25 top limited-service chains
By Restaurant Business Staff on May 09, 2016What data show to be the restaurant industry’s most popular and financially successful limited-service chain was a regional cult favorite long before it decided to expand nationally from a Southern base. Its devotion to tradition and simplicity put it at the top of a new Restaurant Business rating of concepts by the combination of sales and customer satisfaction metrics, as measured by the publication’s research sister, Technomic. But sorry, Five Guys, you didn’t top the list.
Keep clicking to see which brand did, and what concepts are keeping Five Guys in exclusive company as the limited-service segment’s Top 25.
1. Chick-fil-A
Overall: 11.2
Chick-fil-A’s sales increases pair nicely with its high consumer satisfaction scores. Fans love its original boneless chicken sandwich, served up with Southern hospitality.
2. Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
Overall: 18.2
Particularly popular among young adults and teens for its made-to-order chicken fingers, Raising Cane’s 26 percent U.S. sales increase helped drive its score.
3. In-N-Out Burger
4. Firehouse Subs
Overall: 21.5
The firehouse-themed specialist in steam-heated hearty subs earned the highest overall satisfaction scores of all the limited-service chains, and 93 new units drove sales growth in 2015.
5. Jersey Mike’s Subs
Overall: 22.8
Jersey Mike’s U.S. sales grew by almost 29 percent. It credits its fresh, quality ingredients, like meats and cheese sliced to order. The 190 or so new stores certainly helped.
6. Krispy Kreme
Overall: 22.9
Krispy Kreme’s sales don’t shine among the leading limited-service chains, but its satisfaction scores do. Its customers are crazy about those hot-now doughnuts and the chain’s quick, friendly service.
7. McAlister’s Deli
Overall: 23.7
At about $9, the average per-person tab at McAlister’s is comparable to that of its peers, yet consumers give it credit for value for the money. Must be the giant cups of sweet tea.
8. The Habit Burger Grill
Overall: 24.4
The Habit Burger Grill increased U.S. sales by 43 percent and unit counts by 29 percent, indicating the “better burger” category has not peaked yet.
9. Culver’s
Overall: 25.4
This purveyor of burgers and frozen custard grew U.S. sales by 15 percent with only 6 percent unit growth. Its per-person check is close to $10—much higher than its peers—with guests appreciating the Midwestern beef and Wisconsin dairy specialties.
10. Jason’s Deli
Overall: 26.5
Jason’s Deli’s financials and growth figures are middling among the largest chains, but consumer perceptions around value and the overall experience push the sandwich-and-more concept above average.
11. Zaxby’s
Overall: 27.0
Zaxby’s makes the leaders’ list thanks to healthy U.S. sales growth (18 percent) and consumers’ sometimes-fanatical love of its signature sauces.
12. Whataburger
Overall: 27.6
Consumers may not consider Whataburger a value, but the chain saw a large increase in average unit volumes (about 9 percent), so its guests are paying more, perhaps for the frequent limited-time premium sandwiches and shakes.
13. Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Co.
14. Moe’s Southwest Grill
Overall: 32.9
Customer satisfaction ratings and value perception got Moe’s Southwest Grill on the list. Its 12 percent increase in U.S. sales helped its case.
15. Chipotle Mexican Grill
16. Schlotzsky’s
Overall: 33.7
Schlotzsky’s increases in sales and store counts are below its fast-casual peers. But its customers boost the chain’s score with high satisfaction ratings.
17. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches
Overall: 34.0
If Jimmy John’s 17 percent increase in sales (thanks to a 16 percent increase in units) wasn’t enough to put the “freaky fast” sandwich chain on the list, its customer satisfaction ratings were.
18. Papa Murphy’s Pizza
Overall: 34.1
Its year-over-year growth in sales and units were respectable. Its consumer satisfaction score was great. Consumers’ perception of Papa Murphy’s value is extraordinary; it’s the highest-rated limited-service chain for value.
19. Jamba Juice
Overall: 34.2
Growth-wise, Jamba Juice has been close to flat in U.S. sales, average unit volumes and store counts. But its customers love the chain, rewarding it with high satisfaction ratings.
20. Pollo Campero
Overall: 35.1
It only has 58 stores, so most of the country doesn’t even know of Pollo Campero and its Latin-spiced fried chicken. Current customers give it props for being a value and a good overall experience.
21. Potbelly Sandwich Shop
22. Five Guys Burgers and Fries
23. Fuddruckers
Overall: 36.2
Fuddruckers’ guests pulled the original fast-casual burger chain onto the list. Its consumer satisfaction ratings are in the top 10, though its sales and unit counts actually slipped slightly in 2015.
24. Ben & Jerry’s
Overall: 37.7
Ben & Jerry’s is another chain that customers are crazy about—it received the fourth-highest consumer satisfaction ratings—but don’t visit often enough: U.S. sales decreased by 5 percent.
25. Qdoba Mexican Eats
Methodology
This ranking is based on an overall score that averages simple rankings of 2015 sales financials (average unit volume, year-over-year change in average unit volume, U.S. systemwide sales, and year-over-year change in sales—all sourced from Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report), satisfaction ratings of Consumer Brand Metrics respondents, and value (including overall value ratings in CBM and the chains’ average per-person checks). Sales and satisfaction scores are weighted to impact the overall score twice as much as value scores. Because scores are based on rankings, a lower score is better.
In many cases, the leading chains by sales don’t make the cut. (In fact, the seven sales leaders don’t.) This is because consumers tend to find the more-specialized and regional brands more compelling. The highest ranked chain by sales that made the list is Chick-fil-A, which is the top chain here. Its high sales, average unit volume and growth certainly help its overall score, but Chick-fil-A really shines thanks to its consumer satisfaction ratings, which are the second highest among all the limited-service brands studied.