Surprising ranking: Olive Garden and other popular chain restaurants top list of biggest dining chains in the US

In a surprising turn of events, Olive Garden has been ranked among the top chain restaurants in the United States, despite the dominance of fast-food and fast-casual chains in the industry. The report from research firm Technomic, based on historical data and trends in the food service industry, identified the top 500 biggest chain restaurants in the US for 2023.

From Olive Garden to Denny’s, there are many popular chain restaurants that you may have visited in the past year. The report excluded fast-casual or quick-service restaurants like Chipotle and McDonald’s from its list of top 15 chains listed as casual dining, midscale, or family-style.

According to Technomic’s report, here are some of the biggest chain restaurants in the US for 2023:

* Olive Garden: Founded in 1981, this Italian restaurant chain reported $4.6 billion in sales and had over 900 units in operation by 2023.

* Red Lobster: This seafood restaurant chain was founded in 1970 and reported $763 million in sales and had over 750 units by 2023. However, they filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

* Applebee’s: Founded in 1980, this American diner chain reported $1 billion in sales and had over 950 units by 2023.

* Cracker Barrel Old Country Store: This roadside diner chain was founded in 1969 and reported $4 billion in sales and had over 850 units by 2023.

* Longhorn Steakhouse: This steakhouse chain was founded in 1977 and reported $1 billion