork, and mapo tofu.

Tastien rapidly expanded in the early 2020s, adding more than 8,400 locations over a three-year span. As of July 2025, the chain has more than 9,600 stores. Part of what has earned Tastien such a devoted customer base is its low prices; for example, a burger-and-Coke combo runs for only 9.9 yuan — less than $1.50 USD.

Sukiya – Japan

With roughly 2,000 locations in Japan, Sukiya is one of the country’s most popular food chains. The eatery is primarily known for serving gyūdon — a Japanese delicacy of thinly sliced beef cooked in soy sauce, mixed with onions, and served atop fluffy rice. Other popular items at Sukiya include savory rice bowls topped with chicken, curries, and eel, as well as a variety of refreshing teas, matchas, and other beverages.

Sukiya was founded in Yokohama in 1982. It has yet to venture into the U.S., but the chain has expanded into the Western Hemisphere with locations in Brazil and Mexico. There are also hundreds more Sukiya locations throughout China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Chooks-to-Go – The Philippines

If you’re in the Philippines and craving some quick and tasty roasted chicken, Chooks-to-Go is a go-to. Founded in 2008, the chain operates about 1,800 locations in the Philippines, as of 2025. The vast majority of Chooks-to-Go shops are designed exclusively for takeout, but a few dozen locations offer dine-in options, too. The chain also recently expanded abroad for the first time, opening several locations in Malaysia.

Chooks-to-Go is known for selling rotisserie chicken, though unlike other Filipino chicken joints, the eatery intends for its juicy marinated chicken to be enjoyed without any dipping sauce. Interestingly, this wasn’t always the case: A factory worker processing the chicken accidentally skipped a step in the marinating process, and the resulting chicken was delicious, so the recipe stuck.

Telepizza – Spain

Italy may have the strongest association with pizza, but Spain is home to one of the most popular pizza chains in Europe. Spain’s Telepizza — the largest pizza delivery company to originate outside of North America — was founded in Madrid in 1987. The company has since opened more than 1,300 locations in around 20 countries, including many in Latin America. During the 1990s, Telepizza had higher sales in Spain than McDonald’s. While that’s no longer the case, Telepizza remains the largest Spanish food chain by number of locations.

The popular pizza parlor is known for classic styles such as pepperoni and Hawaiian pizza with ham and pineapple, as well as Spanish-inspired pies topped with Iberian staples like jamón ibérico or truffles.

Bob’s – Brazil

Though there are no locations in the United States, Brazilian food chain Bob’s was actually founded by American tennis star Robert “Bob” Falkenburg, who won the 1948 Wimbledon men’s championship. Falkenburg later moved to Brazil and opened the first Bob’s location in Rio de Janeiro in 1952, introducing Brazil to many American staples such as burgers, hot dogs, sundaes, and shakes. He sold the chain in 1974.

Today, there are roughly 600 Bob’s locations across Brazil. The chain has yet to open up a spot in Falkenburg’s home country, though it has made several ventures abroad. Bob’s locations have previously operated in countries including Portugal, Chile, and Angola. However, those locations have since closed, making Bob’s a Brazilian exclusive today.