Texas Roadhouse has overtaken Olive Garden to become America's leading casual dining establishment. Following these two chains are Chile, Applebee's, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Olive Garden held this title since 2018 but has been eclipsed by the rising popularity of Texas Roadhouse, as casual steakhouses gain traction.
In the previous year, Texas Roadhouse reportedly experienced a 14.7% increase in revenue, totaling $5.5 billion. Restaurant business referenced the rankings provided by Technomic, which lists the nation's 500 largest restaurant chains. According to Texas Roadhouse’s website, there are 722 locations, including those outside the US.
Conversely, Olive Garden recorded a 0.8% sales growth in 2024, achieving $5.2 billion from its 920 locations across the country. The Italian chain only saw a minor fraction of the 8.8% increase in 2023, even after reinstating its endless pasta and other promotional offers, as per the restaurant business.
Texas Roadhouse, along with Chilean and Longhorn Steakhouses, outperformed their competitors despite challenges within the industry. Chile, in the third spot, noted a 15% rise in sales, while Longhorn Steakhouse, ranked sixth, saw a 7.2% increase in sales. The other four restaurants on the list (Applebee’s, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, and Red Robin) experienced declines in revenue, as reported by the restaurant business, which referenced Technomic.
As Americans worked towards their aspirations, eateries nationwide began to promote customer incentives. However, this almost led to the demise of Red Lobster, which faced significant losses from its “Infinite Shrimp” contract. Damola Adamolekun, the newly appointed CEO of Red Lobster, remarked that the deal created “chaos” and “stress” for employees.
Fox Business has reached out to both Texas Roadhouse and Olive Garden regarding their respective rankings.
