This year’s Technomic Top 500 results were a mixed bag for the restaurant industry. On one hand, many large restaurant brands stagnated in 2023, with sales increases merely a reflection of menu price increases and with a full third of brands experiencing a net unit count decrease.
On the other hand, there was plenty of excitement among emerging chains. Many smaller and mid-market concepts experienced robust unit-count and sales growth last year, storming the Top 500 and offering a glimpse at the next generation of competitors to the industry stalwarts.
With the 100 Under 100, NRN and Technomic identified 100 chains with fewer than 100 locations that demonstrate the most exciting growth momentum in the restaurant industry.
Want to know which emerging restaurant chains are really the most exciting in the U.S. right now? Click through the gallery above to meet them.
Data in this gallery reflects restaurants’ unit counts at the end of 2023.