2015 Top 100: 5 key unit growth takeaways

Jersey Mike's Subs

Jersey Mike’s Subs, ranked No. 1 for unit growth, turned the tables on Limited Service/Sandwich segment rival Firehouse Subs in the Latest Year, with 20.2-percent growth in U.S. units, to Firehouse Subs’ 18-percent growth. Jersey Mike’s net 144 additional locations also helped it beat Firehouse in total domestic locations, totaling 857 units compared with Firehouse’s 840 restaurants. Segment competitor Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches was not too far behind, with 17-percent unit growth and 307 additional units.

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Latest Year unit increase of 11.6 percent, to 1,755 U.S. units, not only ranked it No. 8 among all Top 100 chains, but also made it No. 2 among the 19 chains that do not franchise. It fell behind fully company-owned Yard House, which had a 13.5-percent unit increase, to 59 restaurants. Since 2000, Chipotle has had average annual growth in U.S. units of 33.7 percent. Its Latest-Year, 183-unit expansion was the sixth largest net gain among all Top 100 chains, and more than twice that of closest company-operated competitor Casey’s General Stores.

Waffle House

Waffle House, ranked No. 18, has been the domestic unit expansion leader among Top 100 Family-Dining chains in recent years. Its Latest-Year 6.8-percent increase, to an estimated 1,840 locations, was about five and seven times the growth rates of the two closest Family-Dining brands, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and IHOP, which posted gains of 1.4 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Waffle House's estimated Latest-Year increase of 117 restaurants represented 86 percent of all units added by the Family-Dining segment.

Starbucks Coffee

Compare Starbucks Coffee’s Top 100 leading net gain of 501 domestic locations in the Latest Year with No. 2 Dunkin’ Donuts’ 405-unit increase. Starbucks increased its company-operated and licensed sites by almost identical amounts — 250 and 251, respectively — while Dunkin’ Donuts and other chains ranked in the Top 5 for net new units — Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, with 307 new units, Little Caesars Pizza, with 201 new units, and Subway, with 196 new units — relied most heavily, if not entirely, on franchising.

Boston Market

In the Latest Year, Boston Market, ranked No. 87 here, inched closer to ending its longtime unit erosion, as the net closure of company units slowed to seven locations and the chain licensed three locations on military bases, which helped it end the year with a 0.9-percent decrease in unit count. Latest Year number of U.S. units totaled 456.