New York is infested with chains of every kind — restaurant, retail, daisy — but we’ve often wondered which were the biggest. Starbucks fecundity has been proverbial over the last few years, but might some under-the-radar operator like Subway have them beat? And what of McDonald’s? How can they not be number one in any chain category? Well, we need wonder no more. The Center for an Urban Future has just released its list of the city’s top retailers, and number one by some distance is Dunkin’ Donuts. Dunkin’ Donuts? Really? Apparently, there are 341 of the things here in the New York and 335 Subways. McDonald’s is a surprising third, with 248. Starbucks comes in fourth, with 225 (after they close eleven stores, as recently announced). McDonald’s partisans should take heart, however: They did well to place so high, given that almost all their stores are freestanding buildings, as opposed to counters inside food courts and gas stations, like many Subways and Dunkin’ Donuts. The only other food chain in the top ten was Baskin Robbins, at sixth, but since they are frequently paired with Dunkin’ Donuts, this strikes us as mere piggybacking. Meanwhile, New York has only ten White Castles. Where’s the justice?
New York by the Numbers: Attack of the Chains [PDF]
Related: Starbucks to Close 600 Stores, Lay Off 12,000 Employees
Average Joe [NYM]
