The Fast Casual Landscape in 2009

Throwback · 2009 Archive

The Fast Casual Landscape in 2009

Fifteen years before delivery apps, ghost kitchens, and $20 burritos. This was the industry. We ranked the leading fast casual chains by systemwide sales. After removing duplicate records, this restored table contains 122 unique brands. Some grew into giants. Some were acquired. Some are gone. All of it looks different from here.

Research period ended Sep 1, 2009 · Originally published by Restaurantchains.net · Rankings based on estimated systemwide sales

Originally published November 2009 · Preserved in the RestaurantData Historical Research Archive · Restored and reviewed May 2025

$21.0BTotal systemwide sales tracked

22,774Total units across 122 unique brands

$923KAverage unit volume, all brands

121×Sales gap: Panera vs. Spangles

Explore all 122 unique brands

Filter by cuisine. Sort any column by clicking the header.

122Brands shown

$21.0BTotal sales

22,774Total units

$923KAvg unit vol.

#	Brand	Sales	Units	AUV	Cuisine	States
1	Panera BreadREI	$2,421M	1,345	$1.80M	Bakery Cafe	41 states
2	Chipotle Mexican GrillREI	$1,418M	886	$1.60M	Mexican	33 states
3	Captain D's SeafoodREI	$1,227M	1,068	$1.15M	Seafood	32 states
4	Kahala CorpREI	$1,131M	3,534	$320K	Multiple	Multiple US & Canada
5	Panda Restaurant GroupREI	$1,048M	1,233	$850K	Chinese	36 states
6	Yoshinoya	$796M	1,137	$700K	Japanese	4 states
7	Culver'sREI	$706M	415	$1.70M	Burger	17 states
8	Carrols CorpREICurrent parent: Restaurant Brands International	$671M	559	$1.20M	Multiple	17 states
9	Boston Market	$636M	530	$1.20M	American	28 states
10	Baja FreshREICurrent parent: Kahala Brands	$502M	386	$1.30M	Mexican	23 states
11	Einstein Noah Restaurant GroupREI	$450M	643	$700K	American	28 states
12	Qdoba Mexican GrillREI	$417M	490	$851K	Mexican	43 states
13	Moe's Southwest GrillREI	$362M	402	$900K	Mexican	35 states
14	McAlister's DeliREI	$346M	288	$1.20M	Sandwich	22 states
15	Papa Gino'sREI	$324M	360	$900K	Pizza	6 states
16	Au Bon PainREICurrent parent: Ampex Brands	$319M	266	$1.20M	Bakery Cafe	20 states
17	Jason's DeliREI	$315M	210	$1.50M	American	26 states
18	Fazoli'sREI	$300M	250	$1.20M	Italian	28 states
19	Covelli EnterprisesREI	$277M	154	$1.80M	American	4 states
20	Schlotzsky'sREI	$271M	339	$799K	American	35 states
21	Pollo CamperoREI	$270M	300	$900K	Chicken	14 states
22	Taco TimeREI	$259M	370	$700K	Mexican	19 states
23	Noodles & CoREI	$256M	213	$1.20M	Multiple	18 states
24	Five Guys Burgers & FriesREI	$240M	400	$600K	Burger	26 states
25	Nathan's Famous	$231M	289	$799K	American	22 states
26	Taco CabanaREICurrent parent: Yadav Enterprises	$230M	153	$1.50M	Mexican	4 states
27	Corner Bakery CafeREICurrent parent: SSCP Management	$230M	115	$2.00M	Bakery Cafe	11 states
28	Cosi Sandwich Bar	$210M	140	$1.50M	Sandwich	19 states
29	Pita PitREI	$192M	295	$651K	Sandwich	Multiple US & Canada
30	Intl Restaurant Mgmt GroupREI	$160M	200	$800K	Multiple	18 states
31	Pollo TropicalREICurrent parent: Authentic Restaurant Brands	$153M	90	$1.70M	Chicken	4 states
32	Manchu WokREICurrent parent: MTY Food Group	$144M	205	$702K	Chinese	Multiple US & Canada
33	Beautiful Brands	$139M	87	$1.60M	American	Multiple
34	Dickey's BBQ PitREI	$134M	112	$1.20M	BBQ	22 states
35	Atlanta Bread Company	$126M	105	$1.20M	American	25 states
36	Penn Station East Coast SubsREI	$122M	207	$589K	Sandwich	12 states
37	La Madeleine	$122M	61	$2.00M	Bakery Cafe	6 states
38	Taco Del Mar	$119M	238	$500K	Mexican	Multiple US & Canada
39	K & W Cafeterias	$115M	36	$3.19M	American	4 states
40	Great Steak & Potato CompanyREICurrent parent: Kahala Brands	$111M	185	$600K	American	Multiple
41	Wagamama	$102M	102	$1.00M	Japanese	1 state
42	Pick Up Stix	$101M	101	$1.00M	Chinese	3 states
43	BD's Mongolian BBQ	$88M	35	$2.51M	Asian	11 states
44	Breads of the World	$86M	48	$1.79M	Bakery Cafe	2 states
45	Paradise Bakery & Cafe	$85M	71	$1.20M	Bakery Cafe	10 states
46	Sarku JapanREI	$80M	201	$398K	Japanese	Multiple
47	Extreme PitaREICurrent parent: MTY Food Group	$80M	200	$400K	Sandwich	Multiple US & Canada
48	Fat Tuesday	$78M	52	$1.50M	Bar Food	6 states
