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List of casual dining restaurant chains

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of casual dining restaurant chains around the world, arranged in alphabetical order. A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately priced food in a casual atmosphere. Except for buffet-style restaurants and, more recently, fast casual restaurants, casual dining restaurants usually provide table service.

Casual

[edit]

Casual dining usually have waited tables but may have some variations with counter or self service such as buffet.

Name Type Location(s) Number of locations Notes
Chipotle Mexican Grill Mexican United States 3,200+ Chipotle Menu Price
Abby's Legendary Pizza Pizza United States (Oregon and Washington) 37
Adyar Ananda Bhavan Indian foods and beverages India, United States 200+
America's Incredible Pizza Company Pizza United States, Mexico 8
Anchor Bar American United States, Canada 15
Angus Steakhouse Steakhouse United Kingdom 6
Anjappar Chettinad Restaurant Chettinad South Indian cuisine Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, USA 30+ Privately owned Indian restaurant chain
Annalakshmi Indian vegetarian Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore 4
Applebee's Bar & grill United States, worldwide 1,586 (2022)[1]
ASK Italian Italian cuisine United Kingdom 112
Bahama Breeze Caribbean United States 40 Part of the Specialty Restaurant Group of Darden Restaurants[2]
Bakers Square Family United States (6 Mid-west states) 32 Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
Bar Louie Restaurants Bar United States 73
Baton Rouge Steakhouse Canada 29
Becks Prime Gourmet burgers United States 14 Texas-based
Beef O'Brady's Irish sports pubs United States 151
Beefeater Pub United Kingdom 140
Belgo Bar United Kingdom 7
Bella Italia Italian cuisine United Kingdom 90
Benihana Japanese cuisine, steakhouse United States, worldwide 116
Bennigan's Irish pub 12 in United States + 17 International 29
Bertucci's Italian United States (predominantly Northeastern) 58 Earl Enterprises
Bickford's Cafeteria United States 3 Also operated the Foster's brand
Big Boy Family and some casual United States (primarily Michigan), Thailand 77 In 2020–21 added three franchisees, including one covering Southeast Asia and Australia.
Bill's Casual dining United Kingdom 131
BJ's Restaurants American United States (27 states) 205 Pizza, grill, microbrewery
Black Angus Steakhouse Steakhouse United States (Western) 45 Also known as Stuart Anderson's
Black-eyed Pea Country casual United States (Colorado & Texas) 13 Includes full alcohol service and bar
Bob Evans Restaurants American United States (18 Mid-west and Mid-Atlantic states) 527 Specializing in country-style cooking
Bob's Big Boy Family, casual, and drive-in Southern California 5 The original Big Boy chain founded by Bob Wian in 1936. Marriott and JB's Restaurants once used the Bob's name in other areas of the US including toll roads. Many Howard Johnson's restaurants were converted to Bob's.
Bonefish Grill Seafood United States 215
Boomarang Diner Family United States 55
Boston Pizza Bar & grill United States, Canada, Mexico 388 Known outside Canada as Boston's The Gourmet Pizza
Bread Ahead Bakery United Kingdom 7 British bakery and casual diner
Brewers Fayre Pub United Kingdom 161 A sister chain to Beefeater
Brio Tuscan Grille Casual dining United States 118 Part of Bravo Brio Restaurant Group
Brotzeit Casual dining Singapore, worldwide 11 Exotic Bavarian cuisine served at restaurants located in the Far East
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Seafood Worldwide 45
Buca di Beppo Italian United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates 88
Buffalo Grill Steakhouse France, worldwide 360
Buffalo Wild Wings American United States, North America, Asia 1,279 American casual dining restaurant and sports bar
Buffalo Wings & Rings American United States, worldwide 81 This restaurant is similar to Buffalo Wild Wings and Buffalo's Cafe.
Buffalo's Cafe American United States, Asia, Middle East 51 Buffalo-Texan style
Burger Fuel Burgers New Zealand, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, United States 87
Byron Hamburgers Burgers United Kingdom 69
Cabalen Filipino Philippines, United States 18 Buffet restaurant chain specializing in exotic delicacies such as betuteng tugak (stuffed frog), kamaru (crickets), adobong pugo (quail) and balut (developing bird embryo)
Cactus Club Cafe Premium casual Canada 27
Café Rouge French United Kingdom 120+
California Pizza Kitchen Pizza United States, Mexico, Asia-Pacific region, Western Asia 200+
Camille's Sidewalk Cafe Casual dining United States 146
Cantina Mariachi Mexican Spain, Portugal, United States, United Arab Emirates 119
The Capital Grille Steakhouse United States 57
Carino's Italian Italian United States 84
Carlos'n Charlie's Mexican Mexico, Caribbean 10 Grupo Anderson's
Carluccio's Ltd Italian United Kingdom, worldwide 400
Carrabba's Italian Grill Italian-American cuisine United States 247
Carrows Family United States 9 Owned by Catalina Restaurant Group, Inc.
Champps Americana Bar & grill United States 11 Traded on NASDAQ under CMPP
Charlie Brown's Fresh Grill Steakhouse United States (New Jersey) 2 Once the largest steakhouse chain in New Jersey, only two locations remain
Cheba Hut Sandwiches United States, worldwide 20 Themed around cannabis culture
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Casual dining United States 171 Acquired by Darden Restaurants in 2017
The Cheesecake Factory American United States 210 Mostly known for its cheesecake
Chevys Fresh Mex Mexican United States 38 Was owned by PFS (Pepsi)
Chickie's & Pete's Bar & grill United States (Delaware Valley) 19
