This story is part of NRN’s Top 200 special report, a proprietary census ranking the foodservice industry’s largest restaurant chains and companies by sales and unit data, among other metrics. The full report is available only to Nation’s Restaurant News magazine subscribers, and is part of the July 23 issue. Subscribe here.
Second 100 report: Growth chains
The Second 100 universe is often thought of as a look at the future of foodservice. Emerging brands like Yard House, Raising Cane’s, The Melting Pot and Potbelly Sandwich dominate the datasets.
Here, we present the top five fastest-growing restaurants chains from the Second 100 universe, based on year-over-year change in U.S. systemwide sales in fiscal 2011, or the year ended closest to December 2011. These chains are the cream of the current emerging brand crop, with expansion based on rapid growth, increased average unit volumes, and sales driven by clear brand differentiation that consumers are looking for today.
These top five growth chains include two entries from one of today’s top growth segment, the polished or premium casual-dining sector. No surprise that a sandwich chain and two regional specialty brands also made the list.
Get to know these five chains’ sales growth, market share, U.S. unit growth and more. All data is based on the Second 100 universe.
No. 5 growth chain: The Capital Grille
5. The Capital Grille, Orlando, Fla.
Casual dining
• System sales: $313 million
• Sales growth: 14.44%
• U.S. units: 46
• Unit growth: 4.55%
• ESPU: $7.04 million
• Share of segment sales: 3.71%
RELATED: Capital Grille parent tackles supply chain overhaul
No. 4 growth chain: Dickey's Barbecue Pit
4. Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Dallas
Quick service/barbecue
• System sales: $165 million
• Sales growth: 14.74%
• U.S. units: 235
• Unit growth: 65.49%
• ESPU: $875,300
• Share of segment sales: 19.13%
RELATED: Dickey's president talks new catering hotline
No. 3 growth chain: Jersey Mike's Subs
Previous: The Capital Grille
3. Jersey Mike's Subs, Manasquan, N.J.
Sandwich
• System sales: $255 million
• Sales growth: 16.65%
• U.S. units: 507
• Unit growth: 12.17%
• ESPU: $531,800
• Share of segment sales: 5.11%
RELATED: Five questions with Jersey Mike's
No. 2 growth chain: Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
Previous: Dickey's Barbecue Pit
2. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Baton Rouge, La.
Quick service/chicken
• Systemwide sales: $210 million
• Sales growth: 20.27%
• U.S. units: 119
• Unit growth: 23.96%
• ESPU: $1.95 million
• Share of segment sales: 26.40%
RELATED: Raising Cane's participates in Dine Out For No Kid Hungry
No. 1 growth chain: Yard House
Previous: Jersey Mike's Subs
1. Yard House, Irvine, Calif.
Casual dining
• Systemwide sales: $262.4 million
• Sales growth: 23.25%
• U.S. units: 35
• Unit growth: 20.69%
• ESPU: $8.2 million
• Share of segment sales: 3.07%
RELATED:
• Darden to buy Yard House for $585M
• Darden to benefit from Yard House deal, analysts say
Previous: Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
