Fast casual restaurant

Type of restaurant

Customers dining and ordering at a New York City branch of Soul Daddy

A fast casual restaurant, found primarily in the United States and Canada, is a restaurant that does not offer full table service, but advertises higher quality food than fast-food restaurants, with fewer frozen or processed ingredients. It is an intermediate concept between fast food and casual dining.

## History

[edit]

The concept originated in the United States in the early 1990s, but did not become mainstream until the end of the 2000s and the beginning of the 2010s.[1] During the economic recession that began in 2007, the category of fast casual dining saw increased sales to the 18–34-year-old demographic.[2] Customers with limited discretionary spending for meals tend to choose fast casual for dining which they perceive as healthier.[2][3]

## Definition

[edit]

The founder and publisher of FastCasual.com, Paul Barron, is credited with coining the term "fast-casual" in the late 1990s.[4] Horatio Lonsdale-Hands, former Chairman and CEO of ZuZu Inc., is also credited with coining the term. ZuZu, a handmade Mexican food concept co-founded by Lonsdale-Hands and Espartaco Borga in 1989, filed a U.S. Federal trademark registration for the term "fast-casual" in November 1995,[5][6] leading Michael DeLuca to call Lonsdale-Hands a "progressive pioneer in the burgeoning 'fast-casual' market segment" in the July 1996 edition of Restaurant Hospitality.[7]

The company Technomic Information Services defined "fast-casual restaurants" as meeting the following criteria:[8]

* Limited-service or self-service format
* Average meal price between $8 and $15
* Made-to-order food with more complex flavors than fast food restaurants
* Upscale, unique or highly developed décor
* Most often will not have a drive-through

## Examples of fast casual restaurants

[edit]

* Au Bon Pain
* Barburrito
* Blaze Pizza
* BurgerFi
* Captain D's
* Cava
* Chipotle Mexican Grill
* Chopt
* Culver's
* Dig
* El Pollo Loco
* Firehouse Subs
* Five Guys
* Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
* Fuddruckers
* Jersey Mike's Subs
* McAlister's Deli
* Mendocino Farms
* Mission BBQ
* Moe's Southwest Grill
* Mucho Burrito
* Panera Bread
* Portillo's Restaurants
* Potbelly Sandwich Shop
* Pret A Manger
* Qdoba
* Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
* Shake Shack
* Smashburger
* Sweetgreen
* Taco del Mar
* The Halal Guys
* Tropical Smoothie Cafe
* Wingstop
* Zaxby's

## See also

[edit]

* List of casual dining restaurant chains
* List of fast food restaurant chains
* Delicatessen
* Diner

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2010's Twenty Largest Fast-Casual Franchises". BlueMauMau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
2. ^ a b Jargon, Julie (February 1, 2010). "As Sales Drop, Burger King Draws Critics for Courting 'Super Fans'". The Wall Street Journal. Yahoo! Finance. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
3. ^ Panera Bread Most Expensive Expensed Chain Restaurant, By Martha C. White, July 22, 2016, Money
4. ^ Wheelen, Thomas L.; Hunger, J. David (2006). Strategic Management and Business Policy: Cases (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-149460-2.
5. ^ Penelope, Swift (2017). "Amadeus: Fast-Casual - Origin and Trademark". Retrieved February 20, 2018.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
6. ^ "Fast Casual Trademark Serial Number: 75017852".
7. ^ "Formula for Success". Restaurant Hospitality. 80 (7): 81–86. July 1996.
8. ^ "What exactly is fast casual?". Franchise Times. January 2008. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2011.

* v
* t
* e

Fast food and fast casual restaurant chains in the United States

* Burger chains
* Chicken chains
* Coffeehouse chains
* Doughnut chains
* Hot dog chains
* Pizza chains
* Sandwich chains
* Seafood chains

Asian|

* Manchu Wok
* Panda Express
* Pei Wei Asian Diner
* P. F. Chang's
* Pick Up Stix
* Sarku Japan
* Yoshinoya

Baked goods|

* 85°C Bakery Cafe
* Au Bon Pain
* Auntie Anne's
* Boudin Bakery
* Bruegger's
* The Cheesecake Factory
* Cinnabon
* Corner Bakery Cafe
* Crumbl Cookies
* Daylight Donuts
* Donut King
* Duck Donuts
* Einstein Bros.
* Five Daughters Bakery
* Great American Cookies
* Honey Dew Donuts
* Insomnia Cookies
* Krispy Kreme
* Mochinut
* Mrs. Fields
* Panera Bread
* Paris Baguette
* Pretzelmaker/Pretzel Time
* Red Ribbon
* Shipley Do-Nuts
* Tim Hortons
* Wetzel's
* Winchell's

Barbecue|

* Dickey's
* L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
* Logan's Roadhouse
* Mission BBQ
* Morton's The Steakhouse
* Outback Steakhouse
* Saltgrass Steak House
* Texas Roadhouse