Chili's American, Tex-Mex United States, worldwide 1,606 Brinker Int'l.
Chiquito Mexican United Kingdom 68
Chuck-A-Rama Buffet United States 12
Chuck E. Cheese Pizza United States, worldwide 600+
Chuy's Tex-Mex United States 102
Cicis Pizza United States 423
Claim Jumper Steakhouse United States (Arizona, California, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin) 37
Coco's Bakery Family United States (western) 49 Owned by Catalina Restaurant Group, Inc.
Congo Grille Filipino grill Philippines 10
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants Restaurant and winery United States 30 Winery and tasting room
Copeland's New Orleans cuisine United States 20
Cora Breakfast and lunch Canada 130
Côte Casual dining United Kingdom 94
Cotton Patch Café Country casual United States (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico) 52
The Counter Casual burgers United States, worldwide 45
Crabby Joe's Tap & Grill Casual dining Canada 35
Cracker Barrel Country casual United States 645 A restaurant with gift shop
Dametra Cafe Mediterranean United States 3
Dave & Buster's Family, entertainment, arcade United States, Canada 122
Dave's Hot Chicken chicken tenders and sliders United States, Middle East 107
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House Steakhouse United States 16[3]
Dencio's Bar & grill Philippines 30 Owned by Pancake House Incorporation
Denny's Family United States, and 14 other countries 1,700
Dick's Last Resort Bar United States 13
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Barbecue United States 560+
Din Tai Fung Chinese Taiwan, Asia, North America, Australia 60
Dindigul Thalappakatti Restaurant Chettinad South Indian cuisine India, United Arab Emirates, France 51
Dishoom Indian café United Kingdom 7 Founded in 2010
Dixie Chili and Deli Chili United States 3
Dunn's Steakhouse Canada 6
Earls Kitchen & bar United States, Canada 65
East Side Mario's Italian United States, Canada 85+ Prime Restaurants
Eat'n Park Family United States (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia) 64 A Big Boy franchise until 1974
Eddie Rocket's Family Ireland 42 This restaurant is similar to Johnny Rocket's.
Eddie V's Prime Seafood Seafood United States 21
Ed's Easy Diner Casual dining United Kingdom 24 1950s-style diner
El Fenix Tex-Mex United States (Texas and Oklahoma) 22
El Torito Mexican United States (California and Oregon) 69
Famous Dave's Barbecue United States 180
Feng Sushi Sushi United Kingdom 8
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Steakhouse United States 69
Flunch Family France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland and Russia 180, approximately
Fogo de Chão Churrascaria United States, worldwide 52 Brazilian-style steakhouse based in the United States
Fox's Pizza Den Pizza United States 250
Franco Manca Pizza United Kingdom 40
Frankie & Benny's Italian-American United Kingdom 250+
Fresh to Order Casual dining United States 15
Friendly's Diner United States (Eastern) 200
Frisch's Big Boy Family United States (Indiana, Kentucky, most of Ohio and Tennessee) 120 No longer affiliated with Big Boy Restaurants International, Frisch's owns the Big Boy trademark in its exclusive territory. Purchased by NRD Holdings in 2015.
Garduño's Mexican cuisine United States 6
Gator's Dockside American, sports bar & grill United States (Florida) 29
Gerry's Grill Filipino grill Philippines 75
Giraffe World Kitchen Café United Kingdom 44
Golden Corral Buffet and grill United States 489
Golden Nugget Pancake House Family United States 7
Gourmet Burger Kitchen Gourmet burgers United Kingdom, worldwide 80
Graffiti Junktion Casual dining United States 13
Grandy's Country style United States 38
Ground Round Family United States 22 Franchisee cooperative (formerly owned by Howard Johnson's)[4]
Guzman y Gomez Casual dining Australia, Singapore, Japan 107
Haidilao Hot pot China, United States, worldwide 300
Happy Casual dining Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom 27
Happy Joe's Pizza United States 52
Happy's Pizza Pizza United States 65+
Hard Rock Cafe Restaurant with concert United States, worldwide 185 Rock and roll theme
Harry Ramsden's Seafood United Kingdom, Ireland 35
Harvester Family United Kingdom 230+
Hash House a go go Family United States 11
Hippopotamus Family France 170
Hog's Australia's Steakhouse Steakhouse Australia, worldwide 75
Hooters Bar, cookout grill United States, worldwide 430 Its mascot is an owl.
HopCat Bar United States 17
Hoss's Steak and Sea House Steakhouse, seafood United States (Pennsylvania and West Virginia) 36 American ambiance
Houlihan's Bar & grill United States 84
Houston's Restaurant American United States 51
Huddle House Family United States (21 states, but mainly in the south) 349
HuHot Mongolian Grill Asian United States 70+ Create your own stir-fry chain
Hurricane Grill & Wings Chicken wings United States 71
Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries Diner United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates 135
IHOP Pancake house United States, worldwide 1,650
Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks Burgers United States (western) 50+
J. Alexander's Casual dining United States 46 The company owns Stoney River.
Jack Astor's Bar and Grill Casual dining Canada 41
Jensen's Bøfhus Steakhouse, family Denmark, Sweden, Germany 33
Jim's Restaurants Family United States (Texas) 18 Owned by Frontier Enterprises, which also owns Magic Time Machine restaurants
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Casual dining United States 23
Jimmy's Restaurants Buffet United Kingdom 11
Jinya Ramen Bar Ramen noodles United States, Canada 35
Joe's Crab Shack Seafood United States (28 states) 57 Owned by Ignite Restaurant Group
