Fast-casual restaurants now account for 14 percent of all sales in the quick-service industry (which includes fast-food restaurants), nearly triple their market share from a decade ago, according to Technomic, a food research and consulting firm. A Technomic report published in January valued the fast-casual industry at $27 billion, and predicts its growth will continue to outpace the rest of the restaurant business during the next five years.
Fast-casual eateries such as Chipotle and Five Guys are ranked among the nation’s fastest-growing restaurant chains. And fast-casual eateries have seen customer traffic grow during the recession and its sluggish recovery, while traffic at other restaurants mostly has been flat or declining, according to the NPD Group market research firm.