Fresno has lots of chain eateries, but others are absent. See who’s here, who’s not
Fresno loves its chain restaurants.
We know it because, well, there’s a bunch of them here. Every so often there’s a clamoring for chains that aren’t here to come (yes, we’re talking about you, Cracker Barrel).
Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel, known for its country-style food and accompanying country stores, was the most mentioned restaurant – and the second-most mentioned business overall – that readers in a Fresno Bee poll named on their wish list last fall for coming to the Fresno-Clovis area.
Of the 100 largest restaurant chains in the U.S. — measured by estimated 2020 nationwide sales — many already have at least one location in the Fresno-Clovis metro area.
And it’s not just fast food, known in the industry as “quick service,” though that certainly represents the lion’s share of the outlets.
But more than 40 are absent from the local scene. Some of those are rooted firmly in other parts of the country and have few or no locations in California at all.
Others, however, have come to and gone from the local market for various reasons, including places like Hooters, Steak & Shake, California Pizza Kitchen and Firehouse Subs.
The following interactive graphics and table show who’s here and who’s not among those top 100 restaurant chains, based on restaurant industry data from the website Restaurant Business Online and foodservice research/consulting firm Technomic.
Explore the data for more information.