Joey's Seafood Restaurants Seafood Canada, North America 100
Johnny Rockets Family Worldwide 320 1950s-style diner
John's Incredible Pizza Company Pizza United States 13
The Keg Steakhouse United States, Canada 160
Kelseys Original Roadhouse Bar & grill Canada 88 Owned by Cara Operations
Ker's WingHouse Bar & Grill Bar & grill United States 28
Kings Family Restaurants Family United States (Pennsylvania and Ohio) 34
Kona Grill Casual dining United States 46
La Porchetta Italian Australia, New Zealand 200
La Tasca Bar & tapas United Kingdom 6
Landry's Seafood Seafood United States 20 Landry's, Inc. owns 30+ casual dining restaurant chains
Larkburger Casual dining United States 13
Las Iguanas Casual chicken United Kingdom 53
Laughing Planet Casual dining United States 13 Internet café-like restaurant
Lawry's Steakhouse United States, worldwide 98 Also a brand by McCormick & Company
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar Bar & grill United States (California) 30[5]
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken Chicken United States, worldwide 142
Legal Sea Foods Seafood East Coast of the United States 35[6]
Little Anita's Mexican cuisine United States 13
Little Sheep Group Chinese China, worldwide 300 Owned by Yum China
Loch Fyne Restaurants Seafood United Kingdom 25
Logan's Roadhouse Steakhouse United States 230 Acquired by CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries in 2018
LongHorn Steakhouse Steakhouse United States, Asia 491
Luby's Homestyle foods United States 129 Currently owns Fuddruckers and the defunct chains Koo Koo Roo and Cheeseburger in Paradise
Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que Barbecue United States 24
Maggiano's Little Italy Italian United States 52
Maid-Rite Casual dining United States 70 Classic themed
Mandarin Restaurant Canadian Chinese Canada 28
Marie Callender's Family United States (western, southwestern) 58 Home cooking ambiance
Marrybrown Chicken Asia, worldwide 350
Mary Brown's Chicken Canada 140
Max & Erma's Casual dining United States 51
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood United States 60
MCL Restaurant & Bakery Family United States (midwest) 13 Originally a cafeteria chain
Medieval Times Medieval theme restaurant United States and Canada 9 Live jousting and sword fights
Mellow Mushroom Pizza United States 200
The Melting Pot Casual dining United States, worldwide 167
Mikes Italian Canada 70
Milano Pizza Ireland 14 A subsidiary of PizzaExpress
Milestones Grill and Bar Bar & grill Canada 45+ Owned by Cara Operations
Miller's Ale House Bar & grill United States 78 Owned by Roark Capital Group
Mimi's Cafe French café, New Orleans, and American United States 145 Owned by Bob Evans Farms, Inc.
Monical's Pizza Pizza United States 60 Central United States
Montana Mike's Steakhouse United States 80
Montana's BBQ & Bar Steakhouse Canada 94 Owned by Recipe Unlimited
Moo Moo Restaurant Buffet Russia 12
Morton's The Steakhouse Steakhouse United States 78
Moxie's Grill & Bar Casual dining Canada, United States 67
Mr. Gatti's Pizza Pizza United States 41 Operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization since January 2019
Mr. Mike's Steakhouse Canada 49
Nickels Grill & Bar Casual dining Canada 52
The Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub American United States 97
Ocean Prime Seafood and steakhouse United States 9
O'Charley's American United States 230+
Ojos Locos Sports bar United States 8
OK Diner Roadside restaurants United Kingdom 8 1950s-style diner
Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom Pizza United States 60
Old Country Buffet Buffet United States 19 Also known as HomeTown Buffet in some markets
The Old Spaghetti Factory Italian United States, Canada, Japan 45
Olga's Kitchen Family United States 27
Olive Garden Italian United States, worldwide 892
On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina Mexican Worldwide 150+
The Original Pancake House Breakfast United States 150
Outback Steakhouse Steakhouse, Australian Worldwide (predominantly United States) 1,002
P. F. Chang's China Bistro Asian United States 305
Pamela's Diner Family United States 5
Pancake Parlour Family Australia 11
Pancho's Mexican Buffet Tex-Mex United States 14
Panda Inn American Chinese cuisine Metropolitan Los Angeles 4 Older sibling of Panda Express, but has table service. Had more locations before Panda Express opened.
Pappadeaux Seafood United States 80 Part of Pappas Restaurants
Peppes Pizza Pizza Norway 76
Perkins Restaurant and Bakery Family United States, Canada 371
Peter Piper Pizza Pizza United States 149 Now owned by Chuck E. Cheese's
Phở Hòa Vietnamese Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, United States 72
Pizza Boli's Pizza United States 80
Pizza Celentano Pizza Ukraine 150
Pizza Hut Italian-American cuisine United States, worldwide 18,431 Part of Yum! Brands
Pizza Inn Italian-American cuisine United States 158
PizzaExpress Pizza United Kingdom, worldwide 470 Also owns Milano and Marzano
Planet Hollywood Bar & grill Worldwide 6 Backed by Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Po' Folks Country-style comfort food United States 8 At one time, had over 100 locations in 17 states before decline
Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses Steakhouse United States 88
Prezzo Italian United Kingdom 180
Primanti Bros. American food United States 40
Pyongyang Casual dining North Korea, worldwide 130
Quaker Steak & Lube Steakhouse United States (eastern) 50 Vehicle garage theme
Quanjude Peking duck China, worldwide 52
Rainforest Cafe Themed restaurant United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, the U.A.E., and Japan 24 Each restaurant has a rainforest theme.
