The Future 50

A number of things might jump out at you from this year’s Future 50—ranking the 50 fastest growing chains with sales of $25 million to $50 million, as tabulated by Technomic. There are two concepts that describe themselves as “man caves”: Brick House Tap + Tavern (#1) and Twin Peaks (#41). There’s a ton of Mexican and pizza concepts. What might be most striking, however, is the longevity of some of these growth chains. Two, in fact, are over 100 years old: El Fenix (#28) and Amato’s (#37). “Expansion and unit growth has become an essential factor for the success of today’s chain restaurant brand,” says Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano. “These brands have taken matters into their own hands by taking risks and investing in their future.”

KEY:
S: 2010 Systemwide sales/% change
U: Total units open/% change
A: Average unit volume/% change
*Technomic estimate

Rankings based on percent change in sales. Where interviews revealed updates to Technomic numbers, we include those in the copy, but only base rankings on Technomic’s original.

All percent changes vs. 2009