Pilot Flying J makes Top 100 list

7/21/2011

Knoxville-based travel center chain Pilot Flying J is listed among the Top 100 food-service companies, according to a restaurant industry trade publication.

Nation's Restaurant News ranks Pilot Flying J the 65th largest in revenue and second in the fastest revenue growth category.

Pilot Flying J's ranking was based on $451 million in U.S. food and beverage revenue during travel center company's fiscal year that ended in December. It is Pilot Flying J's first year on the Nation's Restaurant News Top 100 list.

"Being ranked in the Top 100 is a great accomplishment for the Pilot Flying J team," said CEO Jimmy Haslam. "The significance becomes greater when we consider how this growth allows us to provide even more convenience to the professional drivers and members of the motoring public that we serve. Restaurants are an extremely important part of our service to customers."

Pilot Flying J showed more than 67 percent growth in U.S. food service revenue that pushed the company to second on the magazine's list of the 100 fastest growing companies.

Pilot Flying J currently operates 286 branded restaurants and plans to open an additional five restaurant locations this year. By the end of 2011, Pilot Flying J will operate nearly 170 Subway restaurants, making the company the largest Subway franchisee in the world.

Pilot Flying J benefitted from the merger between Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J Travel Plazas during FY 2010 as well as deli openings at locations nationwide. In addition to the new deli sites, Pilot Flying J restaurants include Arby's, Chester's Chicken, Dairy Queen, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy's.

On the publication's Top 100 list, Pilot Flying J was ranked ahead of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Panera Bread Co., Buffalo Wild Wings Inc., and Chick-fil-A Inc. on the list of fastest growing enterprises.

In the top revenue category, Pilot Flying J finished ahead of Target Corp. Foodservice, Chuck E. Cheese's and Golden Corral.

Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers in North America, has more than 550 locations in North America and employs about 20,000 people.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel