Today, 113 different companies operate 15 or more restaurant locations in Florida. Collectively, they operate just over 14,000 restaurants in the state.
In 2023, there was a net increase of 172 new restaurant locations or a growth rate of 1.2%, which is in line with the pace of population growth. Starbucks was Florida's restaurant growth leader with 38 new stores. The top 8 companies accounted for nearly all of the net gain. On the other hand, there were three companies, Burger King, Boston Market and Subway, that combined closed just over 100 stores in 2023. To achieve the 1.2% growth, the restaurant companies opened 519 new locations and closed 347, so there is a constant battle with small gains in this highly competitive business.