Top 100
Independents
A Restaurant Business Report sponsored by:
The restaurants in this year’s Top 100 Independents ranking had total food and beverage revenues of roughly $1.8 billion in 2015. It’s a number in focus, especially amid chain restaurants’ current state of slumping sales. Yet independents aren’t without their own challenges—labor top among them. Those that endure are an example to all operators that being nimble, resilient and thoughtful about guests and employees is a formula fit for the times.
Get StartedTop 100 Independents: The Ranking
Click each concept to see more data.
Rank | Restaurant | Sales | Average Check | City | State | Meals Served |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tao Las Vegas | $43,447,100* | $93* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 230,668 |
2 | Joe's Stone Crab | $35,860,000 | $70 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 306,000 |
3 | Carmine's (Times Square) | $35,155,786 | $34 | New York | N.Y. | 430,773 |
4 | Tao Downtown | $34,337,000* | $98 | New York | N.Y. | 320,600 |
5 | Old Ebbitt Grill | $33,749,638 | $72 | Washington | D.C. | 1,462,781 |
6 | The Boathouse Orlando | $33,030,849 | $43 | Orlando (Disney Springs) | Fla. | 790,174 |
7 | Lavo Italian Restaurant & Nightclub | $27,412,000* | $88* | New York | N.Y. | 206,000 |
8 | Bryant Park Grill & Cafe | $25,900,000* | $53* | New York | N.Y. | 422,000 |
9 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $25,414,213 | $78 | Chicago | Ill. | 357,897 |
10 | Smith & Wollensky | $25,407,000 | $103 | New York | N.Y. | 285,542 |
11 | Balthazar | $25,000,000* | $80* | New York | N.Y. | 1,000,000 |
12 | Tao Uptown | $23,782,000* | $88* | New York | N.Y. | 292,342 |
13 | Junior's (Times Square) | $23,478,798 | $20 | New York | N.Y. | 1,202,191 |
14 | Vandal | $23,444,108* | $83* | New York | N.Y. | 213,320 |
15 | Prime 112 | $23,400,000 | $125 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 202,000 |
16 | The Hamilton | $23,048,871 | $61 | Washington | D.C. | 782,486 |
17 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $22,800,000* | $85* | Washington | D.C. | 280,000 |
18 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $21,700,000* | $87 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 260,000 |
19 | Angus Barn | $21,659,790 | $69 | Raleigh | N.C. | 313,910 |
20 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $21,300,000* | $82* | Chicago | Ill. | 265,000 |
21 | Buddakan | $21,156,072 | $85* | New York | N.Y. | 260,000 |
22 | Bottega Louie | $20,729,140 | $46 | Los Angeles | Calif. | 408,663 |
23 | Carnevino Italian Steakhouse | $20,600,000* | $182* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 110,000 |
24 | Maple & Ash | $20,342,976 | $85 | Chicago | Ill. | 210,223 |
25 | Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres | $20,300,000* | $108* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 194,000 |
26 | RPM Steak | $20,250,000* | $98* | Chicago | Ill. | 206,900 |
27 | SW Steakhouse | $20,100,000* | $133* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 152,000 |
28 | Paddlefish | $19,500,000* | $45* | Disney Springs | Fla. | 410,000 |
29 | Komodo | $19,500,000 | $93 | Miami | Fla. | 220,000 |
30 | St. Elmo Steak House | $19,472,840 | $92 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 239,725 |
31 | The Smith (Lincoln Square) | $19,250,000 | $45 | New York | N.Y. | 554,929 |
32 | Parc | $19,110,230 | $58* | Philadelphia | Pa. | 440,000 |
33 | Quality Meats | $18,739,000 | $106 | New York | N.Y. | 175,378 |
34 | The Smith (NoMad) | $18,600,000 | $46 | New York | N.Y. | 460,357 |
35 | Abe & Louie's | $18,398,313 | $88* | Boston | Mass. | 223,000 |
36 | Le Diplomate | $18,370,665 | $60* | Washington | D.C. | 309,000 |
37 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $18,279,234 | $77 | Oak Brook | Ill. | 267,387 |
38 | Sparks Steak House | $18,200,000* | $93 | New York | N.Y. | 210,000 |
39 | The Smith (Midtown) | $18,150,000 | $47 | New York | N.Y. | 440,301 |
40 | Bob Chinn's Crab House | $18,133,238 | $42 | Wheeling | Ill. | 575,567 |
41 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $18,070,922 | $75 | Rosemont | Ill. | 257,847 |
42 | Del Posto | $17,900,000* | $163* | New York | N.Y. | 111,000 |
43 | Founding Farmers (D.C.) | $17,888,388 | $37 | Washington | D.C. | 560,662 |
44 | Mon Ami Gabi | $17,650,000* | $69* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 315,000 |
45 | Acme Feed & Seed | $17,604,313 | $19 | Nashville | Tenn. | 951,584 |
46 | ‘21’ Club | $17,550,313 | $195 | New York | N.Y. | 114,570 |
47 | Tavern on the Green | $17,500,000* | $74* | New York | N.Y. | 262,000 |
48 | Chicago Cut Steakhouse | $17,400,000* | $88* | Chicago | Ill. | 211,000 |
49 | Shaw's Crab House | $17,350,000* | $68* | Chicago | Ill. | 270,000 |
50 | Quality Italian | $16,805,000 | $93 | New York | N.Y. | 175,301 |
51 | Aria Cafe | $16,700,000* | $27* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 690,000 |
52 | Prime Steakhouse | $16,700,000* | $160* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 113,000 |
53 | Beauty & Essex (New York City) | $16,665,500* | $88* | New York | N.Y. | 195,717 |
54 | Grand Central Oyster Bar | $16,650,000* | $60* | New York | N.Y. | 308,000 |
55 | Lavo Italian Restaurant & Lounge | $16,512,000* | $88* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 139,000 |
56 | Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant | $16,502,654 | $28 | Coalinga | Calif. | 593,803 |
57 | Chops Lobster Bar | $16,300,000* | $104* | Atlanta | Ga. | 196,000 |
58 | Taste of Texas | $16,222,119 | $55 | Houston | Texas | 363,650 |
59 | Keens Steakhouse | $16,200,000* | $93* | New York | N.Y. | 180,000 |
60 | Top of the World | $16,150,000* | $99* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 175,000 |
61 | La Sirena | $16,100,000* | $83* | New York | N.Y. | 225,000 |
62 | Morimoto Asia | $16,050,000* | $68* | Orlando (Disney Springs) | Fla. | 499,000 |
63 | Delmonico Steakhouse | $16,000,000* | $95* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 148,000 |
64 | Zehnder's of Frankenmuth | $15,902,244 | $17 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 965,039 |
65 | Junior's Restaurant (49th Street) | $15,498,945 | $19 | New York | N.Y. | 797,270 |
66 | Swift & Sons | $15,125,746 | $98* | Chicago | Ill. | 153,693 |
67 | The Lobster House | $15,000,000* | $41* | Cape May | N.J. | 320,000 |
68 | Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House | $14,982,768 | $77 | Chicago | Ill. | 187,768 |
69 | Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn | $14,979,373 | $18 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 848,141 |
70 | Makoto | $14,969,539 | $63* | Bal Harbour | Fla. | 228,000 |
71 | Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse | $14,900,000* | $55* | Chicago | Ill. | 295,000 |
72 | Franciscan Crab Restaurant | $14,875,522 | $59 | San Francisco | Calif. | 280,000 |
73 | Paradise Cove Beach Cafe | $14,767,831 | $43 | Malibu | Calif. | 410,000 |
74 | Portland City Grill | $14,640,607 | $75 | Portland | Ore. | 304,884 |
75 | Jean-Georges Steakhouse | $14,600,000* | $112* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 127,000 |
76 | The Southern Steak & Oyster | $14,576,128 | $75 | Nashville | Tenn. | 352,813 |
77 | Prime & Provisions | $14,540,000* | $95* | Chicago | Ill. | 147,000 |
78 | The Bazaar by Jose Andres | $14,500,000* | $96* | Beverly Hills | Calif. | 152,000 |
79 | 15th Street Fisheries | $14,400,000* | $63* | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 352,000 |
80 | Scoma's | $14,316,074 | $60* | San Francisco | Calif. | 335,000 |
81 | Junior's (Brooklyn) | $14,240,043 | $23 | New York | N.Y. | 615,386 |
82 | Coffee Shop | $14,200,000* | $45* | New York | N.Y. | 312,000 |
83 | Cliff House | $14,130,000* | $48* | San Francisco | Calif. | 286,000 |
84 | The Rustic Inn | $14,113,000* | $29* | Dania Beach | Fla. | 510,000 |
85 | Atlanta Fish Market | $14,100,000* | $51* | Atlanta | Ga. | 27,300 |
86 | Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar | $14,081,385 | $31 | Chicago | Ill. | 423,892 |
87 | Carmine's (Atlantic City) | $13,871,386 | $33 | Atlantic City | N.J. | 131,416 |
88 | Virgil's Real Barbecue | $13,815,036 | $30 | New York | N.Y. | 209,650 |
89 | Tavern on Rush | $13,721,225 | $75 | Chicago | Ill. | 350,000 |
90 | Rock Center Cafe | $13,500,000* | $60* | New York City | N.Y. | 320,000 |
91 | Timberline Steaks and Grille | $13,415,751 | $19 | Denver | Colo. | 994,442 |
92 | Founding Farmers (McLean, Va.) | $13,244,450 | $38 | McLean | Va. | 404,015 |
93 | Mike's "American" | $13,100,000* | $33* | Springfield | Va. | 470,000 |
94 | Le Coucou | $12,959,000 | $125* | New York | N.Y. | 154,000 |
95 | George's at the Cove | $12,900,000* | $85* | La Jolla | Calif. | 265,000 |
96 | BOA Steakhouse | $12,718,968 | $106 | West Hollywood | Calif. | 102,122 |
97 | Cafe Fiorello | $12,700,000* | $59* | New York | N.Y. | 238,000 |
98 | Boulevard | $12,500,000* | $100* | San Francisco | Calif. | 122,000 |
99 | Beauty & Essex (Las Vegas) | $12,430,000* | $88* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 142,500 |
100 | Farmers, Fishers, Bakers | $12,420,373 | $36 | Washington | D.C. | 383,238 |
Methodology
RB’s Top 100 Independents ranking is a measure of the highest-grossing independent restaurants. Only restaurant concepts with no more than five locations are considered “independents” for the purpose of this list (although it’s possible a restaurant that shares a name with a chain but is owned and operated separately would qualify, as with Smith & Wollensky in New York City). Rankings are based on gross 2015 food and beverage sales. Information was gathered through surveys. When data wasn’t provided, sales were estimated based on public information, similar concepts and other factors.
Did we miss your restaurant? If your operation had food and beverage sales above $10 million, we want to know about it. Please contact Sara Rush Wirth at swirth@winsightmedia.com to be included in the next Top 100 Independents survey.