The Franchise King®

The Top 500 Restaurant Chains According To Datassential

datassential 500 chains 2024

Datassential, the preeminent global food and beverage intelligence platform bridging the gap between consumers and the industry, has recently unveiled its findings for the 2024 top 500 restaurant chains.

In their latest report, the nation’s most substantial restaurant chains experienced a remarkable 7.5% surge in sales during the year 2023, culminating in a staggering $417.13 billion in total revenue.

This impressive growth was primarily driven by strategic price adjustments, which helped offset the relatively modest expansion in the number of operational units, as per the preview of Datassential’s annual Top 500 Chains report, the 2024 Datassential 500. See the Press Release



Get Your Free Franchise Buying Checklist!
Get Your Free Franchise Buying Checklist!
Invalid email address
You'll also get my latest blog posts and my free VIP Franchise Newsletter!


The report showcases Datassential’s comprehensive analysis of the food and beverage industry, providing valuable insights that connect the evolving preferences of consumers with the dynamic strategies employed by the industry’s leading players.

By delving deep into market trends and consumer behavior, Datassential’s intelligence platform equips stakeholders with the essential data and analytics needed to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the food and beverage sector.

Through the Datassential 500 report, the company offers a comprehensive overview of the nation’s most prominent restaurant chains, shedding light on their performance, growth trajectories, and the factors that have contributed to their success.

The Datassential 2024 Report

This annual publication serves as a vital resource for industry professionals, enabling them to benchmark their own operations against the industry’s top performers and make informed decisions to drive their businesses forward.

Highlights Of The Datassential Report On The Top 500 Restaurant Chains 2024

  • The nation’s largest chains increased units by 2.1 percent to 238,152.
  • Subway remains the largest restaurant chain by units despite losing some ground from 2022, with total units in 2023 of 20,133 compared with 20,576 in 2022. McDonald’s is still No. 1 in sales, growing sales to $52.91 billion in 2023 from $48.67 billion the year before.
  • There was only one change in ranking among the top 10 chains by units: Domino’s Pizza overtook Burger King with 6,854 locations nationwide. And in terms of sales, Chipotle moved ahead of Subway, with sales of $9.87 billion.
  • Arkansas-based 7 Brew, a drive-thru coffee chain, is the fastest-growing chain in the U.S., with annual unit growth of 373.7% in 2023 compared with 2022.
  • Expansion accelerated last year for the fastest-growing brands: Five chains grew faster in 2023 than 2022’s fastest-growing restaurant, Mochinut, a Los Angeles-based chain that sells mochi donuts, bubble tea and Korean hot dogs.
Please Share This Article!
1Shares

franchise article written by joel libava
Note: When you buy through links on this website, we may earn an affiliate commission. In addition, I've started to use AI to help me craft better article titles and headings.
The Franchise King® Blog
Get proven franchise research and buying tips, helpful franchising resources, plus the latest franchise news updates and more.
Recommended Reading
Introduction To Franchising
How Much Is A Franchise?
Pros And Cons Of A Franchise What Is The Franchise Fee? How To Buy A Franchise
Best Franchises To Own

Franchise/Business Products!
Top 33 Business Ideas
Starbucks Franchise Facts
10 Best Franchise Websites
About Franchise Consultants
How To Read A FDD
Questions To Ask Franchisors
Questions To Ask Franchisees Franchise Discovery Day Franchise Reviews
Featured Franchises!

Free Franchise Tools Franchise Compatibility Quiz Net Worth Calculator
joel libava

I'm The Franchise King®, Joel Libava. For 23+ years, I've helped thousands of people avoid bank account emptying mistakes.
If you want to make a smart, informed decision on franchises to own, I can help you, too!
This is Important!
I'm NOT a franchise broker/consultant/coach. I'm a Franchise Ownership Advisor who's not paid sales commissions by franchisors!

We Visited A Franchise Expo
My wife and I are interested in starting a business so we visited a franchise expo. Afterwards, we were contacted by a couple of franchisors and we soon found ourselves deeply immersed in researching these particular franchises. We needed to take a step back and take stock of the bigger picture: 'Is a franchise right for us? Right now? What types of franchises would suit us?' We needed an independent and knowledgeable perspective. A paid consultation with Joel Libava clarified some of our thinking and gave us some useful ideas to pursue!" "
- Steve and Marci Nemburg, Toronto
"Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it."
- Harper Lee

Work With a U.S. Based Accountant