Skift Take
Recent data shows that independent restaurants are faring better than chains, and are expected to grow at a faster rate. Don't discount larger corporations yet, though — innovation and creative ideas are happening across the industry.
Yelp’s just-released economic outlook hones in on the differences between chains restaurants and independents. According to the report, which analyzed more than 700,000 restaurants on Yelp, there’s been a “tremendous rise in independent restaurants over the last five years.” Their Yelp ratings have improved, too: Independent fast food and fast casual restaurants saw a seven percent improvement over the past five years.
Yelp’s data also says that sentiment around fast-food chain restaurants has decreased — average ratings have dipped about 16 percent (that’s one-third of a star in Yelp units). Fast casual chains have also experienced a dip in r
