Americans love chain restaurants.
From Cracker Barrel to P.F. Chang's, there's little that brings the nation together like a love for the restaurants that span the US. At the same time, not much is more divisive than the question of what chain comes out on top.
To answer the question once and for all, Business Insider teamed up with Restaurant Business, a food-service industry expert and media outlet, to compile a ranking of the best sit-down restaurant chains in the US. Using proprietary data collected by Restaurant Business and its sister research firm Technomic, we looked at 90 of the largest sit-down US chains and rated them on three criteria: financial performance as demonstrated by sales, customer satisfaction, and overall value.
Our calculations accounted for sales growth, average sales at each location, consumer-sentiment ratings, and the average cost of a meal, along with other metrics.
The results revealed the dominance of some American classics, such as Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden. However, there are also some lesser-known upstarts, like Abuelo's and First Watch, that are taking on industry giants and quickly establishing themselves as some of the best chains in the country.
Here are the top 20 best chain restaurants in the US.
Emmie Martin, Tanza Loudenback, and Kaitlyn Yarborough contributed reporting to an earlier version of this article.
20. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews
Headquarters: Greenwood Village, Colorado
US sales: $1.48 billion
Number of US locations: 533
Financial performance rank: 13
Value rank: 22
Customer satisfaction rank: 22
Fans of the chain swear by burgers such as the Smoke & Pepper, the Black & Bleu, and the Madlove Burger (a Black Angus patty topped with four types of cheese, jalapeño relish, candied bacon, avocado, tomato, onion, and lettuce).
Red Robin launched a rebranding effort in 2012, updating decor, revamping restaurant layouts, and doubling down on its bar business. In January, Brian Vaccaro of financial services firm Raymond James said the company is "undervalued," and that key hires could bring the chain to new heights in 2017.
19. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Headquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona
US sales: $892 million
Number of US locations: 216
Financial performance rank: 19
Value rank: 42
Customer satisfaction rank: 18
P.F. Chang's debuted in the early 1990s as a partnership between Philip Chiang, owner of the staple Los Angeles Chinese restaurant Mandarette, and Paul Fleming, an Arizona restaurateur and avid Mandarette fan.
The chain is known for its lettuce wraps and dim sum. Its entire menu is made-to-order and utilizes fresh ingredients.
18. Joe's Crab Shack
Headquarters: Houston, Texas
US sales: $370 million
Number of US locations: 113
Financial performance rank: 32
Value rank: 9
Customer satisfaction rank: 7
Joe's Crab Shack is struggling — but loyal customers still love the chain.
In August, the mid-bankruptcy chain closed 41 restaurants without warning. Executives plan to shrink the chain from 113 locations to roughly 60, Nation's Restaurant News reported.
Despite this, Joe's Crab Shack still landed in the top 10 in terms of value and customer satisfaction.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
from Strategy http://ift.tt/2g4ZWAQ
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment