#fastcasual

[nickgerlich]

Looking Burritoful

Once again, COVID will go down as the primary impetus that caused many a fast food or fast-casual restaurant to rethink its physical footprint. To be fair, the movement was already in motion for a few years prior to the pandemic, as evidenced by the “McBoxing” of practically every chain from McDonald’s to Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, Wendy’s, and more.

Today, the emphasis is on more esoteric items, and what the architecture may still lack in originality, it is strong in terms of sustainability, carbon footprint, digital ordering, and size. Like the new Chipotle design, one the company plans to roll out to 100 of its stores by next year. The fully-electric restaurant will do away with the gas grills that were long part of the kitchen visual, and even feature solar panels and EV charging stations where possible.

Already two of the prototypes are open, in Florida and Virginia, with a third coming to Colorado soon. The chain, which has been plagued by food safety problems and the resultant social media backlash, is intent on more than doubling in size from the present 3200 US units to roughly 7000 within just a few years.

In addition to focusing on more environmentally-friendly and healthy options, the firm is also striving to go smaller in urban spaces, as well as push customers to digital ordering. If the latter two seem like a different verse from the same food retail song, you would be right.

And once again, isn’t it odd how it took something of global proportions to get companies to ponder how they could do business better?

Of course, there is nagging inflation to factor in, something we hope subsides soon, but increased labor costs likely will not. That is, unless restaurants can figure out how to do what they do, all the while shedding jobs and real estate costs in the process. The new stores aim to address those matters.

One of the major takeaways from the industry-wide trend is that dining will increasingly be done away from the restaurant, if at all. Curbside pickup, drive-thrus, and take-away will completely change the dining experience, which, once again thanks to COVID, found us eating primarily at home.

I did find Chipotle’s evolving menu to be intriguing. Their stated objective of more vegan and vegetarian options is fine. It’s just that I always thought of Chipotle as a place where a person looking to avoid one or more ingredients could easily do so, by virtue of the fact that everything was built to order anyway. Perhaps they plan to include other plant-based ingredients, which is all consistent with their overall mission.

One thing’s for certain, though: Chipotle is going to have to work hard to help the collective memory forget those food safety issues. The firm had food poisoning issues in 2008 and 2015, which continued through 2018. But while diners were worried, investors seized the moment. In the last five years, their stock price has soared from $318 in April 2018, to $1714 this week. They peaked at $1792 in October 2021, evidencing a significant turnaround.

Other restaurants with food poisoning problems, like Chi-Chi’s in 2003, did not live to tell the story. Chipotle can certainly thank their lucky stars.

And with a market cap of $47.35 billion, it is understandable how it is going to finance all of those new stores. They’re not paying out anything in dividends, so they are free to plow it all back into the business.

As someone who once ate out at least once per day for many years leading up to COVID, I never could have imagined the new formats being successful, not to mention my own dining habits changing. But they have changed, and now I might eat out once a week while in town. I would much rather cook my own food these days. The damage—in their perspective, at least—is done, and it will take another monumental force to get me to change back.

Speaking of Chipotle in all of this, I have not been back since the 2015 outbreak. You could say my memory has not faded, at least not yet. I might have to work on that, especially if and when I see one of these newly designed stores. I have to stay current, you know, and take pics for my students.

Even if it seems all the restaurants look the same these days.

Dr “Make Mine With Black Beans And Run It Through The Garden“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[phoode]

(via Mediterranean food photography for Green Olive fast casual restaurant chain)

[ourpizzaman-blog]

Pizza in Times Square NY Brick Oven Style NY Brick oven Co.