Red Hot & Blue Barbecue United States 17
Red Lobster Seafood United States, worldwide 705
Red Robin American food United States 538
Redneck Heaven Sports bar United States 3
Redstone American Grill American United States 9
Ricky's All Day Grill Family Canada 67
Roadhouse Grill Steakhouse Italy, Bulgaria, Brazil 53 Formerly in the US
Romano's Macaroni Grill Italian Worldwide 98 Owned by Ignite Restaurant Group
Rosa's Cafe Tex-Mex United States 42
Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles Soul food United States (Southern California) 7
Round Table Pizza Pizza United States (western, Hawaii, Alaska) 500+ Founded in 1959
Roy's Seafood United States 27
Rua do Cunha Casual dining Macau, worldwide 21
Ruby Tuesday American food and drink United States, worldwide 540 Acquired by NRD Capital in 2017
Ruby's Diner Family United States 58 Pier-like restaurants
Russ' Family Midwestern United States, primarily Michigan 12
Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern American food and drink United States 23 Founded in 2002 in Columbus, Ohio
Ruth's Chris Steak House Steakhouse United States 100+ Owned by Ruth's Hospitality Group
Saizeriya Italian Asia (predominantly Japan) 1,000+
Salisbury House Family Canada 16
Saltgrass Steak House Steakhouse United States 50
Sam Woo Restaurant Hong Kong-style Chinese United States, Canada 12
Saravana Bhavan Vegetarian South Indian cuisine Worldwide 82 Hotel Saravana Bhavan is one of the largest vegetarian restaurant chains in the world.
Schnitz Casual dining Australia 73
Scores Rotisserie Canada 45+
Seasons 52 Grill and bar United States 42
Señor Frog's Mexican bar United States, Mexico, Caribbean, South America 21 Grupo Anderson's
Shari's Cafe & Pies Family United States 95 Now owns Carrows and Coco's Bakery
Shoeless Joe's Sports grill Canada 30
Shoney's Family United States (southeast, lower midwest) 150, approximately Once affiliated with Big Boy Restaurants; dropped in 1980s so company could expand beyond territorial restrictions
Sirloin Stockade Steakhouse United States, Mexico 80
Sizzler Steakhouse United States 270 Company owns the Sizzler trademark inside the United States
Sizzler International Steakhouse Australia, Asia 86 Company owns the Sizzler trademark outside the United States
Skyline Chili Chili United States 152 Chili-based restaurant
Smitty's Family Canada 85
Smoke's Poutinerie Poutine Canada, worldwide 81
Smokey Bones Barbecue United States (eastern, central) 66
Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse Barbecue Dallas–Fort Worth 7 A favorite of celebrities including Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, Dean Fearing, George W. Bush, Larry Hagman, Chuck Norris, and Jimmy Buffett
Sonny's BBQ Barbecue United States 113
Souper Salad Salads United States 25
Spaghetti Warehouse Italian United States 8
Spur Steak Ranches Steakhouse South Africa 333
St-Hubert Rôtisserie Ontario, Québec and New-Brunswick, but mainly in Québec 121
Steak 'n Shake Family United States, Europe, Middle East 842 Known for hamburgers and hand-dipped milkshakes; favored by David Letterman and Roger Ebert
Sticks'n'Sushi Sushi United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany 20
Stoney River Legendary Steaks Steakhouse United States 13
Strada Italian United Kingdom 21 Also has its Coppa Clubs
Swiss Chalet Family United States, Canada 200+ Owned by Recipe Unlimited
Symposium Cafe Casual dining Canada 30
Table Table Food groups United Kingdom 105 A restaurant group by Whitbread
Taco Palenque Mexican United States 19
Tahoe Joe's Steakhouse United States 10
Texas de Brazil Steakhouse United States, worldwide 50+
Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse United States, Asia 563 Texas-themed steakhouse. Willie Nelson used to be their spokesman.
TGI Fridays American United States, worldwide 870 Founded in 1965. Known for big ribs, burgers and mixed drinks.
Thaï Express Thai Canada, United Kingdom 250 Not related to Singapore-based Thai Express
Thai Express Thai Singapore, Asia 69 Not related to Montreal-based Thaï Express
Tijuana Flats Tex-Mex United States 130
Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery Pub United States, Canada 47
Toby Carvery Carvery United Kingdom 158
Tony Roma's Barbecue Worldwide 150+ Ribs
Trader Vic's Polynesian-themed restaurants United States, worldwide 18 Had more locations during the Cold War era.
Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill & Margarita Bar Mexican United States (Kentucky and four Midwestern states) 19
Twin Peaks Sports bar United States 61
Uno Pizzeria & Grill Pizza United States 102
Valentino's Italian United States 36
Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse Steakhouse United States 3 Located inside the Golden Nugget Casinos
Village Inn Family United States 212
Waffle House Family United States (25 states, but mainly in the south) 2,100[7]
Wagamama Japanese cuisine United Kingdom, worldwide 150+
Wahaca Mexican United Kingdom 27
Wahlburgers Burgers United States 31 Also has a TV series on A&E
Walker Bros. Pancake house United States 7
Weathervane Restaurant Seafood United States 6
Weber Grill Restaurant Steakhouse United States 5 Based on the Weber-Stephen business
Western Sizzlin' Steakhouse United States 54
Wienerwald Chicken Hendl and Schnitzel Germany 13 At one time had 1,600 locations throughout Europe
Wildwood Kitchen Italian United Kingdom 12
Wimpy Diner South Africa, United Kingdom 500+ Not to be confused with the similar named Canadian company
Wimpy's Diner Family Canada 54 Not to be confused with the similar named South African company
Wingstop Chicken United States 1,000
Yard House Sports bar United States 66
Zizzi Italian cuisine United Kingdom, Ireland 100

