189 articles
Shakey's Pizza
Shakey's Pizza, American pizza chain founded 1954 in Sacramento by Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson and Ed Plummer; known for thin crust pizza, Mojo potatoes, and Bunch of Lunch buffet; now centered on its Philippine operator SPAVI with 2,970 stores.
Shoney's
Shoney's, also Shoney's Big Boy, is a Nashville-headquartered American family-dining restaurant chain founded in 1947 in Charleston, West Virginia, famous for its Fresh Food Bar breakfast buffet and hot fudge cake; it grew past 1,300 locations before bankruptcy and now operates fewer than 60 restaurants in about 16 states.
ShowBiz Pizza Place
ShowBiz Pizza Place, an American animatronic pizza and arcade chain founded March 3, 1980 in Kansas City by Robert Brock and Aaron Fechter, home of the Rock-afire Explosion band, rival of Chuck E. Cheese until the 1985 merger rebranded all stores.
Sizzler
Sizzler: American casual family steakhouse chain founded January 27, 1958 in Culver City, California by Del and Helen Johnson; known for inexpensive steaks, seafood, and the all-you-can-eat salad bar; peaked at 646 units in 1989, filed bankruptcy in 2020, now 74 U.S. units with Thailand and Japan franchises.
Skyline Chili
Skyline Chili is a Cincinnati restaurant chain founded in 1949 by Nicholas Lambrinides, serving Greek-inspired Cincinnati-style chili over spaghetti (3-Way) and Cheese Coneys, with over 130 locations, grocery products, and Midwest and Southeast franchise expansion.
Smashburger
Smashburger, also called Smashburger restaurant chain, is a Denver-based American fast casual burger chain founded in 2007 by Tom Ryan, known for griddle-smashed Certified Angus Beef patties, SmashFries, and full ownership by the Philippines' Jollibee Group.
Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In is an American fast-food chain founded by Troy Smith in Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1953, operating the largest chain of drive-in restaurants in the United States.
Steak 'n Shake
Steak 'n Shake, American burger chain founded 1934 in Normal, Illinois by Gus Belt, known for Steakburgers, hand-dipped milkshakes, and beef tallow fries; owned by Biglari Holdings since 2008, with kiosk ordering and about 400 US locations in 2026.
Steve Easterbrook
Steve Easterbrook, British executive, was McDonald's president and CEO from March 2015 to November 2019, led the Turnaround Plan, was fired over employee relationships, and repaid over $105 million in a 2021 clawback settlement.
Steve Ells
Steve Ells, American chef and entrepreneur, founded Chipotle Mexican Grill in Denver in 1993, pioneered fast-casual dining, led it through the McDonald's investment and 2006 IPO, and later started Kernel and Counter Service.
Subway (restaurant)
Subway, founded 1965 as Pete's Super Submarines by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is the world's largest sub sandwich franchise, with nearly 37,000 outlets in over 100 countries; owned by Roark Capital since 2024, its U.S. unit count is shrinking.
Taco Bell chihuahua
The Taco Bell chihuahua, known for "Yo quiero Taco Bell," was a 1997-2000 TBWA/Chiat/Day advertising mascot played by the dog Gidget; it spawned a $42 million lawsuit by the creators of Psycho Chihuahua and ended in July 2000.
Texas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse (TXRH) is a Louisville, Kentucky-based casual dining steakhouse chain founded by Kent Taylor in 1993 in Clarksville, Indiana, operating Texas Roadhouse, Bubba's 33, and Jaggers, with 832 restaurants and about $5.9 billion in fiscal 2025 revenue.
TGI Fridays
TGI Fridays, the American casual dining bar and grill chain founded by Alan Stillman in New York in 1965, peaked at 601 U.S. restaurants in 2008, entered Chapter 11 in November 2024, and now operates under Sugarloaf ownership with a 2030 turnaround plan.
The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory: American upscale casual dining chain founded by the Overton family, bakery 1972, first restaurant Beverly Hills 1978; NASDAQ CAKE, 368 company-owned restaurants, 250+ item scratch menu, 30+ cheesecakes.
