2019 fast casual - DEVELOPED & PUBLISHED BY: SkinnyFATS
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2019 fast casual DEVELOPED & PUBLISHED BY: SPONSORED BY:
Executive Summary
The fast casual industry is known for innovating everything
from menus and the customer experience to decor and
ambiance. The rest of the restaurant industry looks to fast
casuals to see the latest and greatest, and those unique
innovations often come from smaller, emerging brands.
In no particular numerical order, this report reveals 20 of the
Tom Harper
CEO year’s most newsworthy fast casual concepts and discusses
tomh@networldmediagroup.com why they not only have the potential to emerge as industry Cherryh Cansler
VP of Editorial
Kathy Doyle leaders but also how their ideas and offerings are disrupting Networld Media Group
President the entire restaurant and retail segments.
kathyd@networldmediagroup.com
Cherryh Cansler
This is by no means an exhaustive list as we know there are new and exciting concepts
Vice President of Editorial popping up all the time. What it is, however, is a compilation of several up-and-coming
cherryhc@networldmediagroup.com brands that caught our attention over the past year. Although each brand on the list is
Brittany Warren unique, they share one commonality — innovation — whether it comes in the form of a
Custom content editor hybrid service model, outlandish menu offering or a funky atmosphere.
brittanyw@networldmediagroup.com
Paige Hobbs Congratulations to the 2019 Brands to Watch. We look forward to witnessing your
Custom content coordinator growth and success.
paigeh@networldmediagroup.com
Cheers,
Katy Schamberger
Contributing writer
Cherryh Cansler
VP of Editorial, Networld Media Group
The 2019 Fast Casual Brands to Watch.
©2019 Networld Media Group LLC. 13100
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2019 fast casual
20 2
SkinnyFats
Las Vegas, Nevada
www.SkinnyFats.com
Sometimes you want to eat healthy. Other times, well, not so much.
Whatever your cravings, Las Vegas-based SkinnyFats has you covered. The extensive menu, which includes all-
day breakfast, tacos and “things in bowls,” is split into two sections. Each dish has a version on “the healthy side,”
which is 600 calories or less, as well as a counterpart on “the happy side,” which is all about indulgence.
This dual approach to flavorful food is one of the primary reasons that SkinnyFats, founded in 2013, is finishing
2018 with a bang. Notable highlights include:
• A completed expansion of SkinnyFats’s original location (from 1,800 to about 4,500 square feet),
including a new commissary kitchen and some much-needed seating. “We went from 33 to 85 seats
and immediately put them all to use,” Slobusky said.
• Three new Las Vegas-area locations that opened in early December, bringing the total location
count to seven.
• The grand opening of SkinnyFats’s new Dallas store.
• Expanded distribution of SkinnyFats’s house-made pineapple ketchup to approximately 90 grocery
stores throughout Hawaii.
So what does Slobusky do now?
Part of SkinnyFats’ “The Healthy Side” menu, the MeanBean is a housemade black bean patty topped
with spinach, red onion, tomato, avocado and spicy hummus on a wheat bun.
2019 fast casual
20 4
“I’m going to take a break for about five minutes,” he said with a laugh.
Looking ahead to 2019, Slobusky has no plans to slow SkinnyFats’s momentum. Arguably the biggest project
of the year will be the brand’s new 12,000-square-foot food hall in Salt Lake City, Utah, which will break ground
in January. Called SkinnyFats Hall Pass, the space will accommodate eight restaurants and two bars, giving the
SkinnyFats team plenty of room to try new food concepts.
“We’re looking to bring in talented chefs to go concept-by-concept and remove a lot of the guesswork and things
we’ve spent the last five years learning the hard way,” Slobusky said. “We’re removing that process so the chefs
can focus on the food.”
And if Slobusky decides to bring in chefs outside the SkinnyFats umbrella, Hall Pass is equipped to expand
accordingly.
Speaking of expansion, growth is absolutely on the table for SkinnyFats in 2019 and beyond. Strategic growth
planning, in fact, is what helped lead Slobusky and SkinnyFats to the Dallas market.
“We continue to build out Las Vegas, our home market, but probably in the next 18 to 24 months, we’re going to
run out of logical real estate,” he said. “I’ll be in Dallas about 50 percent of the time, at least initially, then we’ll go
pretty quickly into building more stores. Just the sheer size of Dallas and the market has a lot of appeal.”
And if you visit a SkinnyFats location in Dallas, don’t be surprised to find a few regional menu additions.
“We’ll splice in a little barbecue here and there,” Slobusky said.
Additional growth is expected as a result of SkinnyFats’s franchise program, the documentation for which
Slobusky recently finished. Likely franchise markets include Salt Lake City, as well as Washington, D.C.
“We’re finishing a big wave of corporate stores, then we’ll spend our focus on franchise markets,” Slobusky said.
“We’re excited to get into 2019!”
5
Dizengoff
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
www.DizengoffHummus.com
If you’re a hummus aficionado and you haven’t yet been to Dizengoff in Philadelphia, well, you know what to put at
the top of your to-do list!
Named for one of Tel Aviv’s most iconic streets, Dizengoff opened in the summer of 2014. The fast casual eatery is
modeled after Israeli hummus stalls — “hummusiyas” — and features a small yet flavor-packed menu.
The star, of course, is the hummus, freshly made and heavy on the tehina. Dizengoff’s hummus typically isn’t
refrigerated, which keeps the food even fresher. The whipped clouds of chickpea nirvana are topped with a
rotating selection of seasonal garnishes like hot spice lamb with pine nuts or avocado with harissa. There’s plenty
of pillow-y pita bread to dredge through the hummus, plus chopped salad and Israeli pickles. And don’t leave
without lemonnana, an Israeli-style frozen mint lemonade that’s the perfect antidote to Philadelphia’s sweltering
summer days.
