The US is home to hundreds of unique retail brands and concepts, with innovation and a quest for high-quality products, as a driving force behind this evolution. Besides offering the full spectrum of regular food and beverages, entrepreneurs in the US have pioneered a trend of excellence in meal delivery kits, supermarket chains, fast food, and baking. 

Here's an eclectic list of the top food and beverage companies in the US, that are consistently on the cusp of innovation and are driving growth.

1. Doordash

Founder: Tony Xu, Andy Fang, Stanley Tang, Evan Moore
Year Founded: 2013
Location: Palo Alto
Monthly unique visitors: 5,436,851
Order Volume: Not available
Web sales: $1B-$5B

Launched in 2013, Doordash an online food ordering and food delivery platform is one of the largest food delivery businesses in the US. Founded in 2012 by three students at Stanford University—Tony Xu, Stanly Tang, and Evan Moore. The platform has also established itself in the convenience delivery category.
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2. Yummly

Founder: David Feller, Vadim Geshel
Year Founded: 2008
Location: Palo Alto
Monthly unique visitors: 486,170
Order Volume: 50,000+
Web sales: $100M - $250M

Yummly's mobile app and website offer a curated ecosystem to help consumers manage the planning and execution of their meal consumption, using a host of tools like semantic recipe search, meal planning, and grocery delivery. This meal-delivery kit platform is among the top online food and Beverage US brands.
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3. Grubhub

Founder: Matt Maloney, Mike Evans
Year Founded: 2004
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Monthly unique visitors: 2,589,426
Order Volume: 50,000+
Web sales: $50M - $100M

This homegrown online food ordering and delivery platform, owned by Just Eat Takeaway, was founded in 2004. In 2021, Grubhub's revenues went to the next level, making it one of the US's top food and beverage companies. 
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4. Instacart

Founder: Apoorva Mehta, Max Mullen, Brandon Leonardo
Year Founded: 2012
Location: San Francisco, California
Monthly unique visitors: 3,241,294
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $100M-$250M

This grocery delivery and pick-up service empowers customers to order groceries from participating retailers. Orders are placed using a website and mobile app, and a personal shopper does the shopping. Instacart is one of the online food and beverage US brands today. 

5. TasteOfHome 

Founder: Published by Trusted Media Brands
Year Founded: 2015
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Monthly unique visitors: 2,329,221
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $50M-$100M

This American media platform is centered around food and curates a wide range of home cooks' user-generated content in magazines and recipes. At TasteOfHome, foodies, cooks, and enthusiasts can also shop for cookbooks for every occasion. 

6. McDonald's

Founder: Richard and Maurice McDonald
Year Founded: 1940
Location: San Bernardino, California
Monthly unique visitors: 2,411,098
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $250M-$500M

This is one of the world's largest fast-food chains opened with a single restaurant in 1940 by siblings Richard and Maurice McDonald. McDonald's was completely taken over by Ray Kroc in 1961, when he purchased his brother's equity. 
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7. H-E-B Grocery Company

Founder: Florence Butt
Year Founded: 1905
Location: San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Monthly unique visitors: 1,455,586
Order Volume: 10000-50000
Web sales: $500M-$1B

This supermarket chain has over 340 stores across Texas and offers grocery, bakery, deli, drug store, and floral, among other categories. H-E-B also owns Central Market, a premium organic and fine foods retailer, H-E-B Plus, Mi Tienda, and Joe V's Smart Shop. 

8. Starbucks

Founder: Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, Gordon Bowk
Year Founded: 1971
Location: Seattle, Washington
Monthly unique visitors: 2,467,451
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $250M-$500M

The world's largest coffeehouse chain owns 30,000+ stores around the globe. With the growing popularity and demand in the market, Starbucks has gradually emerged to be a global brand in 2022.
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9. Domino's Pizza

Founder: James Monaghan, Tom Monaghan, Dominick DeVarti
Year Founded: 1960
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Monthly unique visitors: 2,447,647
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $250M-$500M

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza, one of the world's largest pizza chains, is now led by CEO Richard Allison.
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10. Weedmaps

Founder: Justin Hartfield, Keith Hoerling
Year Founded: 2008
Location: Orange County, California?
Monthly unique visitors: 580,336
Web sales: $100M - $250M

Founded in 2008, Weedmaps, a leading cannabis tech platform provides integrated solutions for cannabis consumers and businesses. 
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11. Chipotle

Founder: Steve Ells
Year Founded: 1993
Location: Newport Beach, California
Monthly unique visitors: 581,635
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $250M-$500M

This American fast-food chain specializing in tacos and burritos was launched in 1993, and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Chipotle has also expanded to offer catering and group order services. 

12. Papa John's

Founder: John Schnatter
Year Founded: 1984
Location: Cumberland, Georgia
Monthly unique visitors: 1,532,276
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $250M-$500M

The American pizza restaurant chain is one of the fourth largest pizza delivery restaurant chains in the US. Papa John's is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. 
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13. Total Wine & More

Founder: David Trone, Robert Trone
Year Founded: 1991
Location: Claymont, Delaware
Monthly unique visitors: 460,381
Order Volume: 10000-50000
Web sales: $250M-$500M

This family-owned wine superstore is America's largest independent retailer of fine wine. Total Wine & More was started by two brothers David and Robert Trone who were passionate about wine.

