Before the 2008 recession slowed expansion across the industry, early 2007 was a period of aggressive growth for emerging restaurant concepts. RestaurantChains.net tracked quarter-to-quarter unit growth across more than 7,300 restaurant chain concepts, and the January 2007 report revealed some surprising names leading the pack.
These were not the giants. These were the up-and-comers. Small chains growing fast in regional markets, many of which you may not recognize today.
The Report
| Rank | Chain | Cuisine | Service Type | Starting Units | Units Added | Ending Units | Growth % | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papaya King | Sandwich | Quick Serve | 3 | 5 | 8 | 167% | CT, NY |
| 2 | Starwich Salads & Sandwiches | Sandwich | Fast Casual | 5 | 4 | 9 | 80% | MA, NJ, NY, DC |
| 3 | Bearclaw Coffee | Coffee | Quick Serve | 9 | 7 | 16 | 78% | MI |
| 4 | Fish City Grill | Seafood | Family/Casual | 7 | 4 | 11 | 57% | AR, OK, TX |
| 5 | Spicy Pickle Sub Shop | Sandwich | Fast Casual | 12 | 5 | 17 | 42% | CA, CO, OR, SD, TX |
| 6 | Bajio Grill | Mexican | Family/Casual | 24 | 10 | 34 | 42% | AZ, ID, IN, NV, OR, TX, UT |
| 7 | Rumbi Island Grill | American | Fast Casual | 13 | 5 | 18 | 38% | AZ, CO, UT |
| 8 | Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli | American | Fast Casual | 22 | 6 | 28 | 27% | AZ, CO, IL |
| 9 | DoubleDave’s Pizza Works | Pizza | Quick Serve | 41 | 7 | 48 | 17% | TX |
| 10 | Jreck Subs | Sandwich | Quick Serve | 38 | 6 | 44 | 16% | NY |
How the Data Was Collected
Unit counts were based on the most recent four-month research period, concluded December 20, 2006. Chains qualified by having at least 3 units, fewer than 50 units, growth of at least 4 units, and reliable information available on unit counts and activity.
What Happened to These Chains?
A great portion of these names have faded or been absorbed over the years. A reminder of how brutal the restaurant industry can be. Papaya King, the #1 fastest grower, was a New York hot dog and juice institution that couldn’t sustain its expansion. Bajio Grill competed directly with Chipotle and ultimately lost that battle.
This is exactly the kind of historical data RestaurantChains.net will be bringing back. Quarter by quarter, year by year.
Related links: For current restaurant chain expansion data, visit our partners at Restaurantpipeline.com and Restaurantdata.com.
