Top Miscellaneous Full-Service Restaurant Franchises of 2026 (UPDATED RANKINGS)

This annual list of the top miscellaneous full-service restaurant franchises was updated for 2026.

The popularity of dining out, combined with America’s increasingly broad palate, means that there are a wide range of full-service restaurants available to franchisees.

A Smorgasbord of Restaurants

In the United States, nine out of ten adults enjoy trips to restaurants. Eating out is a huge part of the national culture, whether it’s for a date, a celebration, or just to avoid doing the dishes. It’s created a lot of different restaurant franchises.

Full-service restaurants are sit-down restaurants with table service. While the term evokes a certain formality, it covers a range of approaches from the noise and color of casual family places to the refinement of fine dining experiences.

The miscellaneous section of the market covers all the franchises that don’t fit into a popular style, like Mexican or pizza places. In this list, no two franchises are the same. Their menus range from pancakes to French food to Japanese barbecue. The ways that the restaurants present the food and market themselves also vary a lot. There are places that lean into tradition and ones noted for quirky design; restaurants targeting families or students; presentation focusing on fresh food, a broad buffet, or cooking your own ingredients.

If you’re after something distinctive then this is the list to look on.

The Financial State of Full-Service Restaurant Franchises

Given the eclectic list of restaurants in this list, it’s impossible to get a financial overview of this segment, but we can look at the broader state of the full-service sector.

Franchised full-service restaurants made an estimated $78.1 billion in 2023, and were forecast to make $80.2 billion in 2024. One analysis has forecast growth of over 11% per year for the next five years, but this seems excessively optimistic given both past performance and current conditions. So is the industry set for continued growth?

There are some serious challenges for the restaurant industry, starting with staffing. People are the backbone of this business, not only making the food but making diners feel comfortable and cared for. Full-service franchised restaurants employed around 1.3 million staff in the US in 2024. But recruitment has become harder post-pandemic and the cost of employment is rising, eating into the profits of restaurants.

Dealing with this sort of challenge is more difficult for full-service than quick-service restaurants. Full-service restaurants don’t benefit from the economies of scale that fast-food and fast-casual eateries achieve, providing for large numbers of diners at high speed. Increased costs from staffing and strained supply chains aren’t spread as thinly as in other food-related franchises.

But how big an impact is this having?

The prices on full-service menus have fluctuated in recent years, going both up and down. This reflects the tension between restaurants trying to protect their profit margins and to attract diners in financially uncertain times. With some dramatic changes in economic policy expected over the next few years, it’s hard to tell where the balance point will lie, and which way prices will go next.

More positively, the number of full-service franchises grew from 2023 to 2024, from 33,174 to 33,605. This is a sign of a relatively healthy sector in which new businesses are finding some success, despite the challenges they face.

Making Slow Food Work

How can you make the most of this opportunity?

Firstly, pick a dining experience you’re excited about. This isn’t a list where you can expect habit to drive diners through your door, so you’ll need to be ready to passionately evangelize.

Secondly, lean into the nature of full-service food. You can’t compete with fast food for speed and convenience, but that’s not what diners are after. 64% of full-service customers say they prioritize their dining experience over the price, and it’s that experience that will make your business a success.

Be open to unexpected options. There’s been a shift towards more diverse eating in America, with 80% of consumers preferring to eat “ethnic cuisine” at least once a month. More diners than ever are willing to try something new, and those are the diners you want.

The broader restaurant industry is seeing the widespread adoption of technology, such as mobile payment systems and QR code menus, to improve efficiency and the customer experience. This is more relevant in fast food, but it’s still worth looking at how this features in full-service franchises. Is technology being appropriately deployed to improve the experience, or is it being shoe-horned in, adding to your costs and disrupting diners’ experience? Worse yet, is it being neglected?

Critically, think about where you’ll be based. Placement in a retail environment can be hugely beneficial, as 60% of consumers eat out while in these spaces. Find a place with plenty of foot traffic where passers-by might want to stop and eat. That combination of convenience and novelty can make a unique restaurant thrive.

The Top Miscellaneous Full-Service Restaurant Franchises of 2026

1. Denny’s

Denny’s locations are always open, meaning 24/7/365 (including holidays), which college students love. Breakfast all day is another major draw, and the chain has been continually offering multiple variations on the Grand Slam breakfast since it first launched the menu item back in 1977.

A more recent concept in addition to the traditional restaurant is The Den, a smaller, hipper diner located on college and university campuses.

Founded by Harold Butler in Lakewood, California, in 1953 and franchising since 1963, the number of locations has declined in recent years from 1,702 in 2014 to the current total of 1,474 (down from the previously reported total of 1,534), of which 62 are company-owned and 163 are located outside the US.

2. Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant takes customer engagement to a whole new level as the customers actually cook the food themselves using smokeless charcoal roasters built into each table. Gyu-Kaku means “Horn of the Bull,” and fans really do like taking the bull by the horns in cooking up cuts of beef, pork, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and desserts in the style of authentic Japanese yakiniku (grilled barbecue). The design of the roasters ensures smoke is forced through special vents. With this approach, kitchen staff only have to prepare raw ingredients and deliver them to the tables.

Among the most popular meat dishes are Harami Skirt Steak in Miso Marinade and Certified Angus Kalbi Short Rib in Tare Sweet Soy Marinade.

Founded in 1996 and franchising since 1997, the number of locations reached a high of 828 in 2022 but has since declined to the current total of 741 (no change from the previously reported total), of which 34 are company-owned and 677 are located outside the US.

3. Golden Corral

Golden Corral is a buffet-style full-service restaurant with a diverse menu of “Real Homemade Fresh Food.” Each location offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The endless dinner buffet features USDA sirloin aged and hand-cut daily by in-house butchers, and more than a dozen other protein options. The lunch buffet is packed with home-style classics such as creamy mac-and-cheese, crispy fried chicken, made-from-scratch meatloaf, and fresh-made mashed potatoes. The endless breakfast buffet features made-to-order omelets, pancakes, sausage and bacon, fruit, French toast, and more.

The bakery buffet available at every meal includes fresh-baked breads, signature yeast rolls, homemade cakes and pies, cookies, brownies, pastries, and ice cream. All “endless buffet” spreads offer more than 150 dishes.

Founded in 1973 and franchising since 1987, the number of locations has recently declined from 492 in 2019 to the current total of 353 (down from the previously reported total of 355), of which three are company-owned and all are located in the US.

4. Perkins

Perkins is a pancake house that has menus for every meal of the day, but is generally thought of primarily as a breakfast-all-day chain with pancakes, omelets, French toast, Belgian waffles, “Smashers” (a bed of crispy mashed tater tots topped with two eggs and various meats and cheeses), other egg dishes, breakfast sandwiches on biscuits, baked pastries, and a host of other breakfast sides. Perkins declared bankruptcy in August 2019, closed quite a few locations, and was subsequently purchased by Huddle House.

Founded by Matt and Ivan Perkins in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1958 and franchising since then, the number of locations has declined in recent years from 394 in 2016 to the current total of 254 (down from the previously reported total of 262), of which 82 are company-owned and six are located outside the US.

5. Black Bear Diner

Black Bear Diner is a western chain of restaurants serving up the comfort foods of yesteryear in locations with a rustic motif and lots of bear-related décor. Each restaurant also features a one-of-a-kind 12-foot-tall bear carved out of wood by Ray Schulz, along with mural paintings by Colleen Mitchell-Veyna, Steve Fitzgerald, and Gary Fitzgerald.

The breakfast menu is served all day and includes many of the usual suspects such as egg scrambles, omelets, French toast, waffles, pancakes, two-egg combos, Mexican-inspired items, Bear’s Benedicts, plenty of sides, and the chain’s unique Bear Claw pastry made in-house with almond filling.

Founded by Bruce Dean and Bob & Laurie Manley in Mount Shasta, California, in 1995 and franchising since 2002, the number of locations has expanded in recent years from 67 in 2014 to the current total of 165 (up from the previously reported total of 161), of which 70 are company-owned and all are located in the US.

6. La Madeleine French Bakery and Café

La Madeleine French Bakery and Café can be described as a casual French country dining experience consisting of hand-prepared foods so friends and family can forge deeper connections over a lovely meal. Classic country French fare is served cafeteria-style for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in buildings designed to resemble restaurants commonly found throughout the French countryside, decorated with farm tools and impressionistic paintings.

Throughout the winter months, each store’s authentic fireplace adds a heartwarming atmosphere. Guests are invited to linger over good food and conversation, the most important aspects of French culture.

Founded in 1983 by Patrick Esquerré but only franchising since 2011, the number of locations has expanded in recent years from 68 in 2014 to the current total of 87 (down from the previously reported total of 92), of which 28 are company-owned and two are located outside the US.

7. Tony Roma’s

Tony Roma’s first made a name for itself with its premier BBQ ribs and steaks, including its beloved BBQ sauce, the recipe for which remains top-secret. This is a full-service, casual dining family restaurant featuring a wide-ranging menu of starters, entrées of ribs (baby back and St. Louis), steaks, chicken, seafood, burgers and sandwiches, soups and salads, and desserts.

Founded by Tony Roma in North Miami, Florida, in 1972 and franchising since 1979, the number of locations has declined in recent years from a high of 135 in 2018 to the current total of 57 (up from the previously reported total of 56), of which one is company-owned and 48 are located outside the US.

An Important Note About Our Methodology

The franchises on this list were ranked according to the number of units in the franchise system. If you are a prospective franchisee searching for franchise opportunities that meet or exceed certain performance benchmarks for sales, profits, and return on investment, please check out this list of America’s Most Lucrative Franchises.

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