January 26/Chicago/PRNewswire -- The lackluster economy may have dampened growth for the restaurant industry at large, but fast-casual restaurants continue to stand out as one notable exception. With $27 billion in annual sales, fast-casual restaurants now represent 14% of all quick-service restaurant sales, compared to 5% just 10 years ago, explains food industry consultants Technomic. Sales in fast-casual are expected to continue outpacing the industry over the next five years, when fast-casual growth is forecasted to compound 8% annually.
"The fast-casual segment is still evolving in ways that are strongly influencing all sectors of the restaurant industry," said Technomic vice president Joe Pawlak, speaking to members of its Foodservice Planning Program. "While we categorize them among limited-service restaurants, they also compete strongly with full-service casual dining on several dimensions."