As casual-dining chains such as Chili's and TGI Friday's have been reworking their strategies, Cooper's Hawk has been thriving. While the chain has just 30 locations, sales increased by more than 30% and reached $241 million.
The wine-centric chain has found a niche in the casual-dining industry, producing 50 wines and 15 specialty blends.
First Watch is the fastest-growing family-dining chain in the US, with sales up more than 30% over the last year. The breakfast-, brunch-, and lunch-focused chain reached 239 locations, a 21.3% increase from last year.
First Watch — which also operates the breakfast chain The Egg & I — also got a boost from an investment from private equity firm Advent International in July 2017.
Shake Shack's sales grew 32.5% over the last year as the chain finally hit the 100-location mark. Sales added up to $367.3 million.
As the international burger chain continues to expand, it is also developing its menu and tech. Over the last year, the chain has dabbled with cashless locations and tested a new veggie burger.
Blaze Pizza reached $279 million in total sales, a growth of more than 50% from last year. And, the fast-casual pizza chain is showing no sign of slowing down.
Co-founders Elise and Rick Wetzel, who founded the chain in 2012, say they are aiming for $1 billion in sales and more than 1,000 locations across the US.
"We knew there was a gaping hole in this category," Rick Wetzel told Business Insider in 2017.
MOD Pizza tops the list this year. In the chain's first time making the cut as one of the 200 largest chains in the US, MOD grew sales a whopping 80%, reaching $270 million.
MOD opened 110 new locations, reaching 297 restaurants across the US. In January, the company announced it had raised another $73 million, bringing the fast-casual pizza chain's equity capital raised to more than $185 million.
"We're going to continue to grow at the rate we have been growing — which is really fast," CEO and co-founder Scott Svenson told Business Insider at the time.
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