49	SaladworksREICurrent parent: WOWorks	$74M	105	$705K	American	9 states
50	Wow Cafe & Wingery	$73M	102	$716K	Chicken	20 states
51	Mellow MushroomREI	$72M	103	$699K	Pizza	14 states
52	Vapiano	$71M	47	$1.51M	Italian	4 states
53	Le Pain Quotidien	$66M	110	$600K	Bakery Cafe	6 states
54	Edo JapanREI	$66M	94	$702K	Japanese	Multiple US & Canada
55	TruFoods LLC	$64M	92	$696K	American	Multiple
56	Maid Rite	$64M	80	$800K	American	9 states
57	Tijuana Flats	$60M	67	$896K	Mexican	5 states
58	Shakey's Pizza	$60M	50	$1.20M	Pizza	6 states
59	Salsarita's Fresh Cantina	$60M	75	$800K	Mexican	17 states
60	Genghis Grill	$57M	41	$1.39M	Asian	13 states
61	Roly Poly Rolled Sandwiches	$53M	105	$505K	Sandwich	Multiple
62	Saxton Pierce Restaurant Corp	$53M	44	$1.20M	Sandwich	5 states
63	Alberto's Mexican Food	$51M	64	$797K	Mexican	2 states
64	Shane's Rib Shack	$50M	72	$694K	BBQ	14 states
65	S & S Cafeteria	$50M	10	$5.00M	American	3 states
66	Fresh Choice	$50M	33	$1.52M	American	3 states
67	Cafe Supreme	$49M	70	$700K	Bakery Cafe	5 states
68	Earl of Sandwich	$48M	13	$3.69M	Sandwich	5 states
69	Pat & Oscar's	$48M	19	$2.53M	American	1 state
70	Panchero's Mexican Grill	$45M	56	$804K	Mexican	20 states
71	Sandella's Flatbread Cafe	$44M	125	$352K	American	Multiple
72	Made in Japan TeriyakiREICurrent parent: MTY Food Group	$44M	127	$346K	Japanese	Multiple US & Canada
73	Samurai Sam's Teriyaki GrillREICurrent parent: MTY Food Group	$43M	62	$694K	Japanese	14 states
74	Wahoo's Fish Taco	$42M	52	$808K	Mexican	4 states
75	Tokyo Joe's	$42M	19	$2.21M	Japanese	1 state
76	Redbrick Pizza	$42M	70	$600K	Pizza	8 states
77	Olga's Kitchen	$42M	35	$1.20M	Sandwich	3 states
78	Chinese Gourmet Express	$41M	91	$451K	Chinese	Multiple
79	Southern Deli LLC	$40M	33	$1.21M	Sandwich	7 states
80	Raving Brands	$40M	66	$606K	Multiple	13 states
81	Capriotti's Sandwich ShopREI	$39M	55	$709K	Sandwich	8 states
82	Great Wraps	$39M	77	$506K	Sandwich	Multiple
83	Nature's Table Cafe	$37M	75	$493K	American	9 states
84	HuHot Mongolian Grill	$36M	30	$1.20M	Asian	14 states
85	Crispers Fresh Salads	$36M	42	$857K	American	1 state
86	SmashburgerREI	$35M	29	$1.21M	Burger	7 states
87	Sansai Japanese Grill	$33M	37	$892K	Japanese	2 states
88	Freebirds World Burrito	$33M	25	$1.32M	Mexican	2 states
89	Food Systems Unlimited	$33M	73	$452K	Asian	15 states
90	Spicy Pickle	$31M	51	$608K	Sandwich	12 states
91	Salad Creations	$31M	51	$608K	American	Multiple
92	Gambino's Pizza	$31M	51	$608K	Pizza	5 states
93	LeeAnn Chin	$29M	43	$674K	Chinese	2 states
94	Bobby Cox Companies	$29M	49	$592K	Multiple	4 states
95	Hogi Yogi / Teriyaki Stix	$28M	35	$800K	Multiple	3 states
96	Williams Coffee Pub	$27M	45	$600K	Bakery Cafe	1 state
97	Hot Restaurant Group	$27M	39	$692K	Multiple	1 state
98	Submarina California Subs	$26M	65	$400K	Sandwich	7 states
99	Organic to Go	$26M	33	$788K	American	2 states
100	Cafe Express	$26M	17	$1.53M	American	1 state
101	Bear Rock Cafe	$26M	20	$1.30M	American	7 states
102	Original Bread Inc	$25M	29	$862K	Bakery Cafe	2 states
103	Specialty's Cafe & Bakery	$24M	24	$1.00M	Bakery Cafe	3 states
104	Smithfield Chicken & BBQ	$23M	33	$697K	BBQ	1 state
105	Taqueria Guadalajara	$23M	29	$793K	Mexican	1 state
106	Heidi's Brooklyn Deli	$23M	39	$590K	Multiple	10 states
107	Bobby Salazar's Mexican Foods	$23M	23	$1.00M	Mexican	1 state
108	Lion's Choice	$22M	27	$815K	Sandwich	3 states
109	Alonti Cafe & Catering	$22M	28	$786K	American	2 states
110	International Deli	$22M	18	$1.22M	Sandwich	2 states
111	Carlon Corporation	$22M	24	$917K	Bakery Cafe	2 states
112	Select Sandwich / UK Urban Kitchen	$22M	28	$786K	Sandwich	1 state
113	Mr. Pita	$22M	36	$611K	American	5 states
114	Flynn Restaurants / World Wraps	$22M	45	$489K	Sandwich	2 states
115	Whitt's BBQ	$22M	28	$786K	BBQ	3 states
116	Amato's Sandwich Shop	$22M	38	$579K	Sandwich	3 states
117	Una Mas	$21M	21	$1.00M	Mexican	1 state
118	Nando's	$21M	27	$778K	Chicken	3 states
119	Hale & Hearty Soups	$21M	23	$913K	Sandwich	2 states
120	El Taco Tote	$21M	23	$913K	Mexican	3 states
121	Eat With Us	$21M	26	$808K	American	5 states
122	Spangles Restaurant	$20M	25	$800K	American	1 state