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[bartbillen]

#makifornia #makisu #fastcasual #brussel #brussels #bruxelles #vlaamsesteenweg (at Makisu) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdkzFeMsamt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bobbyshaw]

Our newest Sheridan's Unforked location in Westwood, KS is really coming along nicely! Goebel Mitts Construction is doing a fantastic job with the buildout! #unforked #restaurants #fastcasual #casual #finecasual (at Unforked) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXPvx_MM-Mj1Qqch0qknm0zoLgxr5pMFH8RSh00/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mariabooeats]

Happy Independence Day! Visit us today and enjoy our scrumptious dishes that you'll surely love!🤗 We are located at @iloveayalamallsserin @kobob.ph Tagaytay City. .💚 . . . #TagaytayCity #Cavite #iloveayalamallsserin #KOBOB #Philippines #restaurant #KoreanRestaurant #fastcasual #dining #come #dine (at Ayala Malls Serin)

[waltnow]

Sorry to hear @poranopasta closing 7/31. Here I am digging @atmdst interior design after a good lunch in happier times: #2015. (them were also #hungrier times. . Love that #fastcasual #Italianfood, yes, but it was the whole #AtomicDust design to all #restaurantelements: it was all #midecenturymodern, like #me. #waltjaschek in #bluesunglasses courtesy #dannyandkatie #latergram (at Porano)

[caciocavalloimpiccato-blog]

@eatalymuenchen maggio 2019 @_eatalygram #eataly #affiliation #caciocavalloimpiccato #foodtech #food #fastcasual #trolley for #restaurant #madeinbasilicata #madeinitaly 🧀🍷 https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLcwLdAPjv/?utm_medium=tumblr

[localiyours]

Thank you @visitweho for covering Locali & our new #WestHollywood location. We love being a part of a community that so strongly supports and encourages #smallbusiness. #lastories #restaurant #restaurantlife #restaurantnews #fastcasual #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #healthymama #businesscasual #businesswoman #femaleentrepreneur #sustainable #green #organic #cleanliving #healthiswealth #losangeles #california #brandambassador = @aries_spartan #walkthewalk (at Locali)

[ourpizzaman-blog]

Brick Oven Monster

[jqlouise]

Boston is always buzzing in the Fall and ordering delivery from @b.goodofficial makes busy autumn days just that much better! #partner #EatgoodFeelgoodBgood . . . . . #eastcoastfoodies #bostoneats #bostonfoodie #bostonfood #bestfoodboston #bostonrestaurants #forkyeah #foodporn #buzzfeast #fastcasual  #bfood #buzzfeast #eatstagram #travelfood #bostonfoodgram #foodietribe  #foodintheair #topfoodnews #dailyfoodfeed #foodbeast #hufffoodtaste #foodandwine #lovefood #eattheworld #bestfoodworld  #supportlocalrestaurants #topcitybites #localrestaurantsaturday #cheeseburgers (at Copley Square) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFhQqlKn3Sd/?igshid=1wy7q7p2ef1yn

[ajayuikey]

Mercato Partners just launched Savory, a $90 million fund focused on fueling fast-casual restaurant concepts – TechCrunch Mercato Partners, a 13-year-old, Salt Lake City, Utah-based investment firm that oversees a growth fund, a secondary investment fund, and a venture fund, has launched yet another fund — this one a $90 million vehicle that the firm says will be used to invest in restaurant concepts that are gaining traction.

[roberto1rota]

Congratulations! Sweetgreen named FastCasual's top brand of 2020!  Also, revealed is the winner of this year's Excellence in Food Safety Award, Fazoli's. Five Guys and Chipotle earned honourable mention.

Never has the public's perception of the foodservice industry been more prevalent than during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.  PM for help!

[saladshoppe]

Wow! We combined broccoli, lemon and parmesan with vegetable broth and a few fresh herbs. Turned out amazing. Grab a bowl! Or two 😁 #CaliforniaCasual #salad #eat #healthy #casualdining #foodporn #saladshoppe #bodyfuel #fooddesign #soup #dinner #noplacelikehome #healthyeating #love #loveoffood #takeout #curbside #fastcasual (at Salad Shoppe) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAGMpSUA9a_/?igshid=81vwy5u8xs21

[mariabooeats]

Happy Independence Day! Visit us today and enjoy our scrumptious dishes that you'll surely love!🤗 We are located at @iloveayalamallsserin @kobob.ph Tagaytay City. .💚 . . . #TagaytayCity #Cavite #iloveayalamallsserin #KOBOB #Philippines #restaurant #KoreanRestaurant #fastcasual #dining #come #dine (at Ayala Malls Serin)