Top Revenue-Producing Restaurants for 2009

Restaurants and Institutions magazine has released their 2009 list of the TOP 400 RESTAURANT CHAINS, in terms of revenue.

Coming in at top is no surprise: McDonalds, with over US$70 billion in sales.

Rounding out the rest of the top ten are:

• KFC ($17.8b)
• Burger King ($14.8b)
• Starbucks ($13.5b)
• Subway ($12.9b)
• Pizza Hut ($10.4b)
• Wendy’s ($9.2b)
• Taco Bell ($6.9b)
• Domino’s Pizza ($5.5b)
• Dunkin’ Donuts ($5.5b)

The magazine also released their annual list of the TOP EARNING INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS FOR 2009 as well.

Just as Web Watch reported a few years ago the first time we looked at these statistics, Las Vegas-based TAO is still at the top of the list, with $68m in 2008 earnings and an average dinner check of $72.  Not bad, when you have 785,000 people coming through your door.

The rest of the top 10 independent restaurants were:

• Tavern on the Green
• Joe’s Stone Crab
• Smith & Wollensky
• Tao Asian Bistro
• Old Ebbitt Grill
• Buddakan
• Gibsons Bar Steakhouse
• Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, Chicago
• Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, Las Vegas

Falling just out of the top 10, at spot number 11, is our first Walt Disney World property, Fulton’s Crab House.  With an average check of $45, Fulton’s made $20m in 2008.  Other Disney properties that made the list include Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe at #25 ($15.7m), and the Contemporary Resort’s California Grill at #97 ($11.1m).