The 20 best chain restaurants in America
Samantha Lee/Business Insider
Whether it's indulging in a Bloomin' Onion from Outback Steakhouse or digging into a basket of Olive Garden's unlimited breadsticks, Americans love chain restaurants. But personal preferences aside, which chains get the most love?
Business Insider teamed up with Restaurant Business, a food-service industry expert and media outlet, to compile a definitive ranking of the best chain restaurants in America. Using proprietary data collected by Restaurant Business and its sister research firm Technomic, we looked at 45 of the largest US chains and rated them on three criteria that we considered the most telling for all-around excellence: financial performance, 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, among other metrics. (For more on how we came up with this ranking, check out our list of the best fast-food chains in America, which uses a similar methodology.)
The 20 highest-rated spots raked in a combined $28 billion in revenue last year and include popular joints like The Cheesecake Factory and Cracker Barrel, as well as lesser-known chains such as Bahama Breeze Island Grille and Maggiano's Little Italy.
Read on to learn more about the 20 best chain restaurants in the US.
20. O'Charley's
O'Charley's/FacebookHeadquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
US sales: $526 million
Number of US locations: 212
Financial performance rank: 28
Customer satisfaction rank: 23
Value rank: 8
Nearly 45 years ago, Charley Watkins opened the first O'Charley's in Nashville, Tennessee. With its 212 locations, the midsize chain gives customers an experience full of Southern hospitality, fresh baked pies, and generous portions that appeal to the value-conscious customer.
Despite suffering a data breach this year that led to customer card information being accessed and a 2.5% decline in same-store sales, O'Charley's continues to attract customers with its revamped menu and low prices.
19. Red Lobster
Red LobsterHeadquarters: Orlando, Florida
US sales: $2.41 billion
Number of US locations: 662
Financial performance rank: 18
Customer satisfaction rank: 20
Value rank: 43
Founded in 1968, Red Lobster began as a casual dining concept for high-quality seafood at an affordable price. Known for its cheddar biscuits, the chain serves popular seafood dishes such as snow crab legs, coconut shrimp, and rock lobster.
Red Lobster reported over $2.4 billion in sales last year, and the chain gained some cultural cachet and experienced a 33% boost in sales the day after being referred to in Beyoncé's song "Formation" in February, finally breaking into the millennial market.
18. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
P.F. Chang's/FacebookHeadquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona
US sales: $892 million
Number of US locations: 214
Financial performance rank: 18
Customer satisfaction rank: 25
Value rank: 15
Known for its handmade dim sum and iconic lettuce wraps, P.F. Chang's was born in the early 1990's out of a partnership between Philip Chiang, owner of staple Los Angeles Chinese restaurant Mandarette, and Paul Fleming, an Arizona restaurateur and avid Mandarette fan. Still running strong with 214 locations nationwide, P.F. Chang's prides itself on always using fresh ingredients and serving every dish made-to-order. And while the spot treats customers to an upscale experience, the average bill comes out to only $14.33.
In 2012, the private-equity firm Centerbridge Partners purchased the chain for a $1.1 billion, putting the franchise back into the private sector and helping to boost profits.
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