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The top 10 family dining brands

The category produces some surprises with acquisitions, growth and bankruptcy

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

November 1, 2019

10 Slides
family dining top 200

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This is part of Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 200 ranking where the highest grossing chains are ranked. The following list is ranked by systemwide sales from the fiscal year ending closest to December 31st, 2018.

From a brand rising quickly to a big brand falling, there’s been a lot to talk about in the family-dining segment.

A perpetual top family-dining brand, Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, filed for bankruptcy protection this year, ultimately closing 29 locations of both Perkins and Marie Callender’s. Perkins Restaurant & Bakery sales decreased by 5.5% in the latest year.

One success story to keep an eye on is First Watch, this year’s second fastest growing chain, growing units by 23% in the latest year. First Watch’s growth comes on top of the previous year where they were up 30% in systemwide sales year-over-year.

Taking the family-dining category by storm, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has also worked to diversify, investing in Dallas-based “eatertainment” concept Punch Bowl Social and purchasing fast-casual brand Maple Street Biscuit Company. Cracker Barrel will convert its own biscuit brand Holler & Dash into Maple Street units.

Ultimately, the most successful family-dining restaurant in the latest year made a big marketing move that held consumers in a debate over whether or not the stunt paid off. This restaurant continued its marketing campaigns with a mashup this year.

Does viral marketing help brands raise their profiles and go up in the ranks or is it up to a small brand to work hard to earn its way into the top list?

Click through and see who made the cut this year.

Contact Holly at holly.petre@informa.com

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About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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