Most restaurant chains want 1,000 outlets

NEW YORK, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Just about every U.S. restaurant chain has its eye on 1,000 outlets, an often elusive goal that appears readily accessible, a report says.

Years can go by without the chain reaching that one-grand mark, USA Today said. It took McDonald's nearly 20 years to get there, Starbucks only about 25.

But, nowadays, things have changed. At least five food and beverage chains have joined the elite mark in the past year or so.

Sbarro and Papa Murphy's got there. So did Panda Express, Panera Bread and WingStreet. Johnny Rockets, under new ownership, has unveiled plans to increase its 217 units to 1,000.

Hitting 1,000 restaurants shouts scale, says Mary Chapman, editor-in-chief at Chain Leader, a trade magazine. "It's a turning point from a large chain to a dominant chain."