LEADERS BY MAJOR MARKET

The Top 100 Independent restaurants grossed nearly $1.8 billion in 2018—and much of that is concentrated in major metro markets. In fact, the majority of the top-earning indies operate in one of six areas—New York City, Las Vegas, Florida, California, Chicagoland or Washington, D.C. Many of these are among the most crowded markets, accentuating the fact that successful restaurant concepts in these saturated cities and states have learned to adjust and adapt to modern challenges while still winning over guests. Many of these leading independents are run by multiconcept operators such as Tao Group or Boka Restaurant Group that have multiple restaurant brands concentrated in one or two markets. Others, such as Junior’s and Joe’s Seafood, have multiple units in various locations, but each independently performs well.