Fast-casual restaurants keep delivering faster-than-average growth, finds Technomic

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Apr 28, 2014, 11:10 ET

CHICAGO, April 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The fast-casual segment continues to lead growth within the restaurant industry. With an 11 percent increase in 2013 sales and nearly 8 percent increase in units, fast-casual concepts among Technomic's 2014 Top 500 Chain Restaurants comprise many of the fastest-growing restaurant chains. At the same time, leaders Panera Bread, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panda Express posted healthy sales gains (of 12, 17 and 11 percent, respectively).

To view the 50 fastest-growing chains in the Technomic Top 500, as well as the Top 10 growth chains in the fast-casual restaurant segment, click here.

Fast-casual restaurants, with their better-than-quick-service food, ambiance and fresh, "made for you" appeal, continue to align with the needs of today's consumers. While bakery cafes are still doing well overall, unit expansion is now more likely to happen in burger, Mexican, other sandwich and specialty concepts, diversifying the fast-casual landscape.

"Watch for even more menu and concept diversity in this sector," said Darren Tristano, Executive Vice President of Technomic, Inc. "Also look for more quick-service restaurants and full-service restaurants to realign their formats and develop new fast-casual concepts to compete more aggressively."

The 2014 Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report provides Technomic's exclusive sales forecast by menu category, update on franchise and international activity, outlook for the future, market share by menu category, and much more.

To dive deeper into the Top 500 U.S. restaurant chains and thousands of other foodservice organizations, Technomic's Digital Resource Library (DRL) provides online access to comprehensive operator intelligence. Subscribers can search and download over 3,500 detailed and continuously updated profiles on U.S. and international chains.

To learn more, please visit Technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below. For Technomic updates, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or our blog.

Contacts:
Press Inquiries: Darren Tristano, 312-506-3850, or [email protected]
Purchasing Details: Patrick Noone, 312-506-3852, or [email protected]
Restaurant Public Relations: Susan Szymanski, 312-506-4079, or [email protected]

About Technomic
Technomic provides clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Its services include numerous publications and digital products, as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry.

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SOURCE Technomic