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That category is tapping into growing demand for more healthful, specialty foods that are still speedily served and moderately priced. http://www.cheapjerseys11.com/ Fast casual is steadily poaching fast food customers looking for better quality and sit down diners seeking cheaper prices, NPD analyst Bonnie Riggs said.
no end in sight to their growth, Riggs said. delivered on consumers value expectations far more than most fast food places. evolution is happening as the rest of the restaurant industry fights for a shrinking customer base amid a slow economic recovery and high food prices.
Fast casual is still only a small segment of the industry. But it tripled its market share in roughly the past decade to about 6 percent of restaurants and is the industry only segment to grow in the past five years, analysts said. In 2010, major fast casual chains pulled in $18.9 billion a 6 percent increase, according to research group Technomic.
category has essentially blown through the recession without skipping a beat, Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano said in a statement.
Formerly known as adult fast food, fast casual generally includes restaurants that have limited table service and no drive throughs. They are also often perceived to have higher end decor, food quality and prices.
But the boundaries are blurring. Eateries such as Carl Jr., with its Six Dollar Burger, and foodie favorite In N Out straddle the line between fast casual and fast food.
Drive throughs are appearing at Panera locations. Some fast casual chains are experimenting with delivery, usually an option provided by sit down restaurants.
going to continue to see more fuzziness in how to define these restaurants, said Robert L. Sandelman, chief executive of food service research group Sandelman Associates.
Panera, which has about 1,500 outlets nationwide, is turning in especially impressive numbers. In the third quarter its profit was $28.8 million, up 27 percent compared with the same period in 2010. In late November, the company stock price hit a 52 week high of $143.38.
On days when Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., resident Jason Seliskar, 38, doesn have time to cook, he and his wife swing by Panera.
can get in and get out and still have a relatively nice experience, the elementary school teacher said. can walk away without thinking I gave myself a gut bomb and damaged my body. restaurants, such as Corner Bakery Cafe, are leading the fast casual charge, analysts said, followed by so called better burger chains such as Five Guys, the Counter and the Shake Shack.
Other fast growers include Asian restaurants, noodle shops and Mexican eateries.
Perceived food quality is key to fast casual rise, according to a survey measuring meal quality by the MarketForce research firm. Customers ranked Panera, Chipotle and Five Guys high while pushing fast food companies Burger King, McDonald and Taco Bell to the bottom.
In the same study, fast casual restaurants also scored among the best for atmosphere, healthful options and eco friendly business practices. location in downtown Los Angeles in December, have vegetarian burgers and decor made with recycled materials.
Chipotle recently released popular advertisements touting family farms and emphasizing sustainable and humane practices.
Fast casual chains also tend to have distinctive decor, such as the international cafe feel of the Cosi sandwich chain and Pei Wei Asian Diner glossy vibe.
restaurants offer a more pleasant experience unlike a fast food place that less clean than you like it to be, smelling like grease and small too, said Jason Moser, a restaurant analyst for Motley Fool. just the evolution of eating out in general. chains are far from helpless. McDonald for example, continues to see hefty revenue.
But many chains are feeling the heat. Wendy Chief Executive Emil Brolick recently spoke of his company going through an crisis. not for a moment suggesting that we want to try to pretend to become a Five Guys or a Smashburger or something like that, Brolick said on a call with analysts. I cheap jerseys do believe that there is a significant opportunity in the market for high quality products that are fresh and made to order. fast food chains have already made shifts in that direction.
Ads from Burger King, KFC and Taco Bell have switched focus from gimmicky characters and low price guarantees to lush images and descriptions of fresh ingredients.
food is going to be making a slow but very methodical change toward healthier eating simply out of necessity, or else they going to risk becoming marginalized by fast casual, Moser said.
Other companies are expanding their specialty and premium offerings, with McCafe and Angus burger lines from McDonald Artisan Pizza from Domino and a Steakhouse burger from Carl Jr. White Castle is testing alcohol sales as well as an Asian noodle concept, a barbecue joint and a grilled sandwich shop.
And several fast food chains are upgrading their looks. Subway has begun opening eco restaurants with recycled materials and solar panels. Wendy has new store prototypes that take design cues from Frank Lloyd Wright and allow patrons to watch their food being prepared.
But it may take more to win back customers such as Pasadena, Calif., photographer Justin Saiki, 30, who grew up eating fast food but said that are different now. that he more health conscious, he eats at Five Guys about once a week and occasionally at Chipotle, where the food seems fresh instead of and sitting on a warmer, he said.