Dizengoff is the brainchild of rock star duo Michael Solomonov, the chef, and Steve Cook, the business partner.
Together, they’ve launched a veritable empire of Philadelphia restaurant brands under the CookNSolo umbrella,
including Zahav, Federal Donuts, Abe Fisher, The Rooster and Goldie.
For Dizengoff, 2018 proved to be a year of challenges. Locations in both New York City and Miami closed.
Solomonov and Cook haven’t commented on the New York closing, but identified poor traffic as a result of nearby
construction as the culprit in Miami. In a joint statement, they bid farewell to Miami “for now,” leaving many to hope
that Dizengoff will return to the city.
In the meantime, Solomonov and Cook have focused their attention and energy on Dizengoff’s two Philadelphia
locations, including one inside the Center City Whole Foods. Their expertly made hummus continues to draw a
crowd. So do their Saturday dinners, family-style Israeli meals that sell for $60/ticket and transform Dizengoff into a
full-service restaurant. Independent media outlet Billy Penn called the dinners “Philly’s best-kept secret.”
And now, the secret’s out! Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
6
Grandpa Mac
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
www.grandpamac.com
What helps Grandpa Mac stand out in a growing fast casual pasta market? Made-from-scratch pasta — eight
varieties, to be exact.
“It’s more labor-intensive, but we’re proud of it,” said Jason Russo, co-owner, Grandpa Mac. “People love coming
in and seeing the pasta made fresh.”
The homemade pasta is the foundation of Grandpa Mac’s menu, the brainchild of James Beard-nominated chef,
Hari Cameron, and his brother, Orion, the co-founders of Grandpa Mac. More than a dozen signature chef pastas
and a build-your-own pasta section are the two most popular categories, but diners can also choose from salads,
paninis and soups.
One dish in particular has helped Grandpa Mac build its following among a passionate audience segment:
vegan customers.
“Hari makes an unbelievable vegan un-cheese sauce,” Russo said. “It looks like cheese, it almost tastes like
cheese, but there’s no cheese in it. Our largest sales growth in 2018 was from our vegan entrees.”
Grandpa Mac — named for the Cameron brothers’ great-grandfather, Cameron McCurdy, as a way for Hari and
Orion to pay tribute to their influential family member — operates two locations in Rehoboth Beach. The flagship
store is a 500-square-foot space tucked in Rehoboth Beach’s quaint downtown and is catty-cornered to Hari and
Jason’s high-end restaurant, a(MUSE.). In addition to its small size, the downtown location brings with it another
challenge: a seasonal schedule.
“It’s open during beach season, from April to October,” Russo said.
Just four miles away, the second Grandpa Mac location is a generous 3,000+ square feet of prime real estate
along Rehoboth Beach’s bustling Coastal Highway.
“It’s probably more space than we
need, but getting space on the
highway is difficult,” Russo said.
Now that both locations have been
up and running for more than two
years — the original location opened
in 2015, the second in Sept. 2016 —
that’s given the Cameron brothers
and Russo more time to refine the
concept. In 2018, for example, Hari
expanded the menu to better serve a
broader audience.
“We noticed some of our customers
might want an option besides
The Grandpa Mac menu includes more than a dozen signature chef pastas
and a build-your-own pasta section.
2019 fast casual
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pasta,” Russo said. “We created several wraps to offer something on the lighter side and added two salads and a
hummus starter.”
Paying close attention to the customer experience — and adjusting accordingly — remains a key focus for
Grandpa Mac. Take the build-your-own pasta, for example. With so many options, including multiple pastas,
sauces and more than 30 meats, vegetables and extras to mix in, deciding on a final selection can be a bit
daunting.
“We’re changing the build-your-own pasta to a separate card where you simply check the ingredients you want,”
Russo said. “It helps people be less overwhelmed by all of their choices.”
Guided by Hari’s culinary expertise, other dishes are sporadically introduced to help ensure a superior experience
in a crowded market.
“We recently started a lasagna night that’s been extremely well-received,” Russo said. “The population is smaller
in the winter, so we’re focused on a family-friendly menu and providing good value for them. In the winter, the
population dwindles but the number of restaurants doesn’t, which is one of the challenges.”
Just as menu adjustments are carefully considered, so, too, is Grandpa Mac’s larger growth strategy. In the fast
casual market, growth is typically fast-paced, whether it’s spurred by the corporate office or franchisees. Yet for
a brand that takes the time to make fresh pasta every day, it’s probably not a surprise that that same care and
attention to detail are reflected in Grandpa Mac’s approach to expansion.
“We’re doing things slowly to make sure that when we make a bigger move, we’re ready,” Russo said. “I’m always
keeping my eye out in terms of growth, but I can’t tell you that I have a specific plan that we’re going to open
another store in the next six months. We want to make sure we’re doing it right.”
Bamboo Asia
San Francisco, California
www.BambooAsia.com
A growing number of fast casual eateries are experimenting with eliminating storefronts. Others, including
Sebastiaan Van De Rijt, owner of San Francisco-based Bamboo Asia, are leveraging the power of technology to
change how a kitchen operates in relation to its restaurant.
Bamboo Asia’s two locations are powered by a 10,000-square-foot centralized cloud kitchen in Oakland, which
opened in early 2018 (prior to that, the Bamboo Asia team used a shared kitchen space). Dishes from the brand’s
diverse menu of Asian cuisines — including Vietnamese, Indian and Japanese salads, wraps and bowls — are
prepared in Oakland, then sent to the Bamboo Asia stores where they’re cooked with sous vide machines.
Since the centralized kitchen is already built and established, opening new Bamboo Asia locations is much faster
and more cost-effective.
“We can open three times faster and cheaper than our average competitor,” he said. Each Bamboo Asia cloud
kitchen is carefully designed to accommodate growth and can serve up to 12 restaurants simultaneously.
