EATER

MAY 5, 2023

A growing number of fast food chains are experimenting with seatless locations with only takeout or drive-thru options. Getty Images/iStockphoto As diners increasingly turn to delivery, the future of fast food may be one with no human interaction at all. People just aren’t hanging out at fast food joints the way they used to.

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Fast Casual Food Food Order Mobile Ordering 109

Sling

JANUARY 4, 2023

Regardless of the fare they choose, bistros tend to serve smaller, more modest portions — typically because they operate out of smaller locations and serving large meals to large groups would be impossible. Casual dining. Fast casual. Bistro vs. fast food. Ghost restaurant. And many others. Let’s take a look.

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Fast Casual Fine Dining Seating Food Order 78

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 8, 2024

Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine asked restaurant industry experts for their views on what trends and challenges owners and operators can expect to see in 2024. This trend reflects the growing popularity of drive-thru and fast-casual dining, coupled with the demand for digital technologies such as QSR digital signage and QR codes.

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2024 Loyalty Program Cash Management Customer Experience 215

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 16, 2020

Evolving restaurant operations during COVID-19 At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, like many restaurants, The Snug closed its doors to diners. After two months, they reopened with just the four main co-founders running the operation. Here’s how they evolved their operations to sustain their business during the pandemic.

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7 Shifts

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Section 5: Operations Plan. A good operator looks back on their Business Plan on a monthly or quarterly basis to gauge where they are in terms,” says Mark Moeller, president, and owner of The Recipe of Success , a national restaurant consulting firm. Talk about what marketing channels you plan to use to get butts in seats.

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Point of Sale Back of House Document Download 397

7 Shifts

JUNE 4, 2021

Fast-casual: 28.9%. Casual: 33.2%. Upscale casual: 30.4%. 52% of restaurant professionals named high operating and food costs as one of their top challenges, according to Toast's 2019 Restaurant Success Report. To operate a healthy business, this number should not exceed 70%. Pizza: 31.3%. Prime Costs.

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Point of Sale Inventory Employee Relations Customer Service 416

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 25, 2021

Tech has taken its seat at the table – literally. However, since many restaurant operators didn’t understand QR codes, they failed to implement them correctly or didn’t properly advertise them, so the trend quickly died. The Quintessential QR Comeback. Now, the QR code is known as the comeback kid.

Customer Experience 197

Customer Experience Customer Service Fast Casual Point of Sale 197

The Restaurant Times

JULY 27, 2020

Accepting this as a new reality, restaurant operators are planning how to navigate post-lockdown operations while complying with safety regulations and reopening their restaurant. How To Restart Restaurant Operations While Maintaining Social Distancing Norms. Reduced Capacity. Reinforcing Contactless Dining Experience.

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Operations Kitchen Safety Food Safety Social Media 97

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

One of the key functionalities within many QSR and fast casual mobile apps these days is the ability to order ahead and select curbside pickup. This puts the customer in the driver’s seat and removes the reliance and uncertainties on timeliness of delivery offered by third parties.

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Mobile Ordering Marketing Menu Fast Casual 203

SpotOn

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

A quick service or casual restaurant will have open seating, a soda fountain, and maybe an area designated for online order pickups. However, most guests and restaurant operators tend to get confused about the dining expectations in a modern bistro. What is a bistro restaurant?

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Definition Fine Dining Fast Casual Point of Sale 52

LevelUp

OCTOBER 14, 2019

Now, it is crucial that quick-serve and fast-casual restaurants offer the ability to order online. The high number of takeout orders have become a catalyst for operational changes within the restaurant, and mastering innovation here can give your brand a serious advantage. Pickup shelves at sweetgreen. Source: Yelp ).

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Seating Ordering Mobile Ordering Loyalty Program 66

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2022

In terms of trends, it is clear that in 2023 technology will continue to shape and enhance the restaurant industry and we will see operators adopting new technologies to create an even more seamless and frictionless experience for guests, while still maintaining unique and engaging dining experiences. For part one, click here.

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2023 Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Experience 197

Restaurant Clicks

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

Hard Times Cafe is a casual dining environment which has decor that is meant to be reminiscent of a chili parlor during The Great Depression. Wingo’s is a casual and comfortable restaurant to dine at with friends and family to watch a game with on their large screen televisions. Bonchon has several locations around the Washington, D.C.

