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The 10 biggest restaurant chains in America by estimated sales per unitThe 10 biggest restaurant chains in America by estimated sales per unit

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Managing Editor

July 25, 2023

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Every year, Nation’s Restaurant News and Datassential partner to present The Top 500, the definitive sales ranking of restaurants in America.

We also look at unit and estimated sales per unit (ESPU) data in this report.

In 2022, the ten restaurant chains with the highest ESPU in the U.S. also all saw year-over-year growth — two grew ESPU by more than 51%, but each grew by at least 1.9% and had ESPU of at least $8.1 million.

Unsurprisingly, nine of these restaurant chains are in the casual- or fine-dining segment, but one fast-casual brand did sneak in there with ESPU of $8.3 million.

Seven of these chains were in last year’s similar ranking, when we looked at chains with the highest average unit volumes (AUVs). Bahama Breeze, Legal Sea Foods and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse dropped out, making way for three newcomers on this year’s list.

Click through this gallery to see the 10 biggest restaurant chains in the U.S. by estimated sales per unit.

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About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director.  Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history. 

Email Leigh Anne at [email protected] 

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience: 

  • Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)

  • Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

  • Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

  • Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

  • Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

  • Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

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