Financing

The largest specialty chains in the U.S.

These are the highest-grossing specialty chains in Technomic’s Top 250.
Dickey's family platter
Photo courtesy of Dickey's BBQ

The specialty category includes both limited-service and full-service chains serving the following menu types: snack, beverage, barbecue, seafood, salad and other ethnic cuisines.

RankChain name2019 U.S. sales ($000,000)Sales stimated2019 U.S. units
115Dickey's Barbecue Pit $350 *497
126Famous Dave's $329 *128
178Sonny's BBQ $192 *94
202Bill Miller Bar-B-Q $171 *75
204Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill $168 *61
235Mission BBQ $136 *90
244L&L Hawaiian Barbecue $129 *195
77Tropical Smoothie Cafe $577  834
88Jamba $515 *767
94Smoothie King $462  972
220Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe $150  93
185Sweetgreen $185 *102
55Krispy Kreme $887 *364
81Auntie Anne's $559 *1,288
171Cinnabon $201 *956
195Wetzel's Pretzels $177  353
232Great American Cookies $142 *368
239Daylight Donuts $133 *415

Source: Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report; *Technomic estimate

Learn more about Technomic’s Top 500.

See the Top 250 chains.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Why population trends may help, and hurt, restaurants

The Bottom Line: Darden CEO Rick Cardenas told investors this week that demographic trends are shifting in restaurants’ favor. But some demographic trends will be a headwind.

Financing

TGI Friday's closures continue the bar & grill sector's long decline

The Bottom Line: The chain has been struggling in the U.S. for years as domestic consumers shift spending away from traditional bar & grill chains.

Financing

How many Boston Market locations are left? That's a good question

The fast-casual chain appears to have closed at least one-third of its restaurants in 2023, and likely many more as years of decline become a freefall. But how many it has remains a mystery.

Trending

More from our partners