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For fastcasual chains, competition includes usual suspects like casual dining and QSRs as well as c-stores and grocery chains who are ramping up foodservice offerings to capitalize on the trading down trend. Sitting in a pricing sweet spot, FCRs have an opportunity to win share from both QSRs and casual restaurants.
Fast food and casual dining are currently seeing higher traffic. With dining out becoming more of an occasional treat, it's very important that guests have a great experience – whether that's at an upmarket restaurant or a fast food outlet. When they do eat out, they're often choosing cheaper options.
Smart QSR and fastcasual chains like Chipotle and Shake Shack reconfigured their strategies to lean heavily into delivery apps, digital ordering, and loyalty programs. So, what can marketers of fastcasuals do to bring people back to their brick-and-mortar locations? But the platform is where the real winners shook out.
” Restaurants should focus on tech that adds real value, not just innovation for innovation’s sake, Fink noted. “Additionally, restaurants across all categories can leverage AI for personalized deals, using consumer data to offer tailored discounts and menu recommendations that drive repeat visits.”
As digital transactions become ubiquitous, businesses across all sectors are embracing innovations that reshape the way they interact with customers. In 2025, the restaurant industry will continue to adapt to these payment innovations, with a focus on eliminating cash transactions and prioritizing seamless, digital payment methods.
” The majority of SALIDO's employees joined NAB following the acquisition to continue innovating the Restaurant OS. Food trucks, pop-up supper clubs, fast-casual restaurants, and brewpubs are all a part of the unique culinary fabric of this country. Learn About Fast-Casual Dining.
The owner of Delicious Raw, a healthy fastcasual concept launched in 2013, is looking to grow the brand and create a one-stop-shop for healthy consumables for a broad audience. We are also constantly working on ways to expand our menu, developing new recipes to offer innovative and delicious new options.
According to a study conducted by Technavio , the fastcasual restaurant industry will witness a compound annual growth rate of over 12 percent from now until 2026. I believe that fastcasual continues to be a great place for savvy multi-unit restaurant franchisees to diversify. Here are three reasons why.
But such is the world of giant quick-service and fast-casual business : Find interesting, “trendy,” flavorful ideas from any culture, dilute them into their most mass-marketable forms, and reap monetary gain without acknowledging the sources. To light the way , a new wave of fastcasuals is actively changing the status quo.
If you’re involved in any aspect of the FastCasual category, you don’t need me to tell you that labor and distribution issues are real. The pre-pandemic fast-casual “chicken war” and the pandemic race to add chicken wings to menus, are good examples of putting many eggs in one basket.
So much data is generated at every point within a restaurant, whether fastcasual or fine dining. These innovations will allow restaurant operators to do more with less and help create smart, seamless experiences that meet rising guest expectations. As we expand globally, these principles of innovation are our guide.
Fast Food Flavor Report Fast food brands and restaurants are scratching their heads trying to figure out what flavors are a bonafide trend and which are just a fleeting fad. Expect to see functional plants like burdock, angelica, and osha root popping up more frequently, adding a fresh, innovative twist to dishes.
For Cody Pepper, CEO of Fast Fresh Brands, iit led him on a mission to make healthy eating accessible to everyone. This experience ignited a fire in him, leading him to leave a successful career in nonprofit and consulting to helm Fast Fresh, parent company of Bee Healthy Cafe and Nature's Table.
Recognizing this shift, Freshii , a fast-casual franchise with hundreds of locations globally, created a corporate partnership that enables companies to offer meal kits and market baskets at a discount to their employees. Strategies like those employed by Prairie keeps the supply chain moving, costs constant, and food waste limited.
The report found that loyalty is eroding as brands worked hard to offer new limited time offers, value meals, upgraded loyalty programs, and digital innovations. based diners who recently ordered from a QSR, fast-food or fast-casual chai also found that value is about more than just price. The survey of 1,500 U.S.-based
After successfully opening a second location in Kernersville, NC, and planning for a third one, the fast-casual gourmet slider brand has started franchising and plans to grow strategically in the Southeast region. Most recently, he co-founded Sammy's Sliders with chef Sammy Gianopoulos.
As the industry continues to digitally adapt, it’s critical for multi-unit franchisees to utilize innovative digital business solutions that can be customized to operators’ specific needs to stay relevant. QSR and fast-casual franchises continue to drive the expansion of the franchising sector.
Fast Food and QSR Value The United States Fast Food & Quick Service Restaurant Market size was valued at US$ 248.8 billion by 2033, according to The "United States Fast Food and Quick Services Restaurants Market Size and Share Analysis – Growth Trends and Forecast Report 2025-2033" from ResearchAndMarkets.com.
How Design Technology Improves Space and Guest Experience Every square foot counts when redesigning a fast-casual eatery or a fine dining venue. While restaurant businesses are keeping up with the evolution, innovative design solutions have stopped being a luxury and are instead an integral part of any strategy.
But it wasn’t quite so bad for fast-casual concepts , which outpaced other categories with 9% growth in 2024, according to Technomic. Fast-casual chicken chains, including Dave’s Hot Chicken, saw double-digit sales growth, while fast-casual pizza continued to falter. By Heather Lalley on Jun.
A Technomic Ignite Consumer report found a significant increase in average checks at both quick service and fastcasual establishments. There was a nearly 8% increase in average check at quick service and a whopping 15% increase at fastcasual establishments when kiosks were used for orders rather than employees.
