2,000 fast food restaurants.

2,000 FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS. The fast-food industry has come a long way since such chains as Tastee Freeze and Big Boy began appearing on the island in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Since then, the number of chains has multiplied aggressively, demonstrating Puerto Rico is an attractive market,

Today, 2,000 fast-food restaurants here rake in an US$1 billion to US$1.3 billion a year in revenue, according to industry sources. Studies have shown 77% of locals visit fast-food restaurants often. The composition of the market also has evolved. While hamburger chains always have represented the majority, sandwich stores are about to beat them. In between are fast-food chains focused on Mexican food, pizza, and chicken, all of which are seeing stale growth. The local fast-food industry has become an important supplier of mostly part-time jobs;

As of May, there were 37,500 jobs in fast-food restaurants. Most of these jobs are part-time and turnover is very high. In the past five years, visits to fast-food restaurants declined from 5.7 times weekly to only three. McDonald's, which had 123 stores in 2001, saw that number drop to 112 in 2003, making a slight jump to 114 this year. Burger King, the largest local hamburger chain with 168 restaurants, had 158 stores in 2001 and 166 in 2002. "We are building three more restaurants at a cost of about $1 million each," said Luis Arenas, chairman of Caribbean Restaurants (the local Burger King licensee). Gil Craig, CEO for Taco Maker, said the chain will open its 90th local store in August. In 2001, Taco Maker had 76 stores. Wendco of Puerto Rico Inc., Wendy's local operator, had 37 restaurants in 2001, 51 in 2003, and now operates 57 stores, with more on the way;

Subway is the fastest-growing chain in terms of store openings. It plans to open another 30 to 36 stores in Puerto Rico before the end of the year, about 15 more than in 2004, when the chain opened 20 locations. Area Developer Lyle Swanson, who became the local developer in 1995, said 200 local stores are to be operational by August. Some of the chains that fizzled during the past decade are International House of Pancakes, Grandy's, Checker's, and Hardee's.