R&I’s Top 100 Independent Restaurants

Top 100 Independent Restaurants

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View the 2008 Top 100

Restaurants in the latest installment of R&I’s Top 100 Independents had combined food-and-beverage sales of $1.52 billion in 2008. In a roller coaster of a year, aggregate sales ended up essentially flat relative to 2007’s $1.53 billion.

Many individual operators reported losses in 2008—a reflection of the recession’s grip on diners’ travel and entertainment budgets. Even so, $11 million in sales turned out to be the minimum required to crack this year’s list. Tao Las Vegas, the top-ranking restaurant for three years running, earned a very impressive $68.4 million in F&B revenue in ’08; however, it represented a modest 3% gain over Tao Las Vegas’ 2007 sales (by comparison, the restaurant’s sales rose 20% from 2006 to 2007). The rest of the top five—including New York City’s Tavern on the Green—also held onto their spots.

New to the list at No. 19: DeVito South beach, the Miami beach collaboration by restaurateur David Manero and actor Danny DeVito.

Click here to see how they rank.

Filed Under: Industry Trends