Pub operator Mitchells & Butlers was the UK's largest restaurant group in 2006 with 799 sites, ahead of the Spirit Group (now part of Punch Taverns) and Ask and PizzaExpress owner Gondola Holdings, which both have more than 500 venues.
These figures are reported in British Hospitality: Trends and Statistics 2006, published by the British Hospitality Association.
The full report can be bought for £195 (for the printed version) or £145 (for a PDF file). For enquiries or orders, phone 0207 404 7744 or contact bob.bacon@bha.org.uk.
See Top quick-service restaurant groups for further listings.
Top 20 UK restaurant groups in 2006 (by number of outlets):
| Owner | Number of outlets | Selected brands |
| 1 | Mitchells & Butlers | 799 | Harvester, All Bar One,
Toby |
| 2 | Spirit Group | 510 | Chef & Brewer. Two for
One, Miller's |
| 3 | Gondola | 505 | PizzaExpress, Ask, Zizzi |
| 4 | The Restaurant Group | 279 | Frankie & Benny's,
Garfunkels |
| 5 | Wimpy | 250 | Wimpy |
| 6 | People's Restaurant
Group | 235 | Little Chef |
| 7 | Tragus | 162 | Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia |
| 8 | Whitbread | 157 | TGI Friday's |
| 9 | Greene King | 90 | Hungry Horse |
| 10 | Nando's | 133 | Nando's |
| 11 | Out of Town
Restaurant Group | 87 | Madisons, Bitz and Pizza,
Bradwells |
| 12 | Prezzo | 78 | Prezzo, Ultimate
Burger |
| 13 | Orchid Pubs | 76 | Jim Thompson's,
Country Carvery |
| 14 | Clapham House | 57 | Tootsies, Bombay
Bicycle Club |
| 15 | La Tasca | 56 | La Tasca |
| 16 | Ponti's | 48 | Ponti's, Caffe Alba |
| 17 | Caprice Holdings | 45 | Strada |
| 18 | Wagamama | 39 | Wagamama |
| 19 | Regent Inns | 31 | Old Orleans |
| 20 | Premium Casual Dining | 30 | Loch Fyne, Petit Blanc |
Source: Horizons
Changes since the table was compiled:
- Orchid Pubs bought 290 managed properties from Punch Tavern in the summer of 2006
- Le Petit Blanc was the subject of an MBO from Premium Casual Dining