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2017 Top 100: Top 10 fastest-growing chains

This is part of the Nation’s Restaurant News annual Top 100 report, a proprietary ranking of the foodservice industry’s largest restaurant chains and parent companies.

Standout restaurants in the Top 100 are spread across multiple segments, but chicken ruled the roost among the 10 fastest-growing chains, in terms of U.S. systemwide sales.

Four Chicken chains — Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Wingstop, Chick-fil-A and Zaxby’s — flexed the most segment muscle among the Top 10 gainers.

Those four Chicken chains eclipsed brands in the Top 10 from other segments, including two pizza players — Marco’s Pizza and Domino’s — as well as one each in Casual Dining (Dave & Buster’s), Limited Service/Sandwich (Jersey Mike’s Subs), Beverage-Snack (Starbucks Coffee) and Limited Service/Specialty (Panda Express).

While the Top 10 traditionally features chains that booked a larger percentage of growth on a smaller base, the 2017 class included several big players, like Starbucks, with 13,172 U.S. locations, and Domino’s, with 5,371 domestic units.

Starbucks grew to $17.9 billion in U.S. systemwide sales in the Latest Year, from $16 billion the Preceding Year. Domino’s rose to $5.3 billion in the Latest Year, from $4.8 billion the Preceding Year.

Newcomers to the Top 10 included No. 7 Panda Express, which was No. 14 in the Preceding Year, and No. 9 Starbucks, up from No. 13. They replaced Firehouse Subs and Wawa.

Take a closer look at the 10 fastest-growing restaurant chains.

Data Table: U.S. Sales Growth Rates >>

Data Table: U.S. Unit Growth Rates >>

Go back to the Top 100 main menu >>

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