2019 fast casual
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That means the Oakland-based Bamboo Asia cloud kitchen can easily take on more locations — good news,
since two new restaurants will soon open in San Francisco and Oakland. And as a result of a significant
investment from the founders of delivery app Caviar, new Bamboo Asia locations are planned for Los Angeles
by the end of 2021.
Working from a centralized cloud kitchen also gives Bamboo Asia more flexibility when it comes to acquiring real
estate for new locations, an especially helpful advantage given San Francisco’s competitive commercial real estate
market. Since the ingredients are washed, prepped and marinated in the central kitchen, Bamboo Asia’s stores
require simpler, smaller kitchens that can accommodate the brand’s custom sous vide system, developed by
celebrated chef and restaurant consultant Erik Hopfinger. Both the on-site and cloud kitchens are connected via
Bluetooth so chefs can virtually operate and monitor the sous vide machines.
Technology also powers another key element of the Bamboo Asia business model: its inventory. An in-house
development team built proprietary inventory management software to more efficiently manage Bamboo Asia’s
complex inventory, which can include up to 200 ingredients every day. Among the software’s capabilities is
automatic ordering, which minimizes the risk of ingredient shortages and boosts efficiency.
“I found it surprising that in Silicon Valley, where everyone tries to disrupt different industries, there was nothing that
allowed us in the restaurant industry to track one of our main cost drivers,” Van De Rijt said.
Plus, in a time when a crowded marketplace means that business diversification is key, the proprietary inventory
software might introduce a new revenue stream if Van De Rijt decides to sell the technology to other restaurateurs.
“The environment in the Bay Area is really great for collaboration — everyone wants to help each other out with
their crazy ideas,” Van De Rijt said with a laugh. “That’s exactly why we’d want to sell our inventory management
software to other restaurants so that the industry as a whole can be better off using these new solutions.”
Technology plays an integral role in Bamboo Asia’s business model, but food is just as important to the fast casual
brand. Bamboo Asia’s mix of Asian cuisines was inspired by Van De Rijt’s extensive travels, which gave him
firsthand opportunities to explore both Asian cuisine and culture.
Chicken + Whiskey
Washington, D.C.
www.ChickenAndWhiskey.com
Move over, peanut butter and jelly. There’s a new iconic food combination in town.
Welcome to Chicken + Whiskey, part Peruvian chicken restaurant, part whiskey bar. The brand opened in 2017
in a 127-year-old row house in Washington, D.C.’s bustling 14th Street corridor and, since then, has delighted
customers with Chef Enrique Limardo’s brined, slow roasted chicken (plus sides) and an incredible selection of 99
international and domestic whiskeys.
The star of the menu is, without a doubt, pollo a la brasa, which is brined for 12 to 24 hours before it’s cooked.
Pollo a la brasa is available as quarter, half and whole chickens paired with two (or, for whole chickens, four)
2019 fast casual
20 9
sides. Mouthwatering options, all made fresh daily, include yucca fries, Caribbean coleslaw, sweet plantains, and
roasted corn + tomato drizzled with a cilantro lime vinaigrette. Feel more like a sandwich? Don’t miss the pollo
frito: cassava flour-breaded chicken, aji amarillo mayonnaise, tomato, lettuce, Greek yogurt mustard sauce, crispy
bacon and pepper jack cheese stacked on a jalapeno cheddar roll.
Once you’ve eaten your fill, head to the back of the restaurant, through a cooler door to the “hidden” bar that’s
stocked with nearly one hundred whiskeys.
“Our whiskeys come from all over the world, including Indian, Australia, England and France,” said William Groben,
general manager, Chicken + Whiskey. Throughout the year, the menu will also feature seasonal whiskey additions
(plus seasonal food and cocktails).
Or peruse a drink menu that includes cleverly named cocktails like Becky Got Back, a juicy combination of Tito’s
vodka, maraschino, strawberry and lime. Chicken + Whiskey’s bar also offers a curated beer and wine selection,
plus a condensed food menu that offers a few favorite sides, wraps and the beloved pollo frito sandwich. Once
you’re fed and watered, kick back and watch the bartenders carefully saw cubes from a 75-pound block of ice.
Stop into the bar Tuesday through Saturday and there’s a good chance you’ll hear from one of D.C.’s notable
DJs, who come to Chicken + Whiskey to turn the brand’s extensive vinyl collection (curated by one of Chicken +
Whiskey’s partners, renowned DJ Charles Koch) into their signature soundtrack. The programming element —
which also includes special events like a New Year’s Eve celebration — further differentiates Chicken + Whiskey in
the fast casual market.
Chicken + Whiskey is the first fast casual concept for Star Restaurant Group, which “developed this model as a
direct response to the South American rotisserie chicken craze sweeping the nation, combined with the allure of
the ultimate ‘neighborhood comfort bar’ all communities embrace,” according to the SRG website.
Part of Chicken + Whiskey’s explosive appeal is that it offers two experiences united under one brand.
“In a sense, it’s two concepts, but we don’t separate them in terms of branding or promotional support,” Groben
said. “People walk in and see the kitchen with these two huge charcoal ovens, but I think it took some time for
everyone to realize where the bar was located. People ask if there’s a bar here and we say, ‘Yep! Right through the
cooler door!’”
With both a fast casual eatery and a bar under one roof, the vibe (and customer base) of Chicken + Whiskey
changes throughout the week and day. During the week, for example, the bar doesn’t open until 5 p.m., so you’ll
see largely a lunch crowd. On Friday and Saturday, Chicken + Whiskey stays open until 3 a.m., which means bar
patrons have quick access to the perfect late-night snack.
“People are drinking, having a good time, then they come out and smell this unreal aroma of chicken and they
jump in line,” Groben said.
