Fast Casual Defined Fast casual dining is one of the fastest growing markets in the restaurant industry. The sector currently holds 27.25% of total foodservice sales at an estimated $173.8 billion value. But what is fast casual? Fast casual restaurants are defined by the CCIM as “establishments with a limited-service or self-service format, check averages above $9, food prepared to order, fresh (or perceived as fresh) ingredients, innovative food suited to sophisticated tastes, and upscale interior design.” The CCIM goes on to say that fast casual restaurants attract more business during lunch hours rather than dinner hours when older guests may be looking for a different atmosphere. However to counter this, fast casual chains are now enhancing their services with comfortable dining areas and growing adult beverage menus. Locations Fast casual establishments tend to be found in the same areas that higher end restaurants target. The reason being that their quick service, “fresher” ingredients and equally good food will outweigh the idea of a sit down meal when people are pressed for time during the workday or are just looking for a quick but quality fix for the family. Due to the fact that the majority of their customers tend to have a higher household income, fast casual companies often try to locate units in areas with plenty of midday traffic as well as residents and employees with incomes over $50,000. This, in combination with their appeal, allows them to flourish in cities, suburbs, and small towns. Although fast casual restaurants are usually found near other dining establishments, they can also be seen in most other places as well – from high-end plazas to strip malls to food courts due to the fact that such restaurant... ... middle of paper ... ...pizzas. McGuire also expects lamb and game meats — from duck to bison — to gain share on menus, but vegetarian alternatives, including mushrooms and soy-based products, will also continue to take center stage. While some consumers focus on healthy eating, just as many will indulge and seek out carbs, cheeses, fried appetizers and other extravagant items this year. Starches on the rise include ramen, rice bowls, flatbreads, wraps and waffles. McGuire agreed with Mintel and NPD that technology will be a game changer for the restaurants that embrace innovative ways to reach and serve consumers. Examples include soda-water taps that allow guests to create their own fruity soft drinks and RFID-card-controlled self-serve beer-taps. "Other technologies on the horizon, including iPads placed tableside, will make the restaurant experience faster and more accurate," she said.
The term “fast-food” is usually distinguished by food served very quickly to a customer by drive-through or carry-out. Fast-food restaurants are highly associated with low-cost and malnutrition foods with brief consumer and employee interaction, and below average cleanliness based on restaurant health inspection reports. Chick-fil-A has changed the usual perception of fast-food restaurants. Rather than burgers and potato fries, Chick-fil-A serves chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. Chick-fil-A also shows their appreciation for employee to customer relations, rather than ignoring the social aspect of serving customers when operating at a fast pace. Chick-fil-A’s menu selection, customer interaction, and clean eating
How Panera Solved Its “Mosh Pit” Problem; Sandwich-and-soup chain cut wait time order from eight minutes to one, thanks to in-store touch screens, a mobile app and an army of delivery drivers Summary
What exactly is fast casual? (2008, January). Retrieved March 19, 2011, from Franshise Times: http://www.franchisetimes.com/content/store.php?article=00643
When trying to figure out where to go for lunch, it can be a difficult choice because of how many options are out there. There could be dozens of restaurants to choose from, with varying degrees of interest. Fast food restaurants are usually chosen because they are cheap, easy, and convenient. However, many places are changing what it means to be a fast food restaurant. Panera Bread, for example, is technically a fast food restaurant, but usually is rarely compared to a place like Burger King. Panera Bread generally has a nicer atmosphere with a better aroma and a wealthier appeal while Burger King appeals to the crowd of people who want cheap and easy food.
"Study Says Fast Food Remains Popular - Restaurant News - QSR Magazine." Quick-Service and Fast Casual Restaurant News and Information - QSR Magazine. QSR Magazine, 20 June 2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/print.phtml?id=6789
Today, the inside-lines can even be avoidable with the addition of the drive through window. There are many advantages to the fast food restaurant, but as Ritzer explains there are also "irrationalities of rationality. " In the example of the fast food restaurant, to prepare meals as cheaply, quickly, and easily as possible the health of individuals eating such... ... middle of paper ... ...
Customers buy when they feel it is necessary giving them the upper hand on the industry. Bargaining power of suppliers: In the quick- service restaurant, the suppliers vary. They really do not rely distributors as large restaurants do. Threat of new substitutes: The restaurant industry is segmented into many parts: full service restaurants ($120 billion); quick- service restaurants ($110 billion); away-from-home managed institutions, examples: food services for schools and hospitals ($21 billion); and other food industries ($106 billion). (Marshall Jones, 1999). Rivalry among competi...
It will provide entrepreneurs with a competitive edge that will prove invaluable in helping them seek the opportunity in this unexplored area of business. Through this research project one can study the opportunities and potential for Fast Food Restaurant Services in India. Since not too much of research is carried on in this area in India, there is a huge scope for this market and it could be useful for any budding entrepreneur who is interested in this industry.
There has been exponential rise in the number of eateries in most of the towns worldwide. This is partly brought about by the ballooning urban population, as well as the emergence of working middle class population who find themselves tied up by work in the cities they reside.
They need their service to be in “an arm distance”, which means the convenient location helps customers save time, traveling costs. For the fast food chain companies, locating the branches to reach customers becomes a positioning strategy. CHANGING PREFRECE depends vastly on the fast food menu. For example, we can mention SALAD. Now salad was never considered as a part of the fast food menu.
First of all, in order to get into further details of the tools used to discover and develop the valuable entrepreneurial opportunities for our product, I would like to address the actual product that my group are pitching. Our group came up with the idea of multi-function restaurant table tablets, compromising menus, payments and entertainments into an all-in-one system. The development of our idea start off from the customer experience mapping that we have conducted with some customers. Our group have brainstormed a few different ideas, but we have settled on this final idea. Reason being, we have learned from the course that a good business model yields value propositions that are compelling to customers, by creating a sustainable advantage and delivering significant value and effectively transforms payment received into profits (Teece, 2010, pp. 174). Therefore, with the valuable insights we have gained from what we have learned, our group then believed that our produ...
First, fast food and home-cooked meals differ in the time. The people choose fast food because they do not have time to prepare a proper meal and it can be prepared very quickly. Jekanowski, Binkley, and Eales (2001) claimed that fast food outlets’ main sales point is convenience. The fast food companies open a lot of branches in the different area so that the customers just need a few minutes to buy a set of fast food even it is complete with a drink.
· increase in the fast-casual segment that includes restaurants that offer deli sandwiches and more upscale meals with more comfortable surroundings but faster
Mobile ordering/paying – with improvements to technology, McDonalds could introduce an app that would allow consumers to order through their smartphones, pick it up and possibly even pay through their phones, making everything a much more smooth process.
It's quick, it's convenient, it's delicious! Fast food is the most popular quick-service nourishment. It plays an important role in the lives of humans so perfectly laid out for ourselves. Why try cooking when you can get food at a much faster rate? For most people, fast food is the answer to all of our problems.