It would be a mistake to say that 2022 was a return to business as usual for restaurant companies. After all, “usual” for restaurants doesn’t typically include white-hot inflation, an impossibly shallow labor pool and a tangled supply chain that prevents access to basic materials necessary for opening storefronts.
Still, all things considered, 2022 must be seen as a win for restaurants after two wackadoodle years. A full 456 chains on this year’s Top 500 — that’s 91% of them — enjoyed sales growth in 2022, according to figure reported by Datassential and its Firefly 500 platform. But while most restaurants grew sales, some obviously did so more than others. That list is made up of smaller, emerging brands.
Through the end of the year, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is bringing weekly insights to NRN.com, starting with an analysis of fast-growing restaurants by domestic systemwide sales. She’s here to give a preview of that list.