Chicken + Whiskey’s location in an historic row home helped the SRG team create two separate spaces united
by one brand concept. When designing Chicken + Whiskey, SRG worked with a preservation guide to protect
the 3,000-square-foot building’s historic elements, then added architecture and details inspired by Venezuela
and Peru. In the front of the restaurant, guests are greeted by a mural painted by Jerry Dease, which features
Venezuela, Peru and ancient Peruvian Gods, including Inti, the Sun God.
2019 fast casual
20 10For a brand that’s so thoughtfully tied to its current location, it’s not surprising to hear that fast expansion isn’t
necessarily on the menu for Chicken + Whiskey. Instead, the team is focused on continual refinement aimed at
helping cultivate Chicken + Whiskey into a must-visit D.C. destination. Yet with the brand’s rapidly rising popularity,
2019 will likely hold some exciting news for Chicken + Whiskey.
“Be on the lookout for more opportunities we’ll have in the next year given our momentum,” Groben said. “I don’t
see too much holding us back once we hit our current goal.”
Taboonette
New York, New York
www.taboonette.com
Danny Hodak, founder of Taboonette Middleterranean Kitchen, is no stranger to innovation.
In 2004, partners Danny and Ayala Hodak and Gadi and Sheila Ruham opened Taboon in Hell’s Kitchen, which,
guided by Chef Efi Naon, specialized in a wood-fired marriage of two cuisines: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean.
Hodak recognized an opportunity to introduce not just a new restaurant, but also a new cuisine. He trademarked
the term “Middleterranean.”
Driven by a desire to bring Middleterranean flavors and cuisine to a fast casual audience, Hodak opened
Taboonette Middleterranean Kitchen in 2012, featuring a menu that includes shawarma, kebabs, falafel and
shakshuka.
“I wanted to take all of these flavors and put them in a hummus bowl, pita wrap or grain plate,” he said. “It’s
healthy, unprocessed — the kind of food that’s clean, that people want to eat.”
Six years after opening in New York City’s Union Square, Taboonette is preparing for the next chapter: growth.
Hodak has tapped his fine dining insight — with a focus on the guest experience — to create efficient operations
and flavorful food that can easily be replicated by franchisees.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and money to develop a system that’s now being launched,” Hodak said. “Every
operator who wants to buy our system will have a great shot at success and support from us. It’s important to us
that our franchisees are successful — that’s the whole business.”
The helm of Taboonette’s franchising program, a prototype training center, opens in January 2019. The West
Village space, just under 2,000 square feet, is equipped with Taboonette’s technology in a layout that mimics the
restaurant’s ideal flow. As part of a five-week training program, franchisees spend three weeks in the New York
store for comprehensive hands-on training that includes management, food preparation and sanitation, among
other topics.
“We also teach them sales and marketing and have a real estate team in place that helps franchisees find the right
locations,” Hodak said. “We have all of the parts to make sure that wherever they are, they build the right store with
the right branding and that they’re successful.”
2019 fast casual
20 11Growth projections aim for three to five units to open in 2019, followed by another 15 to 20 units sold and five to 10
to open in 2020.
“The longer term growth projection over the next five years is to have 50 to 75 units in development and another
20 to 30 open,” Hodak said.
Although growth is a primary focus for the Taboonette team in 2019 and beyond, they’re taking a deliberate
approach that’s similar to the restaurant’s steady evolution.
“You’ll hear modest numbers from me because we’re committed to the franchisee experience,” Hodak said.
“We launched our franchise system after making sure we really had it buttoned up. This is something we’ve built
with a lot of care and we want to make sure whoever we bring into our system will share our passion, values and
company culture.”
Beefsteak
Washington, D.C.
www.BeefsteakVeggies.com
Washington, D.C.-based Beefsteak is driven by the mind (and heart) of renowned chef and restaurateur José Andrés.
It’s no wonder that the Beefsteak team described its vegetable-driven menu as “America’s bounty in a bowl.”
Thanks to a three-year partnership with Bon Appétit, a subsidiary of foodservice company Compass Group USA,
that fresh, seasonal bounty is headed to even more customers.
Launched in 2018, the partnership will give Beefsteak an opportunity to “conceptualize, launch and execute
concepts across Compass Group’s ventures,” said Eric Martino, chief operating officer, ThinkFoodGroup. “In May,
we opened our first location with them at the renowned Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, bringing our vegetable-forward
concept to the Midwest.”
Why the focus on vegetables? For Beefsteak, it’s important to provide fresh, market-driven meals packed with
flavor and nutrition at affordable prices. Many of the Beefsteak menu items use vegetables in delicious and
surprising ways, which helps showcase the versatility and appeal of each piece of produce.
Take the popular BEETsteak Burger, the star of which is slices of marinated beet accompanied by pickled red onion,
lettuce, tomato, sprouts, vegan chipotle mayo, olive oil and sea salt, all piled on a pillow-y olive oil brioche bun.
Martino said the brand introduced a new plant-based protein option in 2018 that inspired new menu additions like
the Faux Joe Burger, a meatless take on the beloved Sloppy Joe that features plant-based protein with avocado,
tomato and a vegan chipotle mayo.
With such a vegetable-focused and seasonal menu, local collaborations and sourcing are essential to Beefsteak’s
success. That’s led to a number of partnerships, including with woman-owned Soupergirl, local urban farm Little
Wild Things and veteran-focused businesses like Dog Tag Bakery and Veteran Compost “that both employ military
veterans and support their professional job growth,” Martino said.
2019 fast casual
20 12This last year also saw continued growth of Beefsteak’s flourishing relationship with DC Central Kitchen, which
Martino said is a nationally recognized community kitchen that recycles food from around Washington, D.C., and
uses the kitchen as a tool to train unemployed adults and develop work skills.
“The team initiated a program called DC Central Kitchen Beefsteak Pathway, providing a pipeline for DC Central
Kitchen students to find jobs at Beefsteak immediately after graduation,” Martino said.
