Chain restaurants are a huge force in America, and they come in every shape and size. Yesterday, Nation's Restaurant News announced their consumer picks for the top five casual dining chain restaurants in America. Some of the names on this list may surprise you (some of them definitely surprised us).
They also released some demographic statistics, giving us some idea of who eats where the most. The survey included both Casual Dining chains, as well as Limited Service chains. These groups were based on age, gender and income level. If you love to know who eats where as much as we do, check out the slideshow below.
And, if demographics make you hungry, take a look at our Chain Food Showdown, a guide to the sector's best and worst dishes.
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The Cheesecake Factory
Casual Dining chain The Cheesecake Factory wasn't only the top choice in the overall consumer picks survey, it also topped the list for the following groups:
- Women
- Matures (Defined in the survey as those born in 1945 or earlier)
- Two income level groups: less than $25,000 and $25,000-$49,999
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Casual Dining chain P.F. Chang's was most preferred by the following groups:
- Men
- Gen-X (Defined in the survey as those born 1965-1981)
Bonefish Grill
Casual Dining chain Bonefish Grill took the Millennials category (defined by the survey as those born 1982-2000).
BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
Casual Dining chain BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse was the most preferred choice among the following groups:
- Boomers (defined by this survey as those born 1946-1964)
- Income bracket: $50,000-$74,999
<em>Photo via Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/0ccam/2441779639/sizes/z/in/photostream/" target="_hplink">QuesterMark</a></em>
Bucca Di Beppo
Casual Dining chain Bucca di Beppo took one of the highest income brackets in the survey, preferred by those who make $75,000-$100,000.
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers
Casual Dining chain Mellow Mushroom's pizza is most preferred by the top income bracket in the survey: those who make $100,000+.
Marble Slab Creamery
Limited Service chain Marble Slab Creamery cleaned up in its division, sweeping the following groups:
- Women
- Gen X
- Boomers
- Those in the $25,000-$49,999 income bracket
Potbelly Sandwich Works
Limited Service chain Potbelly Sandwich Works was most popular among men in its division of the survey.
In-N-Out Burger
Limited Service chain In-N-Out Burger is west coast regional favorite. In this survey, the chain was most popular with the following groups:
- Millennials
- Those in the $50,000-$74,999 income bracket
Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza
Limited Service Chain Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza was the favorite of the following groups in its division of the survey:
- Matures
- Those in the $75,000-$100,000 income bracket
Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes
Limited Service chain Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes (their name varies by region) was the favorite among the less than $25,000 income bracket.
Bruster's Real Ice Cream
Limited Service chain Bruster's Real Ice Cream cinched the highest income bracket in their division of the survey, with those making $100,000 or more.
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