Fast casual

[edit]

This type usually has a drive thru or counter service with tables inside, but no waiters.

Name Type Location(s) Number of locations Notes
&pizza Pizza United States 30
4 Fingers Crispy Chicken Fast casual Asian fried chicken Singapore 27 Privately owned, operates throughout Southeast Asia
Al Farooj Fresh Chicken and sandwiches United Arab Emirates, worldwide 35
Al Tazaj Chicken Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, worldwide 100
Aladdin's Eatery Lebanese cuisine United States 30 Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic states
Atlanta Bread Company Cafe and bakery United States 32
Au Bon Pain Breakfast and lunch United States, worldwide 204 Now a subsidiary of Panera Bread
Azzip Pizza Pizza Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky 6 Expanding in the Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky tri-state area
Baja Fresh Tex-Mex United States, Asia 162
Barberitos Tex-Mex United States 26
Ben & Florentine Breakfast and lunch Canada 60
Big Apple Bagels Bagels United States 50
Big Chicken Gourmet chicken sandwiches, cookies as big as basketballs, with craft beers at some locations United States 18 Restaurant chain founded by NBA star Shaquille O'Neal
Big Smoke Burger Gourmet burgers and poutine Canada, Middle East 17
Billy Sims Barbecue Barbecue United States 54 Founded by Billy Sims and Jeff Jackson in 2004
Biscuit Love Breakfast and lunch United States 3
Blake's Lotaburger Burgers United States 75
Blaze Pizza Pizza United States, Canada, West Asia 300+ Customer-designed pizza made within three minutes
Bobby's Burger Palace Burgers United States 15
Boloco Fast casual United States 9 Based in Massachusetts
Boston Market Chicken United States 16[8] 1 in India[9] Used to have 1200 stores. Started as Boston Chicken
Bruegger's Bakery/coffeehouse United States 216
Burger Lounge Burgers United States 13
BurgerFi Burgers United States 106
Burgerville Burgers and fries United States 39 American-classic style
Cafe Barbera Coffeehouse United States, Italy, worldwide 49
Cafe Express Bistro United States 19 Was owned by Wendy's, but later sold back
Cafe Rio Mexican grill United States (western) 120
Café Yumm! Fast casual United States 23
California Fish Grill Seafood United States 24
California Tortilla Mexican United States 51
Capriotti's Sandwiches United States 106
Captain D's Seafood United States 526
Cava Mediterranean United States 263 (in 2023) Absorbed former Zoës Kitchen
Charleys Philly Steaks Sandwiches United States, worldwide 600
Cheeburger Cheeburger Burgers United States 25 1950s-style diner
Chez Ashton Poutine Canada 25
Chick-fil-A Chicken United States, Canada 2,200
Chicken Salad Chick Chicken United States 269
Chi'Lantro BBQ Korean-Mexican fusion cuisine United States (Austin area) 5
Chipotle Mexican Grill Mexican United States 2,250
Chopt Salads United States 58
City Barbeque Barbecue United States 41
Corner Bakery Cafe Cafe and baked goods United States 192
Così Breakfast and lunch United States 66
Country Cookin Fast casual United States 13
Country Style Breakfast and lunch Canada 400
Cousins Subs Sandwiches United States 97 Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based
Crispers Fast casual United States 24
Culver's Fast casual United States 694
Daphne's Greek Cafe Fast casual United States 60
Darshini South Indian cuisine India 120
Dig Inn Fast casual United States 26
Donatos Pizza Pizza United States 200 Pizza delivery service
East of Chicago Pizza Pizza United States 80
Eatsa Quinoa bowls United States (California) 2 Automat-style self-serve ordering process; owned by Keenwawa
Edo Japan Japanese cuisine Canada, United States 105 Established in 1979
El Chico Tex-Mex United States 78
El Meson Sandwiches Sandwiches Puerto Rico, United States 37
El Pollo Loco (Mexico) Chicken only Mexico 50+ Not affiliated with the similarly named US company
El Pollo Loco (United States) Chicken and Tex-Mex United States 480+ Not affiliated with the similarly named Mexican company
El Taco Tote Tex-Mex United States 23
Elevation Burger Burgers United States, worldwide 50
Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwiches United States 50
EXKi Fast casual Belgium, worldwide 86
Extreme Pita Pita sandwiches United States, Canada 175
Fairwood Fast casual Hong Kong 98
Fast Eddys Cafe Australia 51
Fatburger Burgers and fries United States, worldwide 200+
Fazoli's Italian-American cuisine United States 217
Firehouse Subs Fast casual sandwiches United States, worldwide 1,160
Five Guys Fast casual burgers United States, Canada, Europe, Asia 1,500+
Flunch Cafeteria France 200 Cafeteria-style restaurants
Flying Star Fast casual United States 9
Foosackly's Chicken United States 12
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Fast casual United States 300+
Freshii Fast casual Canada 370
Fryer's Fast casual Canada, worldwide 50+
Fuddruckers American, family, grill United States, Canada, Italy, Chile, Poland, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico 223
Furr's Family United States 21 Buffet-style restaurants
Fuzzy's Taco Shop Tex-Mex United States 150+
Genghis Grill Mongolian barbecue United States 100
Gino's Pizza and Spaghetti Italian-American cuisine United States 40 Also shared with Tudor's Biscuit World
Giordano's Pizzeria Pizza United States 21
Godfather's Pizza Pizza United States 571
Gold Star Chili Chili United States 321
Golden Chick Chicken United States 180
Guthrie's Fast casual United States 28
Guzman y Gomez Mexican-Australian Australia, Singapore, Japan 107
Gyoza no Ohsho Gyōza Japan 700
The Habit Burger Grill Burgers United States 372
The Halal Guys Halal United States, worldwide 200
Halo Burger Burgers United States 8 Based in Central Michigan
Hamburguesas El Corral Hamburgers Colombia 208
Hattie B's Hot Chicken Chicken United States 6
Hell Pizza Pizza New Zealand 64 Formerly had international locations in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, India, and South Korea
Honey Jam Cafe Breakfast and lunch United States 3
Hot Chicken Takeover Chicken United States 3
Hot Head Burritos Mexican Eastern United States, mainly Ohio 79
Illegal Pete's Mission burrito United States 11
Jason's Deli Sandwiches United States 268
Jerry's Subs & Pizza Sandwiches, pizza United States 28
Jersey Mike's Subs Sandwiches United States 1973