The Halal Guys
The Halal Guys: American halal fast-casual chain founded 1990 in NYC by Egyptian immigrants Abouelenein, Elsaka, and Elsayed; began as a 53rd and 6th hot dog cart serving Muslim cab drivers, famous for chicken-over-rice platters and white sauce.
The Wendy's Company
The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN), Dublin, Ohio-based owner of the Wendy's burger chain founded by Dave Thomas in 1969; over 7,000 restaurants, second-largest U.S. burger QSR until Burger King overtook it in 2026 amid sales declines and restaurant closures.
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons, known as Timmy's or Timmies, is a Canadian quick-service restaurant chain selling coffee, baked goods, and light meals, founded in Hamilton, Ontario in 1964.
Tim Martin (businessman)
Tim Martin (Timothy Randall Martin, born 1955) is the British founder and chairman of J D Wetherspoon, founded 1979 in Muswell Hill; knighted 2024 and a prominent pro-Brexit campaigner.
Tom Monaghan
Tom Monaghan (born 1937, Ann Arbor, Michigan), founder of Domino's Pizza, which he started as DomiNick's in Ypsilanti in 1960, built the 30-minute delivery chain to over 5,000 stores, owned the Detroit Tigers, and founded Legatus and Ave Maria University.
Tony Tan Caktiong
Tony Tan Caktiong (born 1953, Fujian, China) is the Filipino-Chinese founder and Executive Chairman of Jollibee Foods Corporation, which grew from two 1975 Manila Magnolia ice cream parlors into a 19-brand, 10,000-store restaurant group across 33 countries.
Trader Vic's
Trader Vic's is a Polynesian-themed restaurant chain founded by Victor Bergeron, who renamed his Oakland bar Hinky Dinks in 1938. Known for claiming the 1944 Mai Tai and rivaling Don the Beachcomber.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Tropical Smoothie Cafe: American fast-casual smoothie and food franchise chain founded in Destin, Florida, in 1997 (first franchise Tallahassee, 1998), about 1,800 U.S. units in 44 states, ~$1M average unit volume, owned by Blackstone since 2024, CEO Max Wetzel.
Twin Peaks (restaurant chain)
Twin Peaks is an American sports bar restaurant chain founded in 2005 in Lewisville, Texas, with about 115 locations known for made-from-scratch food, 29-degree draft beer, and wall-to-wall televisions in a rustic lodge setting.
Voodoo Doughnut
Voodoo Doughnut is a Portland, Oregon doughnut chain founded in 2003 by Kenneth "Cat Daddy" Pogson and Tres Shannon, known for pink boxes, eccentric flavors like the Voodoo Doll and Bacon Maple Bar, weddings, and multi-state expansion.
Waffle House
Waffle House: 24-hour Southern diner chain founded 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia by Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner; over 2,000 restaurants in 25 states, privately held, known for the FEMA Waffle House Index.
Wagamama (わがまま)
Wagamama (わがまま, Japanese for "selfish") is a British pan-Asian restaurant chain founded by Alan Yau in Bloomsbury, London, in 1992, inspired by Tokyo ramen bars; 165 UK and 62 international restaurants as of December 2025, owned by Apollo Global Management.
Wahlburgers
Wahlburgers is a casual burger restaurant and sports bar chain founded by Mark, Donnie, and Chef Paul Wahlberg, first opened in Hingham, Massachusetts, in 2011, known for the Our Burger, Wahl Sauce, its A&E reality series, and its 2025 Hy-Vee split.
Wendy Thomas
Wendy Thomas (Melinda Lou "Wendy" Thomas Morse, born 1961) is the daughter of Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, the chain's namesake and logo model, later a Wendy's franchisee and 2010-2011 commercial spokesperson.
Wendy's
Wendy's (The Wendy's Company, Nasdaq: WEN) is an American fast-food hamburger chain founded by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, on November 15, 1969, known for square fresh-beef patties, the Frosty, and its Pick-Up Window drive-through; 7,397 restaurants as of December 2025.