It’s clear that Beefsteak nourishes more than customers—it’s becoming as integral to the community as
vegetables are to a healthy diet. And with Andrés at the helm, it’s no surprise. After working tirelessly to help feed
the people of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s widespread devastation, Andrés inspiring efforts were
recognized with one of the world’s highest honors: A Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
Just as Andrés brings expertly prepared food to people around the world, the Beefsteak team will continue to
bring America’s bounty to as many customers as possible. Martino said Beefsteak is on track to serve half a million
meals in 2019 across the brand’s six locations. And as the partnership with Bon Appétit continues, look for that
number to grow like Beefsteak’s beloved produce.
Farm Burger
Atlanta, Georgia
http://FarmBurger.com
Entrepreneurs are often driven by questions. For Farm Burger co-founder Jason Mann, several questions persisted
throughout his work as a farmer and sustainable agriculture researcher. Those questions — along with a desire to
bring high-quality food at a value-driven price point — prompted him to partner with restaurateur George Frangos
to launch Farm Burger in 2010.
“A lot of my research was asking hard questions about how producers can utilize different systems to restore slow
fertility to counteract climate change while maintaining rural livelihood and prosperity,” he said. “I’ve always been a
social entrepreneur at heart, and that’s why I founded Farm Burger.”
The fast casual brand, which specializes in burgers made from domestic grass-fed beef free from GMOs,
hormones and antibiotics, has grown to include 11 locations throughout the southeastern U.S. and in California.
As Farm Burger approaches its 10-year anniversary, Mann said he’s been considering a new set of questions.
“Coming into that milestone as a brand that’s had a lot of success, how do we maintain that promise and those
core values?” he said.
Mann and his team are balancing those strategic queries with a continued focus on the rapidly evolving food
landscape, including the fast casual industry. The guest experience is critical, including helping customers better
understand what they’re eating — and why — which helps deepen their loyalty to Farm Burger.
“The Internet has created a lot more critical eaters, but at the same time, if you’re telling a story that’s successful
and you’re taking market share, soon, the other 10 guys on the street are going to do that,” Mann said. “In reality,
that leads to a lot of green-washing and smoke and mirrors. How do we make our guests understand and care in
a way that they choose us over the other 10 stores on the block?”
2019 fast casual
20 13A key part of that customer experience includes an unwavering focus on the fresh, quality ingredients that play
such a significant role in the overall Farm Burger promise. Efficiently scaling the supply chain for growth can pose a
challenge, especially when food quality and integrity is so important.
“When you’ve created a brand that’s founded on the idea of local, which, to me, is the ability to go to these farms,
shake the hands of the farmers, see how the animals and crops are grown, distribution becomes more of a
challenge as Farm Burger expands into multiple states,” he said.
Farm Burger enlisted the help of U.S. Foods to serve as a key partner in refining Farm Burger’s hyper-local supply
chain for broader distribution, and Mann said some new initiatives will emerge in 2019 as a result.
Continued menu refinements also help tell the Farm Burger story while appealing to a wide customer base.
Although grass-fed beef is undoubtedly a focus at Farm Burger, Mann said he wants people to understand that the
“brand is bigger than just its beef. We want to help people think critically about the proteins they put in their bodies
and understand that as people are trending toward a more plant-based diet, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”
A new menu category will showcase a variety of creative proteins. Called “the invasive species menu,” the initial
focus will be catfish and lionfish. Not only can Farm Burger customers expand their protein palate; they’ll also be
helping the environment.
“We can eat the catfish and lionfish and combat their ability to be disruptive on important ecosystems that a lot of
the communities we serve depend on,” he said.
Amid evolving menus, expanding locations and continuing customer education and delight, Mann and the Farm
Burger team are committed to a primary goal.
“Doing our part — that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “We’re doing our part to think about what the place of fast
casual is in the future. Hopefully the pain and research and deep dives that Farm Burger does can help our peers
and people in our space have even more success.”
Clover Food Lab
Cambridge, Massachusetts
www.CloverFoodLab.com
The USDA estimates that U.S. food waste exceeds a staggering $160 billion annually.
Clover Food Lab is on a mission to help reduce that number. To start, Clover’s menu focuses on fresh, seasonal
ingredients — so seasonal, in fact, that sometimes the menu changes throughout the day based on availability.
No freezers are found at any Clover Food Lab location. And everything used at the restaurant is designed to be
completely compostable.
In addition to bringing customers fresh, delicious food, Clover’s ultimate goal is to help consumers build
a conscientious relationship with food while also realizing that food choices can absolutely be a form of
environmental activism.
2019 fast casual
20 14“The meat industry is the No. 3 contributor to greenhouse gas emissions,” wrote Clover CEO Ayr Muir in a letter
published on Clover’s website. “I read that in 2007. Twelve months later, I opened Clover with a food truck as a
sort of ‘lab’ to test ideas and ‘invent’ a new approach to food with your help. Everything we are today, every single
recipe, everything we do, has been developed with help from our customers.”
What’s interesting is that a majority of Clover’s customers aren’t vegetarian or vegan. For Muir and his team, that
means Clover’s menu must be as delicious and appealing as possible with the hope that someone might forego a
burger or burrito and instead opt for a meal from Clover.
Customers who regularly eat at Clover are not only introduced to the delicious potential of produce and herbs.
They also learn what it means to truly eat on a seasonal schedule. For example, Clover’s Brussels sprouts
sandwich is a perpetual top seller, but is only available when Brussels sprouts are in season during the fall. A
customer might get a voracious craving for a Brussels sprouts sandwich in the summer, but they’ll just have to wait
— or, better yet, discover their favorite summer dish.
There’s another dimension to Clover’s widespread appeal that’s helped it grow to more than a dozen locations in a
decade: transparency.