Jimmy the Greek Greek cuisine Canada 65 First founded in 1985 by Jim Antonopoulos from Greece
Jollibee Chicken Asia, North America, Europe 1,200+
Just Salad Salads United States 31
Kenny Rogers Roasters Chicken Asia, worldwide 156 Formerly based in the United States
Kogi Korean BBQ Korean-Mexican fusion cuisine United States (Los Angeles area) 2 Two physical locations plus five food trucks
Koni Store Japanese food Brazil, Portugal 32
Kopp's Frozen Custard Custard and burgers United States 3
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Asian and Hawaiian cuisine United States, worldwide 200+
La Bamba Mexican Restaurant Tex-Mex United States 8
La Bou Cafe and bakery United States 26
La Madeleine Cafe and bakery United States 86
La Salsa Tex-Mex United States 23 Not to be confused with Australia-based Salsa's Fresh Mex Grill
Leeann Chin American Chinese United States 50+
Leon Restaurants Breakfast, lunch and dinner United Kingdom 53 Founded in 2004
Little Greek Restaurants Greek cuisine United States 23
Manchu Wok Chinese cuisine United States, Canada 200
Marco's Pizza Pizza United States 800
Matsuya Foods Gyūdon, donburi and curry Japan, China 1,080
McAlister's Deli Fast casual United States 400
Meatheads Burgers & Fries Burgers & fries United States 17
Miami Subs Grill Sandwiches, grill International 31
Michel's Patisserie Cafe and bakery Australia, worldwide 360
MOD Pizza Pizza United States 400+
Moe's Southwest Grill Mexican United States 680+
Mooyah Burgers United States 100
MOS Burger Burgers Japan, worldwide 1,730
Nando's Chicken South Africa, worldwide 1,000
Nathan's Famous Hot dogs United States 1,400
Native Foods Cafe Fast casual United States 100 Vegetarian-style
Newk's Eatery Coffeehouse United States 100+
Noodles & Company Fast casual restaurant United States 410 Fast casual restaurant that specializes in American and international noodle dishes
Noon Mediterranean Fast casual United States 20
Pancheros Mexican Grill Tex-Mex United States 71
Panera Bread Bakery-Café United States, Canada 2,000+
Papa Gino's Italian-American cuisine United States, worldwide 97 The holding company for D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches also
Paradise Bakery & Café Cafe and baked goods United States 60 Now a subsidiary of Panera Bread
Pastamania Pastas Singapore, worldwide 800
Paul Cafe and bakery France, worldwide 677 Based in France
Pei Wei Asian Diner Asian United States 200
Penn Station Cheesesteaks United States 300+
Pepper Lunch Steak Japan, worldwide 226
Piada Italian Street Food Italian-American cuisine United States 40 Established in 2010
Piccolo Cafe Fast casual United States, Asia 4
Pick Up Stix Chinese United States (California) 70+ Owned by Lorne Goldberg, the owner of Leeann Chin and Mandarin Express
Pie Five Pizza United States 100+
Pieology Pizza United States, Mexico 140
Pizza Fusion Pizza United States 13
Pizza Nova Pizza Canada 140
Pizzaiolo Pizza Canada 41
Pizza Ranch Pizza United States 216
Pizza Studio Pizza United States, Brazil, Canada, Philippines 26
Pollo Tropical Caribbean United States 140+
Portillo's Restaurants Chicago-style United States 60
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Fast casual United States 413
Pret a Manger Sandwiches United Kingdom, worldwide 450+
Primo Hoagies Fast casual United States 95
Prince's Hot Chicken Shack Chicken United States 2 Founded in 1945
Qdoba Mexican United States 729
Quiznos Sandwiches United States, worldwide 800
Ramen Street Ramen noodles Japan 8 Currently located at underground malls
Rax Roast Beef Sandwiches United States 8 At one time, the chain had over 200 locations in 25 states.
Ribs & Burgers Gourmet burgers & ribs Australia 17
Rossopomodoro Pizza Italy, worldwide 103
Rubio's Tex-Mex United States 200
Saladworks Salads United States 100
Salsa's Fresh Mex Grill Mexican Australia 50+
Sandella's Flatbread Café Sandwiches United States, worldwide 130
Saxbys Coffee Coffeehouse United States 25
Sbarro New York-style pizza United States 800
Schlotzsky's Sandwiches United States 350
Serrano Nordic Tex-Mex Iceland, Sweden 10
Shake Shack Fast casual United States 200
Shakey's Pizza Pizza United States and Asia 500
Shane's Rib Shack BBQ United States 10
Slapfish Seafood United States 11
Slim Chickens Chicken United States 69
Smashburger Fast casual United States 370
Sonic Drive-In Drive-in restaurants United States 3,557 Now owned by Arby's parent, Inspire Brands, as of 2018
Spoleto Italian cuisine Brazil, worldwide 267+
Steak Escape Sandwiches United States, worldwide 100+ Specializes in cheesesteak sandwiches
Stir Crazy Asian stir-fry cuisine United States 4
Submarina Sandwiches United States 50
Subway Sandwiches United States, worldwide 42,431
Sukiya Gyūdon Japan, worldwide 2333
Sushirrito Sushi and burritos United States 8
Sweetgreen Fast casual United States 75
Taco Cabana Tex-Mex United States 176
Taco del Mar Tex-Mex United States 260
Taziki's Mediterranean Café Fast casual United States 82
Togo's Sandwiches United States 200 Formerly operated alongside Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins
Toks Fast casual Mexico 200
Tom's BaoBao Bao United States 2 Owned by a Chinese chain called Ganqishi
The Training Table Fast casual United States 5
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Smoothies United States 700
Tudor's Biscuit World Breakfast and lunch United States 100 Also shared with Gino's Pizza and Spaghetti
Umami Burger Gourmet burgers United States, worldwide 25
Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint Pizza United States 38
Upper Crust Cafe and baked goods United Kingdom, worldwide 100
Upper Crust Pizzeria Pizza United States 9
Vapiano Italian Germany and 26 other countries 180
VeganBurg Fast casual United States, Singapore 2 Vegetarian-style
Veggie Grill Fast casual United States 29 Vegetarian-style
Wahoo's Fish Taco Tex-Mex United States 100
Wayback Burgers Burgers United States 133
Which Wich? Sandwiches United States 431
Wild Willy's Hamburgers United States 5
Xi'an Famous Foods Chinese food United States 12
YO! Sushi Sushi United Kingdom, worldwide 100
Yoshinoya Noodle bowls Asia and United States 1,100+
Your Pie Pizza United States 58
Zankou Chicken Armenian Mediterranean United States 12
Zaxby's Chicken United States 800
Zippy's Fast casual United States 24 Based on the inspiration of the brothers' car wash failure

