America’s Backbone: The Bracket

You nominated. You narrowed. Now, we have a bracket.

(Click into that and swipe to see all four regions)

First round voting will begin tomorrow with the Waffle House and In-N-Out Regions. It will continue on Friday with the Culver’s and Steak ‘n Shake Regions. Second round voting is scheduled for Monday.

We’ve learned a lot about our country already. Mostly, we’ve learned where things are. Here are the states in which each of these chains operate, from most prevalent to least (this is what we could figure out—if we’re wrong, please correct us, but please provide documentation):

• Rita’s Ice (29 states): AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV
• Jason’s Deli (27 states): AL, AR, AZ, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI
• Fazoli’s (26 states): AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV
• Culver’s (25 states): AL, AZ, CO, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, OH, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WI, WY
• Waffle House (25 states): AL, AR, AZ, CO, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NM, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
• Taco John’s (23 states): AR, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NV, OH, SD, TN, UT, WA, WI, WY
• Lion’s Den (22 states): AZ, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NV, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, WI, WV
• Steak ‘n Shake (21 states): AL, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MO, MS, NC, NV, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX
• Jack in the Box (21 states): AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MO, NC, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA
• Caribou Coffee (19 states): CO, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, OH, OK, SD, TX, VA, WI
• Fuddruckers (18 states): AZ, CA, FL, GA, LA, MA, MI, MO, MS, MT, NJ, NM, NV, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA
• Piggly Wiggly (18 states): AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MS, NC, NY, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV
• Bob Evans (18 states): DE, FL, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
• Village Inn (18 states): AK, AR, AZ, CO, FL, IA, IL, KS, MN, MO, NE, NM, OK, TX, UT, VA, WA, WY
• Chuy’s (17 states): AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA
• Zaxby’s (17 states): AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA
• Bojangles (17 states): AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
• Casey’s General Store (16 states): AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, OK, SD, TN, WI
• QuikTrip (16 states): AL, AR, AZ, CO, GA, IA, KS, LA, MO, MS, NC, NE, OK, SC, TN, TX
• Scheels (16 states): AZ, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, NV, OK, SD, TX, UT, WI
• White Castle (15 states): AZ, FL, IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, TN, WI
• Del Taco (15 states): AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, MI, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, UT, WA
• Menards (14 states): IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD, WI, WV, WY
• Pizza Ranch (14 states): CO, IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, SD, TN, WI, WY
• Kum & Go (13 states): AR, CO, IA, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, OK, SD, UT, WY
• Dutch Bros. Coffee (13 states): AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MO, NM, NV, OR, TN, TX, UT, WA
• Friendly’s (12 states): CT, DE, FL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, SC, VT
• Whataburger (11 states): AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, KS, LA, MS, NM, OK, TX
• Tim Hortons (11 states): GA, IN, KY, ME, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, WV
• Cook Out (10 states): AL, GA, KY, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
• In-N-Out (9 states): AZ, CA, CO, ID, NV, OR, TN, TX, UT
• Publix (8 states): AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, VA
• Wegmans (8 states): DE, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, VA
• Hy-Vee (8 states): IA, IL, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, WI
• Godfather’s Pizza (8 states): IA, IN, KY, NE, NV, OR, SD, TX
• Wawa (7 states): DE, FL, MD, NC, NJ, PA, VA
• Buc-ee’s (7 states): AL, FL, GA, KY, SC, TN, TX
• Royal Farms (7 states): DE, MD, NC, NJ, PA, VA, WV
• Bertucci’s (7 states): CT, DE, MA, MD, PA, RI, VA
• Sheetz (6 states): MD, NC, OH, PA, VA, WV
• Meijer (6 states): IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, WI
• Kwik Trip/Kwik Star (6 states): IA, IL, MI, MN, SD, WI
• Roy Rogers (6 states): MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV
• Big Boy (6 states): CA, MI, ND, NV, OH, WI
• Braum’s (5 states): AR, KS, MO, OK, TX
• D’Angelo (5 states): CT, MA, ME, NH, RI
• Hattie B’s (5 states): AL, GA, NV, TN, TX
• Portillo’s (5 states): AZ, CA, IL, IN, TX
• Skyline Chili (4 states): FL, IN, KY, OH
• Kohr Brothers (4 states): DE, MD, NJ, VA
• Runza (4 states): CO, IA, KS, NE
• Eat’n Park (3 states): OH, PA, WV
• Turkey Hill (3 states): IN, OH, PA
• Lion’s Choice (3 states): IL, KS, MO
• Biscuitville (3 states): NC, SC, VA
• Honey Dew Donuts (3 states): MA, NH, RI
• Kelly’s (3 states): FL, MA, NH
• Original Tommy’s (2 states): CA, NV
• Swensons (2 states): IN, OH
• McMenamims (2 states): OR, WA
• H-E-B (1 state): TX
• Xi’an Famous Foods (1 state): NY
• P. Terry’s (1 state): TX
• Luby’s (1 state): TX

Here’s the number for each state:

As we said on Monday, Texas and Illinois are heavily represented and are also where I’ve spent something like three quarters of my life. This is probably not a coincidence: Our blog talks a lot about things from Illinois and Texas, so people familiar with Illinois and Texas engage the most with our stuff. At the same time, though, when you map out a lot of these chains’ locations, it makes more sense for the Central regions of the country to be overrepresented. That’s where coastal chains move first. (I also suspect incorporation laws play a role in this, and might be part of why California and New York are underrepresented while Delaware’s overrepresented, but that still doesn’t explain Illinois.)

Whatever and wherever they are, these are the 64 regional chains you voted as the most beloved. We can’t wait to see them go head to head.