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The top 5 most thanked businesses on Yelp since 2004

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Yelp 15

There’s a lot to be grateful for when it comes to local life—from coffee stops that keep us caffeinated to local pet groomers that keep our four-legged friends primped and pampered. And since 2004, 1.6 million businesses have been thanked on Yelp in reviews. We think that’s something worth celebrating!

As well as sharing the top 100 things people say thanks for (spoiler: face painters are the category on Yelp people are most grateful for!) we’ve taken a look at the amazing individual businesses that make local life so much brighter and better. So, to ring in 15 years of local love, here are the top spots on Yelp that have been most thanked and loved since 2004.

Got a local business you’re eternally grateful for? Share your thoughts on the top 15 list on social media using #Yelp15. Make sure you tag a business you want to thank, share the love for, or let everyone know how they saved the day. Don’t forget! We only know how amazing a business is if people take a moment to write a review, so be sure to share your thoughts on Yelp as well!

The top 5 most thanked businesses on Yelp since 2004

Graphic showing The number 1 most thanked business on Yelp. 1. JMC Mobile Pet Grooming Lawndale CA "Thank you so much! Olive looks and smells amazing... You guys are awesome!" —Korina G, 7/20/2019

1. JMC Mobile Pet Grooming

Lawndale CA

“Thank you so much! Olive looks and smells amazing… You guys are awesome!” —Korina G, 7/20/2019

2. Rachell Allen NCLEX Review Center New York-New Jersey

Secaucus, NJ

“Thank you so much to my Rachell Allen Family… Those inspirational thoughts have helped me to do my best, that changed my career and my point of view about life.” —Careza J, 4/4/2019

3. Factory of Dreams Hall

Las Vegas, Nevada

“I want to start by thanking Susana and David for the excellent customer service given to my husband and I from beginning to end… Our guest wouldn’t stop complimenting our wedding decor.” —Claud F, 5/13/2019

4. Kravitz Alan B MD

Rockville, MD

“Thanks once again to Dr.Kravitz and everyone at his office. If only all doctors were like him.” —Joshua K, 3/18/2017

5. Max Video Productions 

Frisco, TX

“We were lucky enough that Max was a recommended videographer by our wedding planner. It was a great experience; we cannot thank you enough—cheers!” —Vincent C, 10/13/2017

The top 5 most loved businesses on Yelp since 2004

Graphic showing the The top most loved business on Yelp. 1. Redwood Little School Irvine, CA "I'm absolutely in love with this school. Svetlana is super smart just a brilliant woman. My son so happy; he loves it there." —Lisa M, 3/28/2019

1. Redwood Little School

Irvine, CA

“I’m absolutely in love with this school. Svetlana is super smart just a brilliant woman.  My son so happy; he loves it there.” —Lisa M, 3/28/2019

2. St Stephen Preschool

Chatsworth, CA

“The teachers are incredibly kind and patient. The classrooms and playground are wonderful. My son loves it so far.” —Alison M, 9/13/2018

3. Pawsitive Paws

Chicago, IL

“They really care for all of the animals they look after, and provide parents real time updates and photos, which I personally love! We can’t speak highly enough for Steven, Karla, and Alex!” —Rosemary R, 8/9/2019

4. Cortado Tasting Room

Bedford, NS

“Love this place. It has character and personality… The proprietors genuinely care about coffee. They get to know their regulars. And the food is top-notch. Very cosy atmosphere.” —Gordon E, 11/17/2016

5. Hypersquad For Life

Waipahu, HI

“We love hypersquad dance studio! Mr. Henry is so awesome and patient with the eeneeminees! My daughter enjoys coming to dance every weekend.” —Stevi P, 2/27/2016

Spread the word and share the love

What do sink explosions, hot chicken, and the miracle of life have in common? (Nope, there’s no punchline to that one!) The answer is simple: local love and gratitude. As well as looking at the top 15 spots we’ve loved and thanked the most, we also checked out which businesses came in at number one for saving the day, making people’s day, and how grateful people were to have found such a great local business. Read on to find out which spots made it to the top:

 

The number 1 spot for saving the day since 2004

Graphic showing the Top business for saving the day on Yelp in reviews. Free Flo Rooter & Plumbing, Pasadena CA "The Free Flo Rooter guys have been great! I've had them out to our house a handful of times to fix some catastrophes and emergencies with our plumbing. They are always quick to get somebody out, do solid work, and always go the extra mile to make sure things are right with everything in the pipes or house. Anthony recently saved the day for me with an epic disaster with our main line." —Danny C, 4/24/2019

Free Flo Rooter & Plumbing

Pasadena, CA

“The Free Flo Rooter guys have been great! I’ve had them out to our house a handful of times to fix some catastrophes and emergencies with our plumbing. They are always quick to get somebody out, do solid work, and always go the extra mile to make sure things are right with everything in the pipes or house. Anthony recently saved the day for me with an epic disaster with our main line.” —Danny C, 4/24/2019

The number 1 spot for making people’s day since 2004

Graphic indicating the top business since 2004 for making people's day on Yelp in reviews. Howlin' Ray's, Los Angeles CA "So the food god calls my name and I head over to the crowded entrance. There he was, with a huge smile, and said, 'bro I gotchu some coleslaw and don't worry about it'. What's better than good food? Good, free coleslaw... made my day. Let's talk about chicken... Each bite was just heavenly." —Shaun V, 8/19/2018

Howlin’ Ray’s

Los Angeles, CA

“So the food god calls my name and I head over to the crowded entrance. There he was, with a huge smile, and said, ‘bro I gotchu some coleslaw and don’t worry about it’. What’s better than good food? Good, free coleslaw… made my day. Let’s talk about chicken… Each bite was just heavenly.” —Shaun V, 8/19/2018

The number 1 spot we’re most grateful for since 2004

Graphic indicating the top business since 2004 people are most grateful for on Yelp in reviews. ATX Doulas, Austin TX "My husband and I were getting nervous and anxious about having our first baby and we researched several doulas... We are so grateful to Darby, Amy and the whole ATX doula team. It was great to have someone else there for us to help every step of the way." — Amira B, 3/30/2018

ATX Doulas

Austin, TX

“My husband and I were getting nervous and anxious about having our first baby and we researched several doulas… We are so grateful to Darby, Amy and the whole ATX doula team. It was great to have someone else there for us to help every step of the way.” — Amira B, 3/30/2018

Methodology:

To determine which businesses made the list, we looked at the reviews received by businesses. We checked total reviews containing each phrase per business against total reviews written for each business, and weighted down the phrase count to ensure true sentiment of the phrase. We considered the rating of the reviews and business, and set a minimum for number of reviews featuring words of gratitude. If a business with multiple locations appeared more than once on the initial list, we kept the highest ranked location.

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