Nearly defunct former casual restaurant chains

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This list contains chains that were much larger in the past, with some having several hundred locations at their peak, which have since been reduced to a single location.

Name Type Location(s) Number of locations Notes
The Brothers Three Pizza Wisconsin 1 (7 at peak) Founded in 1972. At one time, had up to seven locations.
Casa Bonita Tex-Mex United States 1 (3 at peak) Has not re-opened since Colorado state mandatory closing in March 2020, but restaurant itself has not been sold or liquidated either, so true status cannot be determined as of November 2020. In August 2021, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced in a video interview with the Governor of Colorado that they are in the process of buying the restaurant.[10][11]
Chi-Chi's Mexican Formerly United States, now single location in Austria 1 (130 at peak) At one time, it was the largest Mexican restaurant chain in the United States with 130 locations worldwide before bankruptcy forced sale of U.S. locations to Outback Steakhouse. All that remains of the former chain by the second decade of the 21st century is a single franchised location in Vienna.
Du-par's Restaurant and bakery United States (Southern California) 1 (6 at peak) Scenes from the 1983 movie Valley Girl were filmed at their Studio City location
Horne's Southern-style United States 1 (60 at peak) Many were located near gas stations by highways
Jerry's Restaurants Family United States 1 (~50 at peak) Was much larger, but sold most locations to Denny's in 1980s; was also parent company of Long John Silver's
Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon Steakhouse Formerly United States, currently Guam 1 (267 at peak) Last remaining location is in Guam
Timber Lodge Steakhouse Steakhouse United States 1 (85 at peak)
York Steak House Steakhouse United States 1 (200 at peak) At one time had nearly 200 locations

