PR Newswire:
The nation’s largest multi-unit restaurant franchise operators have demonstrated an ability to increase sales even when they’re not opening new units, according to the Monitor 200, the Restaurant Finance Monitor‘s annual ranking of the nation’s largest restaurant franchisees.
As a whole, Monitor 200 franchisees reported $21.1 billion in revenue in 2008, up 55 percent from 1998, when they took in $13.6 billion in sales. The number of units they operate has grown more slowly, from 14,632 in 1998 to 16,395 last year.
In addition, Monitor 200 operators buy into the largest brands with the best track records of success. The majority of companies on the list operate in one or more of a handful of “top-tier” franchise systems, including YUM! Brands, Burger King, Wendy’s and Applebee’s, suggesting
that it’s easier to get financing for these systems.
“Large restaurant operators choose strong brands with a track record of sales growth, and they find the best locations,” said John M. Hamburger, president of Franchise Times Corp., publisher of the Restaurant Finance Monitor. “And they have the wherewithal to run excellent restaurants despite problems in the national economy.”
The Monitor 200 ranks the 200 largest restaurant franchisees based on their annual revenues. The list has been published every year since 1994.
