Fast casual restaurants, with their upscale ambiance and promises of higher quality food, continue to be the driver of restaurant industry growth.
According to the Chicago-based research firm Technomic, fast-casual brands increased their collective annual sales by 12.8 percent to $30 billion in 2014. That growth was nearly twice that of any other restaurant segment.
“Whether they offer the customization of a build-your-own format or just their made-to-order signature dishes, fast-casual chains clearly hit the sweet spot with consumers,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic.
