The restaurant chains favored by consumers may also be darlings for prospective franchisees, according to brand research conducted by Technomic.
Eleven brands ranking among customers’ Top 20 heartthrobs currently franchise. As a group, those concepts have a higher sales-to-investment ratio than the mean for the industry’s largest 100 franchisors (1.6 vs. 1.4) and much higher sales per square foot ($619 vs. $491).
The biggest difference for America’s favorite and franchised chains is sales growth. The brands that are the most popular with consumers are seeing year-over-year sales grow by an average of 13.1 percent, versus an increase of 3.6 percent for Technomic’s Top 100 franchisors.
Here’s a complete breakdown:
| Chain | AUV | Rev./ Sq.Ft. | S/I Ratio | Fr. Sales Y/Y Growth | Fr. Units Y/Y Growth % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chick-fil-A | $3,158,000 | $2,105 | 5.5 | 14.6% | 6.5% |
| Pinkberry | $560,000 | $723 | 1.2 | 1.7% | 4.8% |
| McAlister's Deli | $1,582,255 | $703 | 1.9 | 10.4% | 6.5% |
| Shoney's | $1,510,000 | $549 | 1.6 | -16.0% | -10.9% |
| Culver's | $2,015,747 | $492 | 0.8 | 14.6% | 7.0% |
| Jersey Mike's Subs | $667,000 | $445 | 1.5 | 29.9% | 19.4% |
| Moe's Southwest Grill | $1,053,000 | $439 | 1.6 | 14.7% | 10.1% |
| Papa Murphy's Pizza | $608,715 | $406 | 1.7 | 7.0% | 1.1% |
| Firehouse Subs | $701,000 | $334 | 1.1 | 25.3% | 18.1% |
| Perkins Restaurant & Bakery | $1,595,000 | $319 | 0.6 | -1.3% | 0.0% |
| Big Boy | $1,226,748 | $292 | 0.5 | -6.6% | -4.5% |
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