In Georgia, Waffle House is No. 1 in among chain restaurants

Carlton Fletcher, The Albany Herald, Ga.
·2 min read

Apr. 29—The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on everything from our work and school schedules to live sports and even the way we greet our friends and neighbors. Not surprisingly, this so-called new normal has also significantly altered Americans' dining habits.

TOP Data examined the re-rise of carhops and the staying power of fast food during a nationwide pandemic. As a follow-up, we wanted to see how some of America's most popular casual dining chains are fairing in each state, as well as how sit-down-friendly restaurants are performing against their grab-and-go counterparts.

In order to determine the most popular casual dining restaurants in America, TOP Data analyzed aggregated visit data from 12 million Americans to compare which restaurant chains and states are getting the most foot traffic compared to 2021 figures.

In the state of Georgia, the survey found that the Top 5 chain restaurants are:

1. Waffle House

2. Chili's Grill and Bar

3. Cracker Barrel

4. IHOP

5. Olive Garden

The following restaurant chains were evaluated: Applebee's, Baja Fresh, BJ's Restaurants, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili's Grill & Bar, Chuck E. Cheese's, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, Domino's, Hungry Howie's, IHOP, LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Red Robin Gourmet Burger, Texas Roadhouse, TGI Fridays, The Cheesecake Factory, Waffle House, Zaxby's, Bob Evans, Bob's Big Boy, Boston Market, California Pizza Kitchen, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Cicis Pizza, Dave & Buster's, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, First Watch, Friendly's, Fuddruckers, Godfather's Pizza, Golden Corral, Hooters, Huddle House, Johnny Rockets, Logan's Roadhouse, Marco's Pizza, Millers Ale House, Noodles World Kitchen, O'Charley's, P.F. Chang's, Papa Murphy's, Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, Red Lobster, Round Table Pizza, Ruby Tuesday, The Original Pancake House, Village Inn, Wingstop, Z'Tejas, and Zoes Kitchen.

Some of the findings:

8.4% — The percentage increase in traffic that casual dining has seen since 2021;

6 — States that have seen a reduction in casual dining visits vs. 2021;

12 — The number of states in which Texas Roadhouse is the most popular casual dining destination, more than any other restaurant.

TOP Data delivers business, consumer, and marketing insights at the speed of breaking news. Learn more at topagency.com/data.