Top franchisees thrive despite low-carb mania
ROSEVILLE, Minn., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Is the entire universe on a low- carb diet? Probably not. At least not according to the numbers of the top restaurant franchisees in the United States, as ranked by the recent Restaurant Finance Monitor's Top 200 franchisees listing.
June 21, 2004
ROSEVILLE, Minn., June 22 /PRNewswire/-- Is the entire universe on a low- carb diet? Probably not. At least not according to the numbers of the top restaurant franchisees in the United States, as ranked by the recent Restaurant Finance Monitor's Top 200 franchisees listing. The Monitor, which tracks financial trends in the multi-unit restaurant sector, has just released its 12th annual 2004 Monitor 200 list. The Monitor's ranking, which is sponsored by Imperial Capital Franchise Finance, tracks the top 200 restaurant franchisees in the nation by 2003 revenue. A close look at the Top 200 franchisees shows that chains dealing in high- carb items were still on top, although they might have dabbled in low-carb offerings. Forty-two companies on the Monitor 200 list owned Taco Bell restaurants; 35, KFC; and 31, Pizza Hut. "Since we started the ranking in 1992, the goal has been to track the growth in the franchised restaurant sector," said Monitor Publisher Mary Jo Larson. "But, we thought the effect of low-carb mania was an interesting side note this year." "What's most impressive is that the Monitor 200 companies continue to grow at healthy rates," she reported. Total revenue of the Monitor 200 companies reached $17.9 billion this year, compared to $17.0 billion last year, an increase of 5.3 percent. Total restaurants operated by the Monitor 200 companies reached 16,633, up from 16,223 last year. The Monitor is the only publication that tracks these numbers. The list once again proves that restaurant franchisees play a significant role in restaurant revenue nationwide.Other key points:-- The largest franchisee for the seventh year in a row is RTM Restaurant Group, with 811 Arby's and 16 Sbarro locations, and $754 million in 2003 revenue. -- The 200th company had $30 million in revenue. -- Fifty-two companies had revenue of more than $100 million. In the first ranking in 1992, only 13 companies reported more than $100 million in revenue. -- Other concepts fared well in the ranking this year, also. Applebee's had 32 operators on the list; Burger King, 29; and Wendy's, 26. "This is just a look at the top franchisees," said Larson. "There are many more significant companies under that $30 million mark." The Restaurant Finance Monitor is a monthly publication that covers finance and development topics for the multi-unit restaurant industry. Imperial Capital Franchise Finance, a premier finance source in the multi-unit franchise sector, focuses on finance products to growing franchise companies. For more information on the Restaurant Finance Monitor, contact Mary Jo Larson, publisher, at 800-528-3296; for Imperial Capital Franchise Finance, contact George Glines, president, at 866-223-2505.
