takeout

In compiling our second annual ranking of the fastest-growing up-and-coming restaurant chains in America —the ones tallying sales between $25 million and $50 million—we were struck by how many new growth stories there were to tell. Thirty-one of this year’s Future 50 growth chains, or 62 percent, are entirely new to the list. That tells us that the entrepreneurial spirit thrives in 2007, and that the restaurant business is still where it lives.

Globalization has had a huge effect on our culinary world. A visible example of this trend is the exploding popularity of sushi. It started out in high-end Japanese restaurants but has since made its way into moderately priced casual eateries as well as take-out establishments and the refrigerated section of supermarkets. Now is a good time to step back and learn more about the sushi phenomenon.