There’s no question that COVID has changed the entire game for the full-service segment.
Gone are the days when restaurants can rely solely on their dine-in traffic. The pandemic has fast forwarded the sector into an era of convenience and an emphasis outside the four walls.
The FSR 50 looked into the performance of the biggest casual-dining chains in the U.S. prior to COVID, including changes in average unit volume, or AUV—a number that shows how restaurants were faring across their system before the pandemic began.
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These 30 restaurants earn the most per store, among the 50 top-grossing full-service chains in the country as defined by total systemwide sales.
Note: The data is by U.S. restaurants as of 2019 year end.
Average sales per unit (thousands): $10,765
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,180
Unit count: 204
Total change in units from 2018: 3
Average sales per unit (thousands): $9,259
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $375
Unit count: 43
Total change in units from 2018: 5
Average sales per unit (thousands): $8,500
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $340
Unit count: 46
Total change in units from 2018: 12
Average sales per unit (thousands): $8,375
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $335
Unit count: 40
Total change in units from 2018: 0
Average sales per unit (thousands): $8,017
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $469
Unit count: 59
Total change in units from 2018: 1
Average sales per unit (thousands): $7,922
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $610
Unit count: 79
Total change in units from 2018: 4
Average sales per unit (thousands): $7,905
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $415
Unit count: 53
Total change in units from 2018: 1
Average sales per unit (thousands): $6,435
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $370
Unit count: 62
Total change in units from 2018: 9
Average sales per unit (thousands): $5,833
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $315
Unit count: 50
Total change in units from 2018: –8
Average sales per unit (thousands): $5,625
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $765
Unit count: 136
Total change in units from 2018: 0
Average sales per unit (thousands): $5,610
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $1,150
Unit count: 208
Total change in units from 2018: 6
Average sales per unit (thousands): $5,359
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,886
Unit count: 544
Total change in units from 2018: 11
Average sales per unit (thousands): $5,045
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $4,351
Unit count: 867
Total change in units from 2018: 9
Average sales per unit (thousands): $4,865
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $450
Unit count: 97
Total change in units from 2018: 9
Average sales per unit (thousands): $4,488
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $570
Unit count: 135
Total change in units from 2018: 16
Average sales per unit (thousands): $4,414
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $715
Unit count: 166
Total change in units from 2018: 8
Average sales per unit (thousands): $4,345
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $302
Unit count: 69
Total change in units from 2018: –1
Average sales per unit (thousands): $4,266
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $433
Unit count: 103
Total change in units from 2018: 3
Average sales per unit (thousands): $4,130
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $890
Unit count: 216
Total change in units from 2018: 1
Average sales per unit (thousands): $4,076
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $342
Unit count: 85
Total change in units from 2018: 2
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,973
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $296
Unit count: 76
Total change in units from 2018: 3
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,834
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,525
Unit count: 662
Total change in units from 2018: 7
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,626
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $1,864
Unit count: 518
Total change in units from 2018: 8
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,608
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,630
Unit count: 725
Total change in units from 2018: –8
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,494
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $2,350
Unit count: 670
Total change in units from 2018: –5
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,392
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $1,635
Unit count: 475
Total change in units from 2018: –14
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,136
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $635
Unit count: 200
Total change in units from 2018: –5
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,054
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $3,700
Unit count: 1,215
Total change in units from 2018: 7
Average sales per unit (thousands): $3,004
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $1,675
Unit count: 561
Total change in units from 2018: 7
Average sales per unit (thousands): $2,970
U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $585
Unit count: 197
Total change in units from 2018: 0