Restaurantes

Fast casual restaurants occupy a bit of a gray area in the realm of food service. It may be easiest to understand fast casual restaurants in terms of how the service, atmosphere and price point compares to quick-serve and casual dining restaurant varieties. The editor of FastCasual Magazine suggests that it all has to do with four key points:[Source]

• Service type

• Food quality

• Atmosphere and décor

• Menu prices

For instance, a fast casual restaurant may still take orders at a counter, but offer table-side food delivery or pick-up. The food is made to order, not pre-assembled. The restaurant is comfortable and well-decorated, and the prices are more affordable than a typical casual dining restaurant. Some well-known examples of fast casual restaurants include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Noodles & Company and Panera Bread.

What Makes Fast Casual Successful?

Fast casual concepts are a boon to the food service sector, filling a gap between the inexpensive fast food joints and full service sit-down restaurants. The fast casual concept occupies only 6% of the market, but according to a recent Technomic study, this niche has been the fastest growing restaurant sector since 2006.[Source]

Fast casual restaurants provide options that retain the concept of fast food but promote the comfort and atmosphere of casual dining and quality items that consumers crave.

Facts about Fast Casual Restaurants

Below are a few key facts about fast casual restaurants that support their ongoing success.

Fast casual restaurants are reporting increased sales. Almost two thirds of fast casual restaurants across the country reported net increases in same-store sales last year, according to research by the National Restaurant Association (NRA). This burgeoning niche within the restaurant industry is positioned to grow even more, as over half of the polled fast-casual operators expect to have continued sales increases.[Source]

Fast casual restaurants serve better quality food. One key component to the escalation of the fast casual concept is improved food quality. Fast casual concepts are typically more committed to wholesome ingredients, professional preparation and aesthetic presentation. For instance, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) suggests that whole grain menu items are six times more common in fast-casual restaurants than their fast-food counterparts.[Source] What’s more, research shows that consumers prefer restaurants like Chipotle and Five Guys Burgers and Fries for high quality food items made to order, instead of fast food equivalents like Taco Bell and McDonald’s.[Source] When consumers feel better about what they eat, they become loyal to a brand or concept. Food quality is a huge part of what makes fast-casual restaurants successful.

Misconceptions about Fast

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