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Fast Casual Sports Online Ordering Social Media 94

Restaurant Clicks

APRIL 21, 2021

A casual Mexican restaurant, seating is limited in their Del Ray location, though more spacious in their Arlington locations. While they are currently operating on a somewhat limited menu, their burritos are currently being offered and are not to be missed. With several locations spread across Washington, D.C.

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Fast Casual Online Ordering Casual Transportation 143

QSR Automations

APRIL 29, 2024

In the fast-paced world of restaurant management, making sure everything runs smoothly and customers are satisfied is key. That’s where ConnectSmart® Host comes in – it’s a game-changing tool that helps restaurants manage their front-of-house operations with ease.

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Front of House Back of House Social Media Fast Casual 52

EATER

DECEMBER 13, 2021

Now, operators must decide whether the tradeoffs are worth it. At some fast-casual places you could order from a tablet at your table, never speaking to a server, and apps let you order your Starbucks on the go and have it waiting when you arrive. Shutterstock. QR code menus gained popularity during the pandemic.

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Fast Casual Customer Service Reservations Fine Dining 106

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 22, 2021

Not to mention that after practicing social distancing for over a year, not everyone will be thrilled to go back to tight seating arrangements indoors. Apart from always being more profitable, large fast casual chains could exploit the situation and simply buy out the out-of-business bistros located at the nicest downtown corners.

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Allergens Fast Casual Online Ordering Food Safety 208

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 27, 2022

If a QR code is already on the table when your guests are seated, you don’t have to worry about getting fresh menus to them right away. Fast casual eateries that have seat-yourself service are perfect candidates for the QR code menu.

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Online Ordering Customer Service Fast Casual Recycling 203

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 4, 2019

Outside of fine dining establishments (which constitute only a small percentage of restaurant businesses), customers no longer want to be dependent on a host to seat them or a server to take their order or process their payment. Want a lightning-fast grab-and-go experience? Well, that puts fast-casual out of the running.

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Fast Casual Customer Experience Point of Sale Fine Dining 159

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 16, 2022

Reports show that 81 percent of fine dining establishments, 78 percent of family restaurants, and 77 percent of fast-casual spots added curbside pickup, pivoting away from dine-in services after March 2020. On top of that, nearly half of all restaurants offered delivery services during the pandemic.

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Online Ordering Point of Sale Management Management 188

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 30, 2021

Founded in 2006, Just Salad is the fast-casual restaurant industry’s leading proponent of zero-waste practices. Keeping the pandemic in mind and with an eye on the future, Curry Up Now is temporarily reducing the typical development fee for eligible entrepreneurs that enter a new multi-unit operator agreement.

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Franchise Franchising Fast Casual Point of Sale 203

Black Box Intelligence

MARCH 4, 2021

Operators have had to rethink and optimize their off-premise setup over the past year. Some may even build express-style locations with no indoor seating at all. Operators are focusing on digital-forward solutions with contactless payment or ordering, perhaps through a mobile app. Photo courtesy of Chipotle.

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Design Fast Casual Mobile Ordering Customer Service 98

Restaurant Clicks

MAY 6, 2021

Fare Well is a “retro chic” casual dining restaurant that offers patio dining as well as takeout. While all locations of Plnt Burger are fast casual, this location allows friends to gather in a relaxed environment. VegZ is a casual restaurant that serves up Indian inspired vegetarian cuisine. Outside of Washington, D.C.,

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Fast Casual Food Online Ordering Casual 78

Foodable

JULY 10, 2020

Food Leaders blends virtual experiences with premium production and content to educate business operators worldwide. Presented by Paul Barron, this first-of-its-kind keynote session highlights consumer trends and operational challenges facing the future of the restaurant business. This is the biggest shift in food since fast casual.

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Fast Casual 2025 2023 Casual 72

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 28, 2020

Contactless ordering at the table, virtual host stands, and online staff wellness checks have all become standard operating procedures for us now. Innovative and inviting outdoor seating is going to be crucial in order for restaurants to survive. Now brands are trying to balance speed to market and operational readiness.

