8 hours Ago By Juliana Cruz Lima
A FAN-favorite restaurant has just pulled off a sizzling upset — booting a long-reigning pasta powerhouse from the top spot in U.S. casual dining.
After seven years of dominance, the crown has officially been yanked from Olive Garden ’s breadstick-gripping hands. The new top dog is a booming steakhouse chain that served up nearly 15 per cent sales growth last year and is riding high on a wave of expansion, inflation-busting prices, and die-hard customer loyalty. Texas Roadhouse is now the biggest casual-dining brand in America, according to fresh figures from Technomic’s Top 500 report.
The 664-unit chain raked in a sizzling $5.5 billion in U.S.
systemwide sales in 2024, edging out Olive Garden ’s $5.2 billion — and marking a massive moment in the food world. The Louisville-based restaurant has been firing on all cylinders.
Read more Money stories It has had 26 new openings last year, ongoing investments in staff and operations, and a pricing strategy designed to undercut inflation while still keeping guests full and happy. CEO Jerry Morgan told investors during a recent call: "As we look forward to the remainder of this year and into next year, we believe the 0.9 per cent menu price increase will allow us to maintain our value proposition and our traffic and mix levels.
" And diners are clearly on board. When word got out about a new location taking over a shuttered TGI Fridays in Marlton, New Jersey , fans were quick to celebrate. Most read in Money "This is so awesome we love the Texas Roadhouse it's one of our favorites never had a bad meal there!!" one local raved on Facebook .
"Omg if this is true I'm so happy!" another added. Even with four price hikes in the past year — the latest being a modest 0.9 per cent bump — the chain continues to thrive, with execs confirming 30 more openings expected by the start of 2025.
Meanwhile, former champ Olive Garden is slipping. While it still boasts 923 locations, its growth has flatlined — posting a paltry 0.8 per cent sales increase in 2024, down from 8.
8 per cent the previous year. The Italian giant has tried to claw back lower-income diners with old favorites like never-ending pasta. But it’s no match for the steakhouse surge — especially as its sister brand LongHorn Steakhouse also leapfrogged competitors to become the sixth-largest casual-dining chain with 7.
2 per cent growth. Elsewhere in the dining shake-up, Chili’s snatched the No. 3 spot from Applebee’s, thanks to a 15 per cent sales jump.
Read More on The US Sun Meanwhile, Applebee’s saw business drop nearly 6 per cent and shuttered 35 locations. All told, only a few major players came out on top in what was a brutal year for casual dining — with overall average growth across the top 10 sitting at just 0.6 per cent.
BOSSES at major dining chains have announced a series of restaurant closures. The U.S.
Sun has compiled a list of the chain's affected. Cracker Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina, and Sacramento, California, have closed. Mod Pizza: Bosses dramatically shuttered 27 shops in April, including some in the state of California.
Frisch's Big Boy: Restaurant chiefs confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky in April. Outback Steakhouse: The chain will shutter 41 'underperforming' locations this year. Two Bucks: Four restaurants in Ohio closed in April.
Chili's: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has shut permanently as well as one in Irvine, California, and one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Friendly's: Bosses confirmed an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island will close. Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March, followed by four in Ohio in June and 15 in Indiana.
This was followed in July by a bankruptcy filing from its parent company which announced the closure of 150 locations. Carl's Jr. : The first Boise, Idaho location has closed.
In-N-Out : An Oakland location closed earlier in the year due to crime in the area. Cheesecake Factory : The chain is set to shutter a location in Memphis, Tennessee in July. Applebee's : Announced the closure of between 25 and 35 locations this year.
Red Lobster: The seafood chain filed for bankruptcy in May and shuttered over 100 locations. Taco John's: Shuttered a restaurant in Minnesota and put the building up for sale in May. Frisco's Chicken: The poultry restaurant shuttered all of its locations over the summer Rubio's Coastal Grill: Has announced the closure of 48 locations in California after filing for bankruptcy.
Burger King: Shuttered a location in California in June after 30 years. Foster's Freeze: Shuttered a location in California after five decades in business due to financial struggles. Chicken Salad Chick: After nine years the restaurant shuttered one location in Jacksonville, Florida, with no reason given.
México Lindo : The New York City-based restaurant announced its final day after 52 years and finally shuttered its doors for good on July 31. American Dream Pizza: Closed all of its locations in Oregon in July. Tender Greens: The Southern California-based chain filed for bankruptcy.
Lefty's Famous Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, & Grill : Abruptly shuttered 18 locations in July due to a family feud. Firehouse Subs: Shuttered a location in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State over the summer citing "unforeseen circumstances" Taco Time: The Taco Bell rival shuttered a location in Seattle after 50 years following a death in the franchise owner's family. Burgerim : Shuttered a location in Burlington, Massachusetts in July, reigniting bankruptcy fears from 2020.
Denny's: The chain has shuttered over 40 locations so far this year with the owner of the one outlet blaming vandalism. Starbucks: The chain shuttered one of its most iconic locations in New York City after almost three decades with fans blaming crime. It also lost a location in Seattle.
Subway: In August, the sandwich chain shuttered over 20 locations across the US and Canada after a franchisee lost money after being a victim of fraud. IHOP: A restaurant in New Hampshire shut its doors after 24 years, leaving four locations in the state. Switchback Coffee Roasters: The popular chain filed for bankruptcy in August after over a decade in business.
Jimmy John's: The sandwich shop chain shuttered a location in Nevada on August 19 after 12 years citing overexpansion issues. KFC : Closed the remaining three locations in Rockford, Illinois all on the same day on August 19. In total, it closed six locations across four cities in Illinois.
Rusty Bucket: The chicken shop chain confirmed it would officially leave Florida as it announced a handful of closures including in Sarasota and Ohio. Buca di Beppo: The Olive Garden rival abruptly shuttered 44 locations across five states before filing for bankruptcy. Red Robin : Announced the closure of its Ashburn, Virginia location on August 25 after 15 years in business.
Noodles & Company : Shuttered dozens of locations due to their contribution to around $2 million worth of losses. Shoney's : The classic American-style food chain founded in 1947 officially exited Ohio after three decades of business as it reduced its operational footprint. Homegrown: The sandwich chain based in Seattle announced the closure of 10 locations leaving 150 employees in the lurch.
World of Beer: Filed for bankruptcy after closing 14 outlets. Arby's: The chain announced a number of closures this year including in Lexington, Kentucky, Akron, Ohio, Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Shuttered a location in New Jersey in July, leaving just two in the state, followed by the closure of a Baltimore location in August. Hart House: Shutterd all four locations in California in September just two years after the vegan fast-food restaurant chain was launched by actor and comedian Kevin Hart.
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