It opened up certain territories to franchisees, which were required to develop a specified number of venues annually. For a growing restaurant chain like Chili's, pinpointing appropriate new sites is not as easy as it is for proven brands, according to Gallivan, because its consumer patterns are not as well established. As a result, independents often take a niche approach, going to an emerging part of a city, for example, to stake a claim in uncharted territory. But independents don't have to rely on gut feeling alone to choose a location. Most independents get into trouble when they try to duplicate their initial success with a second and third restaurant.
Independents never have that luxury.