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Technomic's 2017 Top 500 Report Initial findings show restaurant sales, unit growth slowing Growth has slowed among chain restaurants, according to Technomic's 2017 Top 500 report. Cumulative sales growth hit only 3.6 percent for year-end 2016, according to pre- liminary report results, compared with 5.2 percent growth the prior year. Net unit growth declined 1.7 percent in 2016 compared to 1.9 percent net unit growth in 2015. The report points to declining customer traffic and weakening same- store sales as key reasons for the slowdown. Full-service chains within Technomic's Top 500 took the biggest hit in 2016, with total sales growth slowing to 1.4 percent from 4 percent last year. Likewise, unit growth among full-service operators was 0.5 percent in 2016, compared to 1.1 percent the previous year. The report at- tributes the declines to "the lagging performance of the top casual-dining chains." Two bright spots in the report: fine-dining chains, which posted sales increases of 4.9 percent, and polished-casual chains, which showed increases of 4.3 percent. Limited-service restaurants posted a 4.4 percent sales growth and 1.9 percent unit growth. The report credits fast casual's success, which had annual sales growth of 8.1 percent. Restaurant Locations Increased 3 percent in 2016 As of March 2017, the number of restaurants in the U.S. totaled 700,700 locations, accord- ing to data from CHD Experts. This repre- sents a 3 percent increase compared to March of 2016. CHD released the data as part of its 2017 Restaurant Unit Report. Independent restaurants netted 24,000 new locations, or a 5 percent increase, over last year, per CHD. CHD defines an indepen- dent as a restaurant with less than 10 units in operation, whereas a chain has 10 or more. In total, 37 states saw positive growth since 2016, as did the District of Columbia, where unit counts increased by 2.7 percent. New York, Texas, Illinois, North Dakota and Michigan were the states that experienced the most growth, per CHD. Eleven states had a decrease in total restaurants in operation since 2016, led by West Virginia, which shrank by 2 percent, per CHD. Alaska and Maine were the only other states to see a net loss of more than 1 percent of the states' total restaurants. Given all of the turnover and new openings that have occurred over the past year, Delaware and Oregon had flat growth. Considering growth by menu type, bar and grills experienced the strongest growth, accord- ing to CHD. This segment added more than 4,400 units nationwide. Restaurants with Latin American and bakery/doughnut-based menus also saw strong growth nationwide. IN MY KITCHEN, PRIDE IS ESSENTIAL Meet Matt Jamie of Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville. Among his secrets to success are his seasonings, and those are made with Southern Pride. Using wood from oak bourbon barrels, Jamie proudly infuses bourbon flavors into his smoked salts, spices, sugars and other specialties with the help of a Southern Pride Smoker. Hand Crafted, highest quality, and family owned since 1976. SPK-1400 Matt Jamie, Bourbon Barrel Foods Southern Pride SPK-1400 V I S I T U S A T T H E N R A S H O W BOOTH 5215 G A S S M O K E R S | E L E C T R I C S M O K E R S | M O B I L E S M O K E R S S O U T H E R N - P R I D E . C O M people & events