The darling of the restaurant world, fast casual isn’t just stealing share from quick-service (QSR) and sit-down restaurants—it’s changing the way those competitors do business.
Technomic recently reported that a number of full-service restaurants are testing or launching fast-casual concepts in an attempt to harness that consumer desire for speed and quality. Romano’s Macaroni Grill has rolled out a lunch spot, Romano’s Kitchen Counter, while Tony’s Restaurant is opening Tony’s A.M. to serve guests breakfast sandwiches, pastries and lunch items. Cracker Barrel and HuHot Mongolian Grill are testing out their own concepts too.
As full-service restaurants reach down to the convenience of fast casual, QSRs are also reaching up to fast-casual standards in terms of menu variety and ingredient quality. McDonald’s current struggles are in part due to its attempt to compete with fast casuals, thereby losing focus on its core customer and menu items. Taco Bell has made similar attempts through its “gourmet” Cantina menu.
All of this push toward the fast-casual business model opens up a great opportunity for c-stores to step in and become the modernized, 21st century QSR—still fast and fresh without the extra transaction time or price point it takes to be fast casual. So don’t worry so much about fast-casual competitors; the target on their backs will help keep some of the attention off you. The real riddle is how to win over those seven out of 10 McDonald’s customers who buy through the drive-thru.
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