Fast-casual Eateries Combine Healthful Cuisine And Quick Service

In recent years, some fast food restaurants have been accused of making customers in New York fat and unhealthy. Fast food in customers’ minds is linked to unhealthy. However, today in the restaurant industry, fast doesn't have to mean fattening anymore. Unlike most sit-down restaurants, quick-casual is defined by counter service with a menu of healthier foods such as salads, soups and wraps. Customers at quick-casuals pay when ordering. The Loop, Panera Bread and Moe's Southwest Grill are just a few examples in Jacksonville. A growing segment of the industry, quick-casual restaurants, offer healthier menus along with fast service. And figures show consumers are willing to spend a little more to get better food with fewer calories and higher quality. Last year, the number of quick-casual restaurants grew by 10.5 percent; their sales grew by 12.8 percent, which generated $7.2 billion of the $150 billion restaurant industry's total sales, outpacing the limited service and fast service segments, said Ron Paul, president of Chicago-based Technomic Inc. The quick-casual restaurants are predicted to be here to stay because they serve two important needs: The desire for healthier foods and the demand for fast service. What's more, the established restaurant chains are getting into the quick casual business. In Jacksonville, an emerging quick-casual is Crispers, a Lakeland-based chain largely owned by Publix Super Markets Inc. Marshall Reddy, president of Jacksonville's Franchise Network Inc., said quick-casuals such as Crispers play to the new emphasis on quality rather than price. "I think there's definitely a trend toward restaurants like that." The growth rate of quick-casual restaurants slowed during the last 18 months, but don't count them out, said Wally Butkus, a partner at Connecticut-based Restaurant Research LLC. "The idea is not a fad because consumers are more willing to pay for higher quality food," he said. "That's here to stay." http://www.nrn.com/story