The 100 highest-grossing independent (non-chain) restaurants in the United States had combined 2007 food-and-beverage sales of $1.53 billion, a solid if not spectacular 4.8% increase from the $1.46 billion total for last year’s Top 100 Independents. This year’s total is nearly 31% greater than the Top 100’s $1.17 billion sales in 2000.
What was spectacular was the record $66.6 million in sales for top-ranked Tao Las Vegas Restaurant & Nightclub (above) in Las Vegas. Helped by the addition of its top-floor Tao Beach venue, Tao Las Vegas boosted its sales by $11.3 million (20.5%) from 2006 to 2007.
Coincidentally, $11.3 million was the minimum for inclusion in this year’s ranking. Five years ago, the restaurant that was ranked as No. 100 had sales of $8.3 million.
More than half of this year’s Top 100 restaurants are located in one of two markets: New York City is home to 32 members of this year’s list; Las Vegas is second—but continuing to close the gap—with 24 of the 100 largest. Chicago claims seven of the top restaurants; San Francisco has four.
The average dinner check for this year’s Top 100 was $64.73, a 10% increase from the $58.82 average for last year’s list.
http://www.rimag.com/archives/2008/04b/sr-top100-ranking.asp