Step inside a Clover store and you’ll see menu boards that, in addition to highlighting what food and drinks are
available, also shows the most recent order time for each item. This helps ensure that Clover maintains speedy,
efficient service — think of it as healthier and environmentally conscious fast food.
“We’re obsessed with speed and constantly time ourselves,” Muir wrote on Clover’s website. “Our average serve
times are around 3.5 minutes, which makes us a little slower than McDonald’s.”
The Clover team also hosts weekly food development meetings that are open to employees, suppliers and,
yes, customers. Meetings might include tastings of new products that are under consideration, or discussion of
recipes and new menu items. The meetings are Clover’s way of letting their customers step up to the plate (no pun
intended) and learn more about the food they’re enjoying while also sharing their input.
To help further enhance the customer experience, Clover launched a new mobile app in February 2018. The app,
which was built in-house and beta tested for a year, includes live access to menus, plus the option to order and
pay ahead.
Clover is also becoming a destination for new and inventive menu partnerships. In August 2018, the brand was the
first local Boston-based restaurant to feature the vegan Just Egg on its menu. The high protein liquid egg is made
from mung beans, and Clover opted to showcase it on a pepper and egg sandwich.
Whether you enjoy a sandwich, a platter, a soup or a snack, Muir wants you “to dream about vegetables. Why?
If we serve you unforgettable vegetables and you start dreaming about them, together we make the world a
better place.”
Sweet (or should we say savory?) dreams!
15Junzi Kitchen
New York, New York
www.Junzi.Kitchen
For the co-founders of Junzi Kitchen — CEO Yong Zhao, Head of Business Operations Wanting Zhang and Art
Director Ming Bai — the brand is about much more than feeding the northern Chinese cuisine of their childhoods
to as many customers as possible.
Instead, it’s about bringing people together to eat, to share, to learn and to appreciate.
“No matter where you’re from, you want good food every day for everyone,” Zhao said.
Founded in 2015 in New Haven, Connecticut, Junzi Kitchen has introduced hungry customers to northern Chinese
staples like bing, a popular street food that includes thin, flour-pressed dough wrapped around braised meats,
sauce and a flavorful combination of stir-fried and pickled vegetables. The menu also includes noodle bowls, and
both bings and bowls are available in create-your-own varieties or chef recommended combinations.
Step into one of Junzi Kitchen’s three locations (two in New York City) and the desire to offer a memorable
experience immediately stands out. Influential architecture and design publication Dezeen recognized Junzi
Kitchen’s Greenwich Village location for its minimal aesthetic, the colors and feel of which Junzi Kitchen designer
Xuhui Zhang modeled after early spring in northern China.
When a fast casual restaurant opens, it’s not uncommon to compare it to a more established brand. Largely
because of Junzi Kitchen’s customizable menu, Zhao said the brand has been compared both to Chipotle and
Sweetgreen.
Yet for Zhao, part of Junzi Kitchen’s growth strategy includes not just more locations, but also the strategic
evolution of the brand itself.
“At some point, we’ll become the Junzi Kitchen brand that combines cultural elements with food,” he said. “We’ll
become a destination point for other brands.”
Eating at Junzi Kitchen means enjoying a delicious, expertly prepared meal. But it’s also a chance to learn more
about northern Chinese cuisine. Led by Chef Lucas Zin, Junzi Kitchen launched a monthly Chef’s Table series that,
according to Sin, “explores the narrative of Chinese cuisine by extending junzi flavors beyond the everyday menu.”
A five-course sweet and sour dinner, for example, welcomed 60 guests to explore dishes discovered from the
14th century medicinal cooking recipe. The menu included wonton egg drop soup with 5-year ginkgo ‘hyo’
vinegar, sweet & sour pork with 3-year winter melon vinegar and pineapple buns with aged plantain vinegar and
pineapple custard.
The Chef’s Table series is just one way that the Junzi Kitchen team accomplishes another goal: to push the
envelope of Chinese food, Zhao said.
This approach to creating and defining a modern fast casual brand that’s rooted in ancient culinary history is
one that’s attracted attention and support throughout the restaurant industry. Cecilia Chiang, the legendary
restaurateur who changed the direction of U.S.-based Chinese restaurants after opening The Mandarin in San
Francisco in 1961, is an advisor for Junzi Kitchen and visited in the fall of 2018 to celebrate her 99th birthday.
2019 fast casual
20 16Additional advisors, including the former Executive Vice President of Operations for Red Lobster, Chip Wade,
are helping to guide Junzi Kitchen’s expansion. Zhao said the team is preparing for “high-speed growth” in 2019,
which will likely be fueled by the opening of Junzi Kitchen’s fourth location in Bryant Park, the brand’s first location
completely outside of a college campus radius.
“For a small college town brand to be successful in New York City — that’s a great achievement,” Zhao said.
“We’re working with influential advisors to help us bring the brand forward. We want to change the idea of a
Chinese restaurant.”
Rachel’s Kitchen
Las Vegas, Nevada
http://RachelsKitchen.com
Debbie Roxarzade knows what it takes to open and run a successful restaurant. After creating a portfolio of seven
acclaimed restaurants in Los Angeles, Roxarzade and her husband decided to relocate to
Las Vegas.
There was no doubt that Roxarzade would continue her career as a chef and restaurateur. Yet before she could
start her next chapter, she needed to answer an important question: where to open a restaurant?
While splitting their time between Las Vegas and LA, Roxarzade and her husband discovered Las Vegas
suburb Summerlin, adjacent to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. And that’s when Roxarzade
realized an opportunity.
Rachel’s Kitchen’s Signature Salad includes nut-crusted goat cheese, mixed baby
greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes tossed with balsamic basil vinaigrette.
2019 fast casual
20 17“We loved Summerlin, but there wasn’t anything I felt great about eating,” she said.
Roxarzade secured a 1,000-square-foot location and, in 2006, opened Rachel’s Kitchen (named for their
daughter), a fresh casual eatery with a menu that included freshly pressed juices, sandwiches and salads.