14. Panera Bread  

Founder: Louis Kane and Ronald M. Shaich
Year Founded: 1997
Location: Sunset Hills, Missouri
Monthly unique visitors: 654,378
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $250M-$500M

This chain of bakery-café type fast-casual restaurants is present across the US and Canada. Panera Bread is headquartered in Sunset Hills, Missouri.

15. Jimmy John's 

Founder: Jimmy John Liautaud
Year Founded: 1983
Location: Charleston, Illinois
Monthly unique visitors: 350,284
Order Volume: >50000
Web sales: $100M-$250M

This sandwich chain headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983 when his father gave him a choice—to either join the military or start a business after high school. Jimmy John's is an emerging online food and beverage store in the US.
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16. Chick-fil-a

Founder: S. Truett Cathy
Year Founded: 1946
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Monthly unique visitors: NA

Starting in 1964, Chick-fil-a is one of the largest American fast food restaurant chains and home of the Original Chicken Sandwich with two pickles on a toasted butter bun.

Today, it is the US' top online eCommerce Food and Beverage brand.

17. World Market 

Founder: William Amthor
Year Founded: 1958
Location: San Francisco, California
Monthly unique visitors: 498,809
Order Volume: 10,000 - 50,000
Web sales: $500M - $1B

Originally known as Cost Plus World Market until 2021, this American chain of specialty/ import retail stores markets a range of products across multiple categories - from home furniture, decor, curtains, and rugs to gifts, apparel, coffee, wine, craft beer, and global food products. 

18. Postmates

Founder: Bastian Lehmann, Sam Street, Sean Plaice
Year Founded: 2011
Location: San Francisco, California
Monthly unique visitors: 367,109
Order Volume: Not Applicable
Web sales: $250M - $500M

Postmates is a renowned food delivery service launched in 2011 and was later acquired by Uber in 2020. Offering local delivery of restaurant-prepared meals and other goods, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
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19. Buffalo Wild Wings 

Founder: Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery
Year Founded: 1982
Location: Sandy Springs, Georgia
Monthly unique visitors: 253,756
Web sales: $1B - $5B

Buffalo Wild Wings is an American casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise with a global presence specializing in signature Buffalo wings and sauces. Known for their famous "Blazin' Wing Challenge," customers must eat 12 of their hottest wings under six minutes and winners receive free t-shirts.
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20. Home Chef

Founder: Patrick Vihtelic
Year Founded: 2013
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Monthly unique visitors: 267,511
Order Volume: 50,000+
Web sales: $500M - $1B

Home Chef is a home delivery service that offers fresh, perfectly-portioned ingredients to help consumers prep home-cooked meals in 30 minutes or less. The platform offers multiple meal plans with a mix of cuisines, on the menu. 
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21. Minimalist Baker

Founder: Dana and John Shultz
Year Founded: 2012
Location: Wichita
Monthly unique visitors: 304,395
Order Volume: 50,000+
Web sales: $100M - $250M

Minimalist Baker is a food and beverages retailer offering innovative recipes with 10 ingredients or less, a bowl, and less than 30 minutes to prep. It also offers a range of baking gear and equipment for enthusiastic bakers.
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22. Harris Teeter

Founder: William Thomas Harris, Willis L. Teeter
Year Founded: 1939
Location: Mathews, North Carolina
Monthly unique visitors: 186,511
Order Volume: 50,000+
Web sales: $1B - $5B

Also known as the Neighborhood Food & Pharmacy, Harris Teeter is an American supermarket chain based in North Carolina and is known for offering products at the lowest prices, compared to its competitors. As of 2021, the chain operated 261 stores.
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23. Peapod Digital Labs

Founder: Andrew and Thomas Parkinson
Year Founded: 1989
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Monthly unique visitors: 4500

Peapod launched as Peopod Online Grocer in 1998, getting an early start in the online grocery delivery business. In 2012, they launched their mobile app, which allowed customers to order groceries on their smartphones. In 2022, they rebranded as Peapod Digital Labs.
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24. King Arthur Baking

Founder: Henry Wood
Year Founded: 1790
Location: Norwich, Vermont
Monthly unique visitors: 2109
Order Volume: 50,000+
Web sales: $100M - $250M

This American supplier of baking ingredients and products from flour, baking mixes, and cookbooks to baked goods. The key focus of the King Arthur Baking company is on making baking more sustainable and focused on nutrition. 
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25. MRM Nutrition 

Founder: Mark Olsen
Year Founded: 1996
Location: Oceanside, California
Monthly unique visitors: Less than 100
Web sales: $250M - $500M

This nutrition-focused food product brand offers a wide range of superfoods and therapeutic products. Founded by nutritionists, clinical researchers, and natural food specialists, MRM Nutrition is looking to build holistic solutions for a healthy life.
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The Takeaway

Today, consumers seek diverse food and beverage choices along with speedy on-demand service. The US's top online food and beverage brands continue to innovate based on consumer choices and needs through faster shipping, subscriptions, loyalty programs, and other perks.