Future 50: Emerging Brands
Restaurant Business magazine's annual ranking of the fastest-growing small chains in America
Future 50: Emerging Brands
Twin Peaks
With a ski lodge theme and its “Twin Peaks Girls” servers, Twin Peaks quickly expanded from its original Dallas location (founded in 2005).
Future 50: Emerging Brands
Rotelli Pizza, Pasta, Perfect
Joseph Bilotti opened his first Rotelli’s as a “neighborhood family Italian restaurant” in 1999. The pasta menu includes baked ziti, linguini and clam sauce and penne alla vodka—all pure Italian-American in execution—and the pizza is a hand-tossed New York-style pie.
Wood Ranch now operates 13 “premium-casual” full-service restaurants in California; the newest addition recently opened in the city of Ventura. They “do it better” by slow roasting their tri-tip, ribs and chicken over-night, then heating up the grill and slathering on the sauce in a unique, two-step cooking process.
After its acquisition by private equity firm The Walnut Group in late 2006, Stir Crazy is powered by some heavy hitters: chairman Frederic Mayerson was a cofounder of Chi Chi's Mexican Restaurants, CEO Michael Strauss created Harry's Pacific Grill and president and COO Greg Carey is a former COO of P.F. Chang's China Bistro. That last credential is particularly relevant for Stir Crazy, a full-service casual concept that features Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese food with a focus on fresh, quality ingredients and bold flavors. Six units are scheduled to open this year.