Without a similar concept in the area, Roxarzade said initial reviews were mixed.
“People who loved it wanted a restaurant like Rachel’s Kitchen,” she said. “Other people still wanted milkshakes
and American cheese!”
Roxarzade added several burgers to the menu to help Rachel’s Kitchen “become a place for everyone,” she said.
And it worked. Roxarzade soon outgrew her original space and moved down the street to a location that was
double in size.
“We kept growing from there, and now we’re up to seven locations, including a grab-and-go space in McCarran
International Airport,” she said.
With multiple successful locations, Roxarzade could likely maintain her brand’s status quo and achieve a fulfilling
career. Instead, Roxarzade is always looking for opportunities to refine and improve her business model, an
approach that, in 2018, focused on an ongoing technology rollout to help Roxarzade’s operations become as
efficient as possible.
“We’ve integrated new point-of-sale and inventory systems and are working on putting all of our training videos and
materials online,” she said.
Other 2018 enhancements included menu additions like vegan items and more create-your-own options.
These operational refinements play a key role in increasing Rachel’s Kitchen’s efficiency while reducing costs
through initiatives like improved training. They’re also helping Roxarzade create a strong foundation on which to
expand to more locations, growth that’s expected to begin in 2019.
“We’re looking at our next market and have some letters of intent out in neighboring states,” she said. “It will be a
combination of corporate office growth and franchisees. We’re at the point where we’re figuring out what makes
the most sense. We want to make sure the next market we go to is as perfect as our first one.”
18Salt & Straw
Portland, Oregon
http://SaltAndStraw.com
Thanks to the culinary geniuses at Salt & Straw, 2018 will forever be known as the year of blood ice cream.
Yes, blood! As part of Salt & Straw’s Halloween menu, the Portland-based company introduced Dracula’s
Blood Pudding, made with fresh pig’s blood. The rich, chocolatey flavor took its inspiration from the Italian dish,
sanguinaccio dolce, a pudding made from chocolate, milk, pine nuts, sugar and pig’s blood.
Dracula’s Blood Pudding joined other flavors like Creepy Crawly Critters, a matcha ice cream topped with orange
and dark chocolate-covered crickets and coconut toffee brittle mealworms from Don Bugito, an edible bug
specialty store in Oakland.
For those familiar with Salt & Straw’s continually evolving array of inventive seasonal flavors, the Halloween
additions were simply par for the course. After all, the scoop shop brand’s tag line is “handmade, deliciously
interesting ice cream.”
Seasonal, locally sourced ingredients help inspire of-the-moment flavor combinations. Holiday highlights like
cinnamon coconut eggnog and Congressman Blumenauer’s fruitcake (a five-year tradition named for state
legislator Earl Blumenauer) mingle with Salt & Straw’s classic flavors, including pear & blue cheese, strawberry
honey balsamic with black pepper, and Arbequina olive oil.
The surprising and addictive flavors are a big part of why Salt & Straw continues to expand. Launched in 2011 by
cousins Kim and Tyler Malek, the Portland-based scoop shop now has 18 locations throughout the West Coast
(including Wiz Bang Bar, Salt & Straw’s soft serve dessert bar). New openings in 2018 included Seattle, the San
Francisco Bay Area and the happiest place on Earth: downtown Disney in Anaheim.
And for customers who don’t yet have a Salt & Straw scoop shop nearby, the brand offers the next best thing:
home delivery. Assemble your own pack of five pints or opt for the monthly pack and the ice cream arrives in an
insulated cooler filled with dry ice to ensure the pints stay frozen.
Salt & Straw’s creative flavors and demonstrable quality have attracted national attention and coverage, helping
to fuel the brand’s growth. Behind the scenes, another element of Salt & Straw’s business strategy is gaining
recognition throughout the industry. Salt & Straw has embraced forward-thinking workplace policies, including
making both full- and part-time employees eligible for health benefits and paid leave, which has helped Salt &
Straw maintain low employee turnover.
Lively locations, an invigorating company culture, chef-driven ice cream flavors that keep customers coming back
for more—it’s clear that Salt & Straw has crafted a recipe for growth as carefully as they do each scoop of ice
cream. Eight years in, and this sweet success story is just getting started.
19Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque
New York, New York
www.MightyQuinnsBBQ.com
Thanks to Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, 2018 will be known as the year of the MQRib.
Mighty Quinn’s take on this fast food cult classic features smoked, boneless baby back ribs smothered in a black
cherry barbecue sauce created in partnership with Boylans’ beloved black cherry soda.
“We launched the MQRib about a month ago and it’s been doing really well,” said Micha Magid, co-founder of the
New York City-based brand.
Menu additions like the MQRib give Mighty Quinn’s co-founder, chef and pitmaster Hugh Mangum an opportunity
to create dishes that “stay true to barbecue but are also on the adventurous side,” Magid said.
Another 2018 menu addition is a prime example. Earlier this year, Mighty Quinn’s introduced rice bowls to give
lunch customers a lighter, more accessible food format without having to forego “those great barbecue flavors,”
Magid said.
Since opening in New York’s East Village in December 2012 (after first operating as a stall at Brooklyn’s open-air
Smorgasburg market), Mighty Quinn’s has expanded to 15 locations, including a recent opening in Paramus, New
Jersey. Not only can Mighty Quinn’s be found throughout New York City, including inside Yankee Stadium; the
brand also operates restaurants in Taiwan, Dubai and the Philippines, complete with menu adjustments to reflect
regional tastes.
Pick your favorite barbeque meat — brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, pulled chicken or sausage — and get it piled high on a sandwich.
2019 fast casual
20 20“In Dubai, we offer a full breakfast menu,” Magid said. “And in Manila, palates are a little sweeter, so we have a
sweeter version of our barbecue sauce and recipes that are closer to comfort food than traditional barbecue.”
