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.
Ranked by U.S. systemwide sales, which includes both company-owned sales and franchised-unit sales, the largest restaurant chains in the Second 100 universe are evenly balanced between casual-dining, quick-service and fast-casual brands. Standing on top, however, is Maggiano’s Little Italy, the 44-unit casual-dining chain owned by Brinker International Inc. While its unit count places the chain near the bottom of the Second 100 universe based on unit totals, its average unit volume of nearly $8.8 million — the second-largest in the entire Top 200 census — led the chain to record $387 million in sales. Maggiano’s No. 101 ranking, or No. 1 in the Second 100, was just $5 million shy of breaking into the Top 100 results.
Looking at corporate ownership, the Second 100 universe isn’t as private-equity heavy as Top 100 results, and instead boasts numerous franchisees, like The Briad Group, Doherty Enterprises, and ERJ Dining. Large restaurant companies like McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants Inc. and Morton’s Restaurant Group Inc. also landed in the top 10.
Meet the Second 100 top 10 chains and companies. Chain data is based on U.S. systemwide sales, and Company data is based on U.S. corporate revenue. Both lists cover fiscal years ended closest to December 2011.
Top 10 Largest Chains (by latest-year systemwide sales, dollars in millions)
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1. Maggiano’s Little Italy - $387 |
6. Cold Stone Creamery - $365.5 |
Top 10 Largest Companies (by latest-year revenue, dollars in millions)
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1. Deli Management Inc. - $326.3 |
6. Trimaran Capital Partners Inc. - $301 |