Top 250 fast-casual chains reach double-digit sales growth once again

CHICAGO, July 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Results for Technomic Inc.'s annual Top 250 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report are in, revealing another year of industry-leading growth for the fast-casual dining segment. In year-over-year results, cumulative sales for the Top 250 fast-casual chains were up 11.6%, a moderate decrease from the 13.5% growth rate observed in 2014. Aggregate unit growth also clocked in at 9.6%, essentially remaining level with the prior year's mark of 9.5%. Of the 250 chains featured in this year's report, over 90 had year-over-year sales and unit growth rates both in the double digits.

The major players in the segment laid a strong foundation for growth as each of the top 10 chains had year-over-year sales marks surpassing 6%. Also moving the needle were the menu clusters of pizza, chicken, and the specialty category. Fast-casual pizza, bolstered by the resounding success of build-your-own concepts like Blaze Pizza, MOD Pizza, and Pie Five Pizza Co., saw its sales grow at a blistering cumulative clip of 36%. Chicken-focused chains also excelled in 2015, growing as a group at a rate of 16% on the shoulders of brands such as Zaxby's, Wingstop, and Raising Cane's. The specialty category, encompassing a diverse mix of menu types, such as BBQ, ethnic, and health-focused, had a noteworthy year as well, growing its sales by 17% overall. Chains such as Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Zoe's Kitchen, and Freshii were just a few of the players making waves with their strong growth in this menu cluster.

"Whether it's for pizza, sandwiches, or salads, we have seen customization transition from being an amenity for consumers to becoming a necessity," says Darren Tristano, President of Technomic. "As evidenced partially by the notable explosion of build-your-own pizza chains, customizability has become a hallmark of successful fast-casual chains and is firmly in place as an expectation among consumers looking either to trade up from traditional fast food or down from casual dining."

The Technomic Top 250 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report provides comprehensive chain rankings by sales volume and unit count, key trends and themes, growth-chain spotlights, and much more.

To purchase or learn more about this and other industry reports from Technomic, please visit Technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below.

Contacts:
Press inquiries: Darren Tristano, (312) 506-3850, [email protected]
Purchasing details: Patrick Noone, (312) 506-3852, [email protected]

About Technomic
Only Technomic, a Winsight company, delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. We impact growth and profitability for our clients by providing consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights. Our services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit us at technomic.com.

About Winsight, LLC
Winsight, LLC is a business-to-business media and information services company specializing in the convenience-retailing, restaurant and noncommercial foodservice industries. Winsight has an extensive media portfolio including four publications, CSP, Restaurant Business, FoodService Director and Convenience Store Products, a suite of digital products including websites, e-newsletters (Restaurant Business Daily and CSP Daily News) and webinars, plus video products, mobile and tablet apps, custom marketing solutions and the convenience-retailer intelligence tool, CSPedia. The Winsight Events group produces six exclusive, large-scale executive-level conferences—Restaurant Leadership Conference, FARE Conference, Outlook Leadership, Convenience Retailing University, FSTEC and MenuDirections—in addition to more than 12 major EduNetworking conferences and advisory meetings. Winsight recently acquired Technomic, Inc., a food industry provider of primary and secondary market information and advisory services. Winsight is a recognized leader in the markets it serves. For more information on Winsight and its brands, go to WinsightMedia.com.

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SOURCE Technomic Inc.

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