Texas Roadhouse has surpassed Olive Garden to become the leading casual dining chain in the United States. The shift follows a period where Olive Garden had maintained the top position since 2018. Following Texas Roadhouse and Olive Garden in popularity are Chili’s, Applebee’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings. The surge in Texas Roadhouse’s appeal has placed it ahead in the rankings.
In the previous year, Texas Roadhouse experienced a 14.7% increase in sales, amounting to $5.5 billion, as reported by Restaurant Business, referencing Technomic’s rankings of the 500 largest restaurant chains in the U.S. The Texas Roadhouse brand operates 722 locations, possibly including international outlets.
Conversely, Olive Garden reported a modest 0.8% rise in sales in 2024, generating $5.2 billion from over 920 locations nationwide. Despite reintroducing popular promotions like never-ending pasta, Olive Garden’s sales growth was a small fraction compared to its 8.8% increase in 2023, according to Restaurant Business.
Among their peers, Texas Roadhouse, Chili’s, and LongHorn Steakhouse enjoyed more substantial sales growth. Chili’s, positioned third in the rankings, saw its sales rise by 15%, while LongHorn Steakhouse, placed sixth, reported a 7.2% increase. In contrast, other chains such as Applebee’s, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, and Red Robin faced declines in sales, with Red Lobster experiencing the most significant drop at 22.7%, as per Technomic.
In an industry marked by challenges, many restaurants have turned to promotional offerings to attract customers. However, such strategies nearly proved detrimental for Red Lobster. The company’s “Endless Shrimp” promotion led to significant operational challenges and financial losses, resulting in considerable stress for employees, as acknowledged by Red Lobster’s CEO, Damola Adamolekun.
Fox Business has reached out to both Texas Roadhouse and Olive Garden for comments on their rankings.
