Methodology:
The FSR Top 30 Report was created in partnership with Datassential and its annual Datassential Top 500, which ranks the largest restaurant chains in the U.S. Chain operators were invited to share unit and systemwide sales figures, and Datassential supplemented those numbers with data from its analytics platforms, including and especially the Datassential Operators platform, as well as Concept Testing and Brand Performance. Publicly available brand data from securities filings, investor research, and franchise disclosures also informed Datassential estimates. Where specific chain information was not available, estimates were made based on growth rates seen in the industry overall and among similar chains.
| Rank | Brand | Category | Units 2023 | Units 2022 | Change | Sales (millions) | AUV (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waffle House | Midscale - Family Style | 1,980 | 1,954 | 1.30% | $1,441.00 | $0.73 |
| 2 | IHOP | Midscale - Family Style | 1,696 | 1,677 | 1.10% | $3,563.60 | $2.12 |
| 3 | Applebee's | Casual Dining - American | 1,556 | 1,572 | -1.00% | $4,307.30 | $2.77 |
| 4 | Denny's | Midscale - Family Style | 1,407 | 1,445 | -2.60% | $2,516.20 | $1.80 |
| 5 | Buffalo Wild Wings | Casual Dining - Sports Bar | 1,264 | 1,230 | 2.80% | $3,958.40 | $3.30 |
| 6 | Chili's | Casual Dining - American | 1,244 | 1,232 | 1.00% | $4,203.30 | $3.40 |
| 7 | Olive Garden | Casual Dining - Italian/Pizza | 908 | 875 | 3.80% | $4,940.00 | $5.50 |
| 8 | Outback | Casual Dining - Seafood/Steak | 672 | 693 | -3.00% | $2,757.40 | $4.13 |
| 9 | Cracker Barrel | Midscale - Family Style | 660 | 664 | -0.60% | $2,740.90 | $4.04 |
| 10 | Red Lobster | Casual Dining - Seafood/Steak | 649 | 668 | -2.80% | $2,747.10 | $4.23 |
| 11 | Texas Roadhouse | Casual Dining - Seafood/Steak | 638 | 614 | 3.90% | $4,743.10 | $7.64 |
| 12 | Longhorn Steakhouse | Casual Dining - Seafood/Steak | 578 | 567 | 1.90% | $2,720.00 | $4.76 |
| 13 | First Watch | Midscale - Family Style | 525 | 474 | 10.80% | $1,103.10 | $2.25 |
| 14 | Red Robin | Casual Dining - American | 495 | 511 | -3.10% | $1,569.40 | $3.18 |
| 15 | Bob Evans | Midscale - Family Style | 442 | 439 | 0.70% | $849.50 | $1.92 |
| 16 | Golden Corral | Midscale - Buffet/Cafeteria | 357 | 362 | -1.40% | $1,640.10 | $4.60 |
| 17 | Braum's | Midscale - Family Style | 310 | 302 | 2.60% | $322.20 | $1.04 |
| 18 | Hooters | Casual Dining - Sports Bar | 297 | 310 | -4.20% | $982.60 | $3.34 |
| 19 | Huddle House | Midscale - Family Style | 278 | 297 | -6.40% | $208.60 | $0.75 |
| 20 | Perkins | Midscale - Family Style | 268 | 269 | -0.40% | $517.00 | $1.93 |
| 21 | TGI Fridays | Casual Dining - American | 236 | 296 | -20.30% | $672.00 | $2.85 |
| 22 | BJ's | Casual Dining - American | 224 | 214 | 4.70% | $1,333.20 | $6.03 |
| 23 | P.F. Chang's | Casual Dining - Regional/Global | 224 | 223 | 0.40% | $1,065.90 | $4.79 |
| 24 | Ruby Tuesday | Casual Dining - American | 220 | 228 | -3.50% | $345.80 | $1.57 |
| 25 | Cheesecake Factory | Casual Dining - American | 215 | 208 | 3.40% | $2,576.20 | $12.20 |
| 26 | Carrabba's | Casual Dining - Italian/Pizza | 214 | 217 | -1.40% | $766.20 | $3.59 |
| 27 | Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen | Casual Dining - American | 184 | 179 | 2.80% | $751.80 | $4.15 |
| 28 | Bonefish Grill | Casual Dining - Seafood/Steak | 171 | 183 | -6.60% | $592.70 | $3.48 |
| 29 | Dave & Buster's | Casual Dining - Sports Bar | 163 | 142 | 14.80% | $637.00 | $4.07 |
| 30 | Mellow Mushroom | Casual Dining - Italian/Pizza | 161 | 168 | -4.20% | $447.80 | $2.81 |
