S&M Sausage & Meat
Segment: Fast casual
HQ: San Diego
Units: 7
Hook: Sister brand to seven-unit Slater’s 50/50—known for its half-bacon, half-beef burgers—this fastcasual/sit-down retail hybrid has plenty of hooks, from off-the-wall menu items such as beaver tacos to color-coded cards that tell servers if the guest wants them to fıll their waters, bring the bill or scram.
QuikTrip
Segment: C-store
HQ: Tulsa, Okla.
Units: 707
Hook: What’s the hook for a chain we all know well? Keep your eye on this c-store stalwart as it expands its QT Kitchens made-to-order concept to Arizona markets, including 87 Phoenix locations in January. Menu items include flatbreads, toasted sandwiches and frozen treats.
Simpls
Segment: C-store
HQ: Minneapolis
Units: 1
Hook: Simpls caters to the busy downtown worker with prepared foods and convenience items. It focuses on local, high-quality goods, such as kombucha on tap from Minneapolis brand Prohibition. It often invites local companies in to sample their products and help boost trial.
Native Foods Café
Segment: Fast casual
HQ: Chicago
Units: 26
Hook: A restaurant concept with multimillion-dollar private-equity backing, Chipotle veterans in the c-suite and plans to reach 200 units in four years—oh, and by the way, the menu’s 100% vegan.
Bibibop Asian Grill
Segment: Fast casual
HQ: Columbus, Ohio
Units: 4
Hook: From the players behind Charley’s Grilled Subs and Charley’s Philly Steak, Bibibop brings the popular (and portable) Korean bibimbap dish of rice, veggies, protein and sauce to the fast-casual space.
PDQ
Segment: Fast casual
HQ: Tampa, Fla.
Units: 18
Hook: Not to be confused with the c-store chain of the same name, PDQ—which stands for People Dedicated to Quality—landed the No. 1 spot in Restaurant Business’ 2014 Future 50 of the fastest-growing small chains. It has some deep-pocketed investors, including quarterback Tim Tebow.
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