Are there still a lot of new concepts entering the fast-casual marketplace?
To date the fast-casual segment has been largely defined by two types of restaurants, the bakery café and the ethnic restaurant. There are entire categories that this segment can penetrate and we have recently seen a number of entrants try to define and grab the leadership position in fast-casual burger. Companies like Smashburger, Elevation Burger and Five Guys Burgers are positioning themselves as the better burger players, much in the same way Chipotle was the better burrito and Panera was the better sandwich. What do fast-casual operators need to do in order to keep growing their businesses? Operators need to be keenly aware that competition is not limited to just those restaurants operating in their segment. Fast casual is facing competition from quick serve and casual dining. To that end expansion of menu items to include things like a more comprehensive beverage menu will help operators in this segment better compete against these two segments. Lunch is fast casual’s biggest day
