100 Under 100: Emerging restaurant chains that are thriving in the U.S.
This year’s Technomic Top 500 results were a mixed bag for the restaurant industry. On one hand, many large restaurant brands stagnated in 2023, with sales increases merely a reflection of menu price increases and with a full third of brands experiencing a net unit count decrease.
On the other hand, there was plenty of excitement among emerging chains. Many smaller and mid-market concepts experienced robust unit-count and sales growth last year, storming the Top 500 and offering a glimpse at the next generation of competitors to the industry stalwarts.
With the 100 Under 100, NRN and Technomic identified 100 chains with fewer than 100 locations that demonstrate the most exciting growth momentum in the restaurant industry.
ECW+G recognized as one of 100 thriving emerging restaurant chains by Nation’s Restaurant News
East Coast Wings & Grill is a 34-unit casual-dining chain founded by Sam Ballas in North Carolina in 1995; the majority of its restaurants are still in that state. As the restaurant’s name implies, the menu heavily features wings alongside chicken tenders, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and salads. East Coast Wings & Grill’s website boasts it offers “more than 55 wing flavors and 7 heat indexes, to create over 420 combinations of Buffalo-style wings.”
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