Defunct chains

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Name Type Location(s) Peak number of locations Notes
Arab Udupi Indian United Arab Emirates 15 In Abu Dhabi and other locations; Udupi cuisine
Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill Sports bar United States 14
Bill Knapp's Family United States 60
Blue Boar Cafeterias Cafeteria United States 21
Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse Steakhouse United States, Worldwide 30
Cheeseburger in Paradise Burgers and margaritas United States 23 At its peak, the chain had locations in 14 states. Named after the Jimmy Buffett song "Cheeseburger in Paradise".
China Coast American Chinese United States 51 Owned by General Mills and later Darden
Clifton's Cafeteria Cafeteria United States 10 Replaced by bar called Clifton's Republic in 2018
Coon Chicken Inn Chicken United States 3 Located in the Western United States during the early 20th century. Its trademark was a smiling blackface caricature of an African-American porter. The chain folded by mid-century due to its cultural and racial offensiveness.
Don Pablo's Tex-Mex United States 120[12]
Eatza Pizza Pizza United States 115 Ended in 2008
Elephant Bar Scratch kitchen bars United States 7
ESPN Zone Casual dining United States 2 Sports-themed
Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Ice cream and sandwiches United States 120 1900-themed ice cream parlor that also served sandwiches and was known for its theatrics when serving extremely large sized ice cream treats such as the Pig's Trough, Volcano and Zoo to accompaniment of drums, whistles, sirens and singing staff.
Fashion Cafe Fashion-themed United States, England, South Africa, Mexico, Spain 5 Fashion-themed restaurant chain that was backed by famous supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer, and Christy Turlington
Fresh Choice Buffet United States 50
Hamburger Hamlet Gourmet hamburgers United States 24 Had locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington DC metro areas. Movie and TV actors frequented the original Hollywood location.
Harvey House Casual United States 84 Company originally started in 1876 as a chain of railroad eating houses along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway which later evolved into a chain of casual roadway restaurants along U.S. Highways and state tollroads before the growth of interstate highways finally killed the business.
Hen House Restaurants Casual United States 40 Had locations near interstate highways.
Howard Johnson's Family United States 1,000+ at peak One of the first restaurant chains. At one time, had over 1,000 locations across the U.S. Final location closed in 2022.[13]
How Do You Roll? Sushi United States 12
JB's Restaurants Family United States 104 A Big Boy franchise until 1987. One restaurant in the chain was named "Galaxy Diner".
Koo Koo Roo Chicken United States 38 Owned by Luby's
Lee Roy Selmon's Casual dining United States 3 Its original location closed in 2018 after 17 years.
Little Chef Roadside restaurants United Kingdom 439 Ended in 2018
Lum's Family United States 273
Mao Asian cuisine Ireland 9 Last location closed in 2024.
Morrison's Cafeteria Cafeteria United States 151
Mr. Steak Steakhouse United States, Canada 282
Nickerson Farms Family United States 6 Usually found near interstate highways
Official All Star Café Sports-themed United States 10 Partially owned by Planet Hollywood International
Pasta Bravo Pizza and Pasta United States 16 Owned by Yum! Brands
Piccadilly Pub Bar & grill United States (Massachusetts) 13
Pizza Corner Pizza India 70 Ended in 2014
Richtree Market Casual dining Canada 11 Ended in 2020
Rio Bravo Cantina Mexican United States 100 Ended in 2002
Roadhouse Grill Steakhouse United States 20
The Royal Canadian Pancake Houses Pancake house United States 5
Rustler Steak House Steakhouse United States 110+ Ended in 1984
Sambo's Family United States 1,000+ The chain mostly ended in the early 1980s due to financial mismanagement. At around the same time, disaffection with the name "Sambo's", which was viewed as racially derogatory, led to some locations being rebranded with names including "No Place Like Sam's" and "Jolly Tiger".[14] By 1984, all but one location was either closed or sold to other chains, including Bakers Square and Denny's. The one remaining Sambo's location was the original one, in Santa Barbara; in 2020 it was renamed to Chad's.[15]
ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen Asian United States 15 Owned by Chipotle; an attempt into the Asian fast casual restaurant industry
ShowBiz Pizza Place Pizza United States 90 Started in 1980 as a direct competitor to Chuck E. Cheese. In 1984, the company that owned ShowBiz Pizza Place bought the Chuck E. Cheese chain, and in 1992 all ShowBiz Pizza Place locations were rebranded as Chuck E. Cheese.
Sisters Chicken & Biscuits Chicken and biscuits United States 79 Wendy's chicken restaurant subsidiary that existed during the mid-1980s
Soul Daddy Soul food United States 3 Once owned by Chipotle Mexican Grill; its creation was the prize for its founder in winning the reality show America's Next Great Restaurant
Souplantation Buffet United States 104 Operated as Sweet Tomatoes outside California; the chain filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on May 7, 2020, and closed permanently on May 8, 2020, due to losses and health and safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with salad bars and buffets.[16]
Steak and Ale Steakhouse United States 58 Ended in 2008
Taybarns Buffet United Kingdom 7 Ended in 2016
Toddle House Family United States 40
Valle's Steak House Steakhouse United States 32
Victoria Station Steakhouse, BBQ United States (northeastern) 100 Brand still exists in Japan, but owned by a different company
VIP's Family United States (western) 53 Oregon-based chain that operated in five western states; not to be confused with a chain of the same name (but without an apostrophe) in Mexico operated by Walmart de México y Centroamérica
Wag's Family United States 90+ Once owned by Walgreens
Zoës Kitchen Fast casual United States 258 Merged into Cava

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ A data company, ScrapeHero (26 December 2022). "Number of Applebees International stores in the United States in 2022". ScrapeHero. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Darden Restaurants Reports First Quarter Diluted Net Earnings Per Share of 78 Cents; Declares a Quarterly Dividend of 43 Cents Per Share". Darden Restaurants. 28 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Locations Search". Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  4. ^ "GroundRound Franchise – History". groundroundfranchise.com. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Lazy Dog Restaurants". lazydogrestaurants.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Restaurants By State". Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  7. ^ Matthews, Lauten (16 January 2016). "12 Things You Didn't Know About Waffle House". Country Living. Hearst Communications. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  8. ^ [1]
  9. ^ [2]
  10. ^ Kreiter, Rachel P. (18 August 2021). "'South Park' Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone Are Buying Casa Bonita, but for What?". Eater.
  11. ^ Trey & Matt's Conversation with Colorado Governor Jared Polis. South Park Studio. 13 August 2021. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ Gibson, Richard (23 September 1998). "Applebee's Hopes to Determine Direction For Ailing Rio Bravo Chain by Year End". The Wall Street Journal (Eastern ed.). p. B11C. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. [Lawrence M. Folk] resigned in August from Apple South Inc., where he had been president of its Don Pablo's Mexican restaurant division. Until recently, Apple South was the largest franchisee of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants, but decided to shed its Applebee's outlets to concentrate on what it considered better growth opportunities, among them Don Pablo's. Don Pablo's now has 117 units, second only to closely held Family Restaurants Inc.' Chi-Chi's chain in the Mexican-style restaurant sector. Alternate Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
  13. ^ Valinsky, Jordan (1 June 2022). "America's last Howard Johnson's restaurant has closed". CNN Business. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  14. ^ Romano, Andrew (30 June 2014). "Pancakes and Pickaninnies: The Saga of 'Sambo's,' The 'Racist' Restaurant Chain America Once Loved". The Daily Beast.
  15. ^ Palminteri, John (15 July 2020). "It's official – Chad's replaces Sambo's after 63 years in Santa Barbara". KEYT-TV. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  16. ^ Stone, Ken (7 May 2020). "San Diego's Iconic Souplantation Buffets Closing Permanently, CEO Says". Times of San Diego.