Technology innovations offer the potential to bridge the gap between the need to keep their business running and deliver quality products and experiences to their guests. For fast-casual or QSR brands, digital tableside ordering is equally beneficial. It relieves cashiers and reduces long lines.
In particular, supply chain disruptions and staffing shortages – whether due to resignations or illness – are forcing quick service and fastcasual restaurants to adapt quickly to changing conditions. Increased Emphasis on Online Ordering. Former competitors are now part of the same umbrella company.
When we asked about fast food: 29 percent said they eat fast food frequently. 46 percent said they occasionally dine at a fast-food restaurant. Only five percent said they never eat fast food. 29 percent said they rarely ate at casual restaurants. 29 percent said they rarely ate at casual restaurants.
Bank of America suggests that technological innovation is the real game-changer , and it could have a big impact on the overall bottom line for restaurants in 2024. So, it’s important to get deals to consumers or find innovative ways to promote them within dining experiences. So, what’s the solution?
The research stems from in-person chef interviews and a nationwide survey of more than 400 restaurant owners and operators spanning 47 states with respondents ranging from fine dining establishments to fast-casual venues, breweries, and caterers. "This Restaurants are also implementing innovative retention strategies.
People will increasingly choose innovative products not only because they align with their values, but because they taste and perform better or otherwise meet personal preferences or needs. This shift will position cultivated meat as a long-term venture with the potential for far-reaching positive impacts on future generations.
innovative and unique marketing strategies and 3. Plus, the tourism and social media scene in Miami helps new brands grow fast. I believe as far as ourniche in casual dining experiences we’re at the top of the food chain. JA: Our goal is to keep growing, innovating, and bringing people together through great food.
“We are seeing sign-on bonuses at fast food and fastcasual locations, something never seen before in the industry. Fastcasual will continue to push out full-service brands because they can assemble food in front of you and get food to the customer more quickly. This is what has been working for me.”
Among the findings: Casual experiential dining appeals on many fronts to consumers of varying ages in different parts of the country looking for affordable culinary experiences. Chef driven fastcasual restaurants feed consumers’ desires for high quality menu items delivered quickly and on the go.
The eight-unit fast-casual concept Off The Hook Restaurants is beefing up its executive team as it plans growth in Louisiana. She also led a turnaround at Jamba as vice president of operations, and spent 14 years with Starbucks, rising to director of business operations. Blaze is now based in Atlanta. Have consumers moved on?
This migration could be a goldmine for casual/fast food brands if only they had the people to support them. It’s not unusual for a fast-casual restaurant with over 1,000 locations to manually save the recipes on these drives and then send them to the field teams, and hope they’re properly uploaded.
Instead of engaging in this “value war,” fastcasual restaurant concepts should focus on excellence in restaurant operations to increase store traffic and maintain strong margins. In this competitive environment, it’s clear that we must innovate to stay ahead. After polling more than 1,000 U.S.-based
Although we are not having guests eat in our dining rooms, Teriyaki Madness is utilizing technology to combat the fallout through an emphasis on pickup and delivery, innovative curbside service and social media promotions across its website and mobile app.
Marketing trends, mobile data insights show that Gen Z has a considerable appetite for restaurants, clean eating, fast-casual, and exciting twists on healthy dining options. Wendy’s and Burger King are two masters in the genre, sparking lots of interest and engagement that’s helping to drive fast-food growth.
QSRs and fastcasuals are right to innovate and add to the drive-thru lane, but the investment is only as good as the execution, according to consumers. Consider these additional stats: 88 percent of families report visiting the drive-thru in the past two months. 85 percent of millennials and Gen Zers have, too.
The experience agency, who designed new restaurant prototypes for clients such as Burger King, Panda Express and Panera Bread, surveyed consumers to gain a better understanding of the current customer journey and what guests value most about the restaurant experience, particularly at casual dining and fastcasual restaurants.
Historically, restaurants have been slow to adopt innovative technology. More importantly, many QSR and fast-casual chains have announced modern designs that lean more heavily into pick-up and curbside-to-go versus on-premise dining. Innovators will find their own way. Technological innovation will keep pushing forward.
As seen first with many fastcasual chains, we expect more differentiated benefits packages to continue to emerge as a way for restaurants to fill much needed open positions. From there, restaurants can build processes and inject innovation into this framework. Growth of New Business Models.
Nowadays, vegan food is becoming normal in restaurants and fast food joints. Plant-based eating was previously limited to some selected restaurants and casual cafes. Vegan restaurant industry has a bright future as fast food giants like McDonalds, KFC, Subway, and Burger King enter the vegan food industry.
Restaurant segments represented include fine dining, casual dine, fastcasual, quick service restaurants and bars. Innovating During COVID-19. The survey group included 418 restaurant operators and 1,500 restaurant patrons who had visited a restaurant two or more times per month prior to COVID-19.
Not only do these innovations allow team members to focus on more value-added services for the customer, but consumers are able to explore the menu at their own pace and customize their orders as they wish. Although some of these innovations aren’t completely baked out, similar technologies exist.
But there are also some areas where innovation is needed. This might mean weaving elements of fast-casual dining into your design. However, restaurant owners can expect significant staffing challenges and they will also likely need to update their technology strategies to meet consumer demand. The need for upgrades is clear.
News independents chefs Lisa Jennings is a veteran restaurant industry reporter and editor who covers the fast-casual sector, independent restaurants and emerging chain concepts. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.
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