Rank is by estimated 2009 systemwide sales. AUV is calculated from sales and unit count. Brands marked REI link to their current enterprise profile in the Restaurant Enterprise Index.

What the data tells us

Six things that stand out looking back at the 2009 rankings.

50%

The top 10 owned half the segment

The top 10 brands accounted for approximately 50% of all tracked systemwide sales. The remaining 112 brands accounted for the other half. Scale already mattered enormously in 2009.

6 brands

Mexican was already a war zone

Chipotle, Baja Fresh, Qdoba, Moe’s, Taco Time, and Taco Cabana were all in the top 30. The burrito bowl wars were well underway before Chipotle’s full momentum hit.

22%

Almost nobody offered delivery

Only 22% of the listed brands offered delivery in 2009. DoorDash launched in 2013. The entire off-premise revolution was still years away.

77%

Franchise was the dominant model

77 of the top 100 brands offered franchising. Non-franchise operators like Chipotle and Boston Market were the exception.

29 units

Smashburger was a baby

Ranked #86 with just 29 locations and $35M in sales. Some of today’s most recognized names were tiny regional players when this list was published.

~$1.8M

Panera’s unit economics stood out

Panera’s implied AUV of approximately $1.8M was among the strongest at the top of the ranking. It was both the largest brand by tracked sales and a highly productive system.

Who made it and grew

These 12 brands from the 2009 list are not just still open. They’re significantly larger today.

Panera Bread#1 in 2009 · 1,345 units · $2.4B

Still the segment’s anchor. Grew to 2,100+ US locations.

Chipotle Mexican Grill#2 in 2009 · 886 units · $1.4B

Now 3,500+ units and one of fast casual’s defining success stories.

Panda Restaurant Group#5 in 2009 · 1,233 units · $1.0B

Panda Express now has 2,400+ locations worldwide.

Culver’s#7 in 2009 · 415 units · $706M

One of the Midwest’s most durable growth stories.

Five Guys Burgers & Fries#24 in 2009 · 400 units · $240M

Grew to 1,700+ locations globally.

Moe’s Southwest Grill#13 in 2009 · 402 units · $362M

Part of GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands) and expanded nationally.

McAlister’s Deli#14 in 2009 · 288 units · $346M

Expanded to 500+ locations.

Dickey’s BBQ Pit#34 in 2009 · 112 units · $134M

Grew into one of the largest BBQ chains in the US.

Smashburger#86 in 2009 · 29 units · $35M

Grew to 200+ units before Jollibee acquired it.

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop#81 in 2009 · 55 units · $39M

Now 160+ locations nationally.

HuHot Mongolian Grill#84 in 2009 · 30 units · $36M

Quietly doubled its footprint.

Nando’s#118 in 2009 · 27 units · $21M

Now has 40+ US locations and is still expanding.

For current enterprise and ownership profiles, explore the Restaurant Enterprise Index. Current concept, company, and location research is available through Atlas by RestaurantData. The Restaurant Research Center publishes current rankings and industry analysis, while the Restaurant Data Dictionary explains the definitions and ownership relationships used across the research.

Data from Restaurantchains.net · Research period ended Sep 1, 2009 · Rankings based on estimated systemwide sales · Some brands include international units · Copyright November 2009 · Brand status notes reflect publicly available information as of 2025 and should not be treated as current company profiles.

For licensing or data partnership inquiries, contact RestaurantData.

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