New #1 Fast Casual Restaurant Has Just 19 Illinois Spots

There's a new king of the hill when it comes to the ever-growing fast casual market in America, but the surprising fact is they only have 19 locations in Illinois.

If you had to guess which restaurant had taken over the #1 spot atop the fast casual market, which would you pick? Hint: the chain had a 15% growth in the last year which helped them leap Olive Garden for the fast casual crown. According to Restaurant Business, the new #1 is Texas Roadhouse.

While Texas Roadhouse is growing fast across America, it appears there are only 19 locations in Illinois according to Texas Roadhouse Family Meals. The top state for Texas Roadhouse is (shocker) Texas followed by Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania resulting in a grand total of 655 restaurants in America. That number should grow soon as USA Today is reporting that Texas Roadhouse plans to open at least 33 new locations this year including 2 new restaurants in Illinois.

My family rarely eats out anymore, but the few times we've been to Texas Roadhouse in Quincy, Illinois, it's been a pleasant experience. They definitely have a unique atmosphere there and I'm not surprised at all that they're growing as fast as they are. The fact that Illinois will get its share of new restaurants is a great thing.