Nationwide COVID restrictions crushed the industry, leading to the closure of hundreds of thousands of restaurants over the past couple of years.
The situation, while disappointing for many, gave room for the largest casual chains to gain market share.
The following slideshow is a list of the 19 biggest publicly traded brands in the full-service segment. For more information on these companies and how they compare, check out the other lists below:
SEE THE FULL FSR 50 CHART, COMPLETE WITH SALES, AUV, UNIT COUNT
Publicly Traded Chains Ranked by U.S. Sales
Publicly Traded Chains Ranked By AUV
14 Privately Held Power Players
Methodology: The sales and unit count data for the FSR 50 (found in the above linked chart) was collected and calculated using public filings with the Security and Exchange Commission. All brands were contacted to confirm numbers, although not all replied. The data reflects U.S. locations only and encompasses both corporate-owned and franchised units. All chain in this list are publicly held.
1. IHOP
Unit count: 1,621
Total change in units from 2020: 5
Average sales per unit (thousands): $1,861
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $3,017
2. Applebee’s
Unit count: 1,578
Total change in units from 2020: –22
Average sales per unit (thousands): $2,803
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $4,168
3. Denny’s
Unit count: 1,478
Total change in units from 2020: –17
Average sales per unit (thousands): $1,675
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,362
4. Chili’s
Unit count: 1,235
Total change in units from 2020: 2
Average sales per unit (thousands): $2,434
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $3,006
5. Olive Garden
Unit count: 875
Total change in units from 2020: 7
Average sales per unit (thousands): $4,100
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $3,593
6. Outback Steakhouse
Unit count: 694
Total change in units from 2020: –12
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,822
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,176
7. Texas Roadhouse
Unit count: 667
Total change in units from 2020: 33
Average sales per unit (thousands): $6,364
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $3,439
8. Cracker Barrel
Unit count: 664
Total change in units from 2020: 1
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,300
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,227
9. LongHorn Steakhouse
Unit count: 533
Total change in units from 2020: 11
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,400
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $1,810
10. Red Robin
Unit count: 519
Total change in units from 2020: –15
Average sales per unit (thousands): $2,695
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $1,399
11. First Watch
Unit count: 435
Total change in units from 2020: 26
Average sales per unit (thousands): $1,786
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $751
12. Carrabba’s
Unit count: 219
Total change in units from 2020: –1
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,283
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $653
13. BJ’s Restaurants
Unit count: 212
Total change in units from 2020: 3
Average sales per unit (thousands): $5,148
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $1,087
14. The Cheesecake Factory
Unit count: 207
Total change in units from 2020: 2
Average sales per unit (thousands): $11,084
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,293
15. Bonefish Grill
Unit count: 185
Total change in units from 2020: –2
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,036
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $544
16. Dave & Buster’s
Unit count: 144
Total change in units from 2020: 4
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,032
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $437
17. Village Inn
Unit count: 129
Total change in units from 2020: –6
Average sales per unit (thousands): $1,659
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $214
18. Ruth’s Chris
Unit count: 124
Total change in units from 2020: –1
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,371
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $418
19. Famous Dave’s
Unit count: 121
Total change in units from 2020: –24
Average sales per unit (thousands): $2,516
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $304