Texas Roadhouse Might Be On The Road To Dining Dominance

If you live in the U.S., there's a chance that you've wandered into a Texas Roadhouse chain at least once in your lifetime. Maybe you're familiar with the chain's steaks, ribs, fresh-baked buttery rolls that come free with orders, and its famous peanuts. Or perhaps you've heard of the candle based on Texas Roadhouse's honey cinnamon butter. Of course, the chances of having those free rolls, steaks, and other items within reach will partly depend on how easily customers can get to a Texas Roadhouse or how easily one can come to their area.

As of late, the popular chain has been experiencing the kind of success that could help it reach more people. According to Seeking Alpha, the company's revenue has seen promising increases. The brand has even outperformed its pre-Covid numbers. Some of this can be attributed to increased dine-in traffic and the introduction of new technology in the dining room, such as table-top devices that allow people to pay at the table, according to Restaurants Business.

This success could lead to a big opportunity for Texas Roadhouse and possibly spells luck for fans of large margaritas and hand-cut steaks. A recent report by Restaurants Business says the brand may be positioning itself to become the biggest casual-dining chain in America.

According to Texas Roadhouse, the restaurant chain currently has more than 580 locations in the U.S., spread across 49 states, and 22 international locations. Its recent success led to projections of having between 700 to 800 total U.S. locations in the coming years, according to Restaurants Business. However, that number was upped last Thursday. The chain is aiming for 900 U.S. locations. Given both the growth it has planned and how well each restaurant performs on average, Restaurant Business says Texas Roadhouse could surpass Applebee's and Olive Garden, making it America's biggest casual dining chain in terms of sales.

In 2022 alone, the chain planned to open 25 new locations, according to Seeking Alpha. People in smaller towns may see a new Texas Roadhouse come to their area. The chain's success in smaller markets is powering the new higher projections. CEO Jerry Morgan said that "the success in some of the smaller communities that we've been able to go in really allowed us to up that number." The small-town success is partially due to customers being more willing to cross wider geographic areas. Many went as far as 10 to 15 miles for a Texas Roadhouse meal, according to FSR Magazine. While its competitors have seen slower growth, Texas Roadhouse has been charging ahead to dining dominance.