Beverages|

* Bambū
* Biggby Coffee
* Caribou
* Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
* Coffee Beanery
* Dunkin'
* Dunn Bros
* Dutch Bros.
* Gloria Jean's
* It's Boba Time
* Jamba Juice
* Juice It Up!
* Kung Fu Tea
* Orange Julius
* Peet's
* Planet Smoothie
* Robeks
* Scooter's Coffee
* Smoothie King
* Starbucks
* Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Breakfast|

* Black Bear
* Cracker Barrel
* Denny's
* Golden Corral
* IHOP
* The Original Pancake House
* Waffle House

Chicken|

* Bojangles'
* Bonchon Chicken
* Boston Market
* Brown's Chicken & Pasta
* Buffalo Wild Wings
* Bush's Chicken
* Chester's
* Chick-fil-A
* Chicken Express
* Chicken Salad Chick
* Church's/Texas Chicken
* Dave's Hot Chicken
* El Pollo Loco
* Golden Chick
* Golden Skillet
* Guthrie's
* Hartz Chicken
* Hooters
* Jollibee
* KFC
* Krispy Krunchy
* Kyochon
* Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken
* Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken
* Mrs. Winner's
* Pollo Tropical
* Popeyes
* Raising Cane's
* Roy Rogers
* Slim Chickens
* Wingstop
* WingStreet
* Zaxby's

Frozen
desserts|

* Baskin-Robbins
* Ben & Jerry's
* Braum's
* Bruster's
* Carvel
* Cold Stone Creamery
* Dairy Queen
* Dippin' Dots
* Fosters Freeze
* Friendly's
* Graeter's
* Häagen-Dazs
* Handel's
* La Michoacana
* MaggieMoo's
* Marble Slab
* Menchie's
* Oberweis
* Orange Leaf
* Pinkberry
* Popbar
* Red Mango
* Rita's
* Sweet Frog
* Tastee-Freez
* TCBY
* Tropical Sno
* Tutti Frutti
* Yogen Früz
* Yogurtland

Hamburgers|

* A&W
* Applebee's
* Arctic Circle
* Back Yard
* Big Boy
* BurgerFi
* Burger King
* Carl's Jr.
* Checkers/Rally's
* Cook Out
* Culver's
* Fatburger
* Five Guys
* Freddy's
* Fuddruckers
* The Habit
* Hardee's
* Hwy 55
* In-N-Out
* Jack's
* Jack in the Box
* Johnny Rockets
* Krystal
* McDonald's
* Mooyah
* Red Robin
* Roy Rogers
* Ruby Tuesday
* Shake Shack
* Smashburger
* Sonic
* Steak 'n Shake
* Wayback
* Wendy's
* Whataburger
* White Castle

Hot dogs|

* Nathan's Famous
* Portillo's
* Wienerschnitzel

Mexican / Tex-Mex|

* Baja Fresh
* Cafe Rio
* Chevys
* Chili's
* Chipotle
* Del Taco
* El Torito
* Fuzzy's
* Green/Red Burrito
* Guzman y Gomez
* La Salsa
* Moe's
* On the Border
* Pancheros
* Qdoba
* Roberto's
* Rubio's
* Salsarita's
* Taco Bell
* Taco Bueno
* Taco Cabana
* Taco John's
* TacoTime
* Tijuana Flats
* Torchy's Tacos

Pizza / Italian|

* Blaze Pizza
* Domino's
* Fazoli's
* Little Caesars
* MOD Pizza
* Mountain Mike's
* Olive Garden
* Papa Gino's
* Papa John's
* Pizza Hut
* Pizza Patrón
* Round Table Pizza
* Sbarro
* Shakey's Pizza
* Straw Hat Pizza

Salads|

* Salad and Go
* Saladworks
* Sweetgreen

Sandwiches|

* Arby's
* Blimpie
* Capriotti's
* Charley's
* Cousins
* D'Angelo
* Erbert & Gerbert's
* Firehouse Subs
* Jason's
* Jersey Mike's
* Jimmy John's
* Lee's Sandwiches
* Lenny's Sub
* McAlister's Deli
* Mendocino Farms
* Miami Subs
* Newk's Eatery
* Penn Station
* Port of Subs
* Potbelly
* Primo Hoagies
* Quiznos
* Rax
* Sandella's
* Schlotzsky's
* Steak Escape
* Subway
* Togo's
* Which Wich?

Seafood|

* Arthur Treacher's
* California Fish Grill
* Captain D's
* H. Salt Esquire
* Joe's Crab Shack
* Long John Silver's
* McCormick & Schmick's
* Red Lobster
* Skippers Seafood & Chowder House

Other|

* Cava
* German Doner Kebab
* The Halal Guys
* Noodles & Company
* Pita Pit
* Skyline Chili
* TGI Fridays
* WaBa Grill

Defunct|

* Bresler's 33 Flavors
* Brigham's
* Burger Chef
* Burgerim
* Carrols
* D'Lites
* Dawn Donuts
* Druther's
* Henry's Hamburgers
* Hot 'n Now
* Hot Sam Pretzels
* Lum's
* Naugles
* Nestlé Toll House
* Red Barn
* Sandy's
* Seattle's Best Coffee
* Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes
* Teavana
* T.J. Cinnamons
* Tully's
* Wetson's
* White Tower
* Zantigo

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template