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2021 Mobile Ordering Loyalty Program Kitchen Safety 230

Foodable

AUGUST 19, 2020

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurateurs who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, host Paul Barron sits down with David Malinowski, the chief operating operator of Vitality Bowls.

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Loyalty Program Fast Casual 2011 2014 94

Future Food

JUNE 27, 2023

This may include fast-casual eateries, cafés, food halls or food courts in larger precincts, and even elevated dining. A flexible strategy can include extended operating hours, catering services for meetings or events, and customisable menus to accommodate different preferences.

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Hospitality Food Mobile Ordering Beverage 78

Restaurant Clicks

AUGUST 30, 2021

Having recently been featured in our article on outdoor dining, Duke’s Grocery is a casual dining restaurant that hits it out of the park in every area. Good Stuff Eatery is a fast-casual restaurant that serves up classics – burgers, shakes, and french fries! Pogiboy is a fast casual Filipino American restaurant.

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Fast Casual Online Ordering Back of House Casual 78

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 17, 2020

Quick service and fast casual segments continue outperforming full-service restaurants by a very wide margin. By June, the median company in quick service and in fast casual had increased their number of hourly employees per location compared to their pre-pandemic staffing levels. How Is Casual Dining Doing?

2020 197

2020 Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Fast Casual 197

Restaurant Clicks

OCTOBER 9, 2021

Whether you want Asian, Italian, or American, and whether you want a fancy, high-end meal or a casual, rowdy meet-up, food in Ann Arbor doesn’t disappoint. Knight’s Steakhouse is a family-friendly, casual dining experience that is accessible to all budgets. You then pick from a list of Batidos, or tropical fruit milkshakes.

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Fine Dining Front of House Online Ordering Seasonal Menu 148

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Customers shifted their purchases to off-premise dining suddenly, leaving many operators flat footed and ill prepared for seamless online ordering, contactless payment and curbside pickup. In 2020 the restaurant industry learned that offering delivery and running an efficient operation is necessary to stay alive.

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2020 Online Ordering Fast Casual Point of Sale 180

Future Food

OCTOBER 19, 2022

My wife and I were exceptionally lucky with our first born, as we could essentially take him anywhere - breakfast, lunch or dinner - from a busy café to a smart casual restaurant, and enjoy a meal out without a gripe. Where the obvious challenge lies is that within a family there are vastly contrasting need states at play.

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Customer Experience Brewery Customer Service Fine Dining 78

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 22, 2020

QDOBA Mexican Eats® introduced new restaurant formats, top photo, that feature buildouts including mobile-order drive-thrus, walk-up windows, mobile-order pick-up lockers, dedicated curbside pick-up areas, ghost kitchens, and concepts with updated outdoor seating. designed with high-rent urban areas in mind. Holsom by Yogurtland.

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Franchise Franchising Loyalty Program Kitchen Safety 154

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 11, 2020

Restaurateurs are being creative about managing their medium- to long-term operations as a cautious public return. Senior Director of Communications at Upserve Amber van Moessner spoke about take-out operations being useful for some restaurants in the longer term. Yank Sing view ordering counter Image by William Duff Architects.

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Fine Dining Online Ordering Dine-in 2007 244

Xtra Chef

MARCH 30, 2020

As social distancing became less of a suggestion and more like the new normal, and state-mandated business closures spread across the country, Hoy realized that Tucker Silk Mill couldn’t operate as usual. Think Fast, Act Local. He needed to act, and fast. Thanks to his customers’ support, he was able to hire back 2 employees.

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Fast Casual Back of House White Paper Online Ordering 82

The Restaurant Group

DECEMBER 31, 2020

The past year saw the rise of ghost kitchens as a way to operate with lower overhead and labor costs. As part of our 2021 industry outlook, we foresee flexible seating and modified dining remaining part of the industry trends for the foreseeable future. We operate in an industry that is nothing if not innovative.

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2021 Kitchen Safety Food Safety Fast Casual 78

EATER

FEBRUARY 28, 2023

He opened the buzzy 15-seat Brooklyn restaurant, one of Eater’s Best New Restaurants of 2022 , after winning the city over with a dinner series called Iya Eba in the late summer of 2020. “I Teranga’s more casual format — and that it took three years to open in the U.S.

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Fine Dining Fast Casual Dine-in Presentation 130