"Food Fast" Trend - A Customer's Perspective

Although single restaurant operators and large corporate chains may have a distint definition of their business segment, from a customer's point of view, the restaurant industry is no longer divided into clear-cut segments. With the increasing growth of the fast-casual concept, and the addition of curbside service to full-service restaurants, a dual concept has emerged: food fast.

Customers now perceive the traditional fast food and "food fast," options on par and expect meals served quickly with flavor, quality and ambiance.

Consumers, who once defined "fast food" as quick-service, drive-thru restaurants and convenience stores, now include other restaurants segments in that definition. A significant percentage of consumers (41 percent) are reporting that their idea of places offering "fast food" has expanded to include fast casual restaurants such as Panera Bread and full-service restaurants offering carryout and curbside service, according to Technomic Inc.

Keep these findings in mind:

* Nearly half of consumers (49 percent) say they eat at fast food restaurants at least once a week; about one fifth of consumers said the same for fast casual (16 percent) and full-service (20 percent) restaurants.

* One out of four consumers (24 percent) say they’ve increased their visits to fast food restaurants in the past year, higher than for any other restaurant segment

* Roughly half of consumers (52 percent) say that a fast food meal should be delivered within five minutes; consumers are willing to wait somewhat longer for items they perceive as "food fast."

* About a third of consumers say they would like to see dedicated take-out areas at fast food (32 percent) and fast casual (33 percent) restaurants.

* Efficient ordering and carryout options at full-service restaurants have strong appeal. Call-ahead ordering for pickup, separate take-out stations, and curbside service interest 40 percent, 37 percent and 31 percent of consumers, respectively.

(The Status and Future of Fast Foods: Consumer Trend Report is based on data from a November 2009 survey of 2,000 consumers. The report integrates industry data from the Top 500 U.S. restaurant chains, select secondary sources and menu analysis from Technomic's MenuMonitor database. Appendices include menu and concept profiles of 10 innovative food-fast concepts, and comprehensive demographic breakdowns for fast food and fast casual restaurant user groups and consumer clusters.)