The Sunshine State is home to eight of the Top 100 Independents; last year, the count was six. Three of the highest-grossing restaurants in Florida are on Disney properties.
The Buzz: After the renovation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs, Fulton’s was closed in in February 2016 for a six-month transformation into Paddlefish restaurant.
The New York chicken tender chain struggled coming out of the pandemic with inflation and several legal challenges. It is the latest in a string of industry bankruptcy filings.
The Bottom Line: The chain continued to be a juggernaut last quarter, with strong sales and traffic growth, despite frequent social media complaints about shrinkflation or other challenges.