The 3 Top Performing Restaurant Stocks of 2017

2017 was the second year running for the so-called "restaurant recession," and many restaurant brands struggled as a result of industry over-expansion. Consumers have been presented with many new options competing for their food dollars, dining preferences underwent change, and many restaurant dining rooms saw falling traffic.

That didn't mean it was a bad year to be an investor in the restaurant industry. Many stocks notched double-digit gains as they found ways to keep sales ticking higher. With only a couple weeks left in 2017, the top three performers are Yum China (NYSE: YUMC), Nathan's Famous (NASDAQ: NATH), and McDonald's (NYSE: MCD).

The year's top performer to date is Yum China, spun off from KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell parent company Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) in late 2016. The spun off company has exclusive rights to the brands in China, and is the country's largest restaurant chain.

Source: Fool.com