If Magid’s growth plans are any indication, there might soon be a Mighty Quinn’s near you (if there’s not already)
Magid said the team kicked off its U.S. franchising plan this summer, making it easy for franchising partners to
build on the momentum of Mighty Quinn’s success.
“We have a seamless system that’s replicable,” he said. “We can teach it and we can have people create the same
experience that we have in New York in their home markets.”
Mighty Quinn’s five-year goal is to open 60 stores across the U.S., with a focus on Boston, Washington, D.C.,
Philadelphia and New Jersey. Thanks to a solid operational foundation, geographic proximity to Mighty Quinn’s
home base in New York isn’t necessarily a deal breaker.
“With our freshman class of franchisees, we want to offer high operational support and be with them as much as
possible,” Magid said. “And as we move through the process, our priority is finding the right franchisees, especially
existing restaurant businesses with teams in place. That’s just as important to us as being close geographically.”
Magid has his eye on another rising trend in the fast casual industry: food delivery. To help prepare for continually
increasing demand, Magid said Mighty Quinn’s franchisees will also be equipped with next-generation architectural
plans so that they can run both dine-in and delivery revenue centers from the same space “without getting in each
other’s way.”
The growth of food delivery is one of the factors that prompted another 2018 achievement for Mighty Quinn’s—
the launch of the brand’s loyalty app, which lets customers order for delivery or pick-up through their phones
while also accruing credits for every dollar spent. The app is a way to further refine the Mighty Quinn’s customer
experience while helping to ensure that customers keep coming back.
“When you think about what’s for dinner, you used to go to your local spots that were convenient,” Magid said.
“Now, you can just pick up your phone and get whatever you want. Restaurants need to give customers more of a
reason to order with them.”
21Piada Italian Street Food
Columbus, Ohio
http://MyPiada.com
After coming off of the company’s fastest growth and operating spree in its 8-year history, Piada Italian Street
Food’s executive team has centered much of its focus on a trend that’s sweeping the fast casual industry with
equal speed: takeout and delivery.
That included a significant initiative that began in April: tearing apart and rebuilding the brand’s carryout process.
“Everything was fair game,” said Matt Eisenacher, chief concept officer, Piada. “We’re focused on not just being a
player in what you’re seeing in the convenience part of the industry — we want to be a leader.”
Mobile and online ordering, third-party delivery — to Eisenacher and the Piada team, these are more than
technology-driven trends and instead signal how “people are starting to use restaurants in radically different
ways,” he said.
And in response, Piada (named for a thin Italian flatbread that’s a staple on the brand’s menu) restructured its
carryout process with the goal of building over 20 percent of sales into digital sales, including online ordering and
delivery through a third-party app or MyPiada.com.
The Piada executive team spent much of 2018 completely rebuilding the
company’s carryout process to better serve takeout and delivery customers.
2019 fast casual
20 22Highlights of the new process include:
• A second make line added to every restaurant, including separate staff, to efficiently handle a high volume of
digital sales.
• A new middleware component, built in-house, that better connects Piada’s legacy point-of-sale system with
third-party platforms.
• New grab-and-go shelves so that guests can quickly and easily pick up their orders in-store.
Eisenacher said the team also made changes to the food itself to further improve the guest experience while
protecting the flavors and integrity of Piada’s fresh, chef-crafted meals.
“The average travel time for a delivery order is 30 minutes, so we changed the way we build some of our pastas so
that they travel better,” Eisenacher said.
Instead of tossing noodles with the sauce, for example, the sauce is layered on top of the pasta, followed by the
protein. Not only does this better insulate the pasta without making it soggy; it also provides a more effective way
to visually affirm order accuracy.
Other operational refinements throughout 2018 include a more scientific, guest-driven approach to menu
engineering.
“We’re working hard to use several years of guest purchase behavior to understand who buys what,” Eisenacher
said. “That’s allowed us to get more intentional about what is and isn’t on our menu.”
That includes using data to inform new additions like the Mediterranean Power Bowl, which debuted in early 2018
and features red quinoa, broccoli, sweet corn, tomato, glazed chickpeas, pickled red onions, marinated zucchini,
harissa and a Greek yogurt drizzle.
“It’s the first item we’ve made that’s built from the ground up as a vegan entrée,” Eisenacher said. “We’ve seen
a lot of success in adding items like these to our menus that give guests with specific needs a choice we didn’t
have before.”
Heading into 2019, Eisenacher said goals include maintaining the brand’s explosive growth, which has led to 41
locations in seven states throughout the Midwest and in Texas. Additionally, a primary focus will continue to be
ongoing digital transformation and trying to understand “how it will all play out,” Eisenacher said. “The amount of
change in our industry over the last nine to 12 months is incredible. By the day, things are happening so quickly —
it’s fast-paced and it’s fun.”
23Zume Pizza
Mountain View, California
http://ZumePizza.com
Our robot overlords are here — and they come bearing pizza.
A fleet of robots works in Mountain View, California-based Zume Pizza’s commissary kitchen to roll out and par
bake pizza dough before it’s covered with sauce and toppings.
Then, while the pizzas are out for delivery, Zume Pizza’s delivery vehicles—also equipped with robots and ovens —
bake the pizzas en route, so that they arrive freshly baked.
Founded in 2015 by Julia Collins and Alex Garden, Zume Pizza is helping to lead the way in demonstrating how
robotic automation can be used in the fast casual industry.
Here’s how it works. At the start of each day, the Zume Pizza team leverages predictive technology to identify what
pizzas people are likely to order. Then, that information is used to produce Zume’s daily inventory.
Robots in Zume Pizza’s commissary kitchen, including the aptly named Doughbot, roll out pizza dough in as
fast as nine seconds, then the dough is placed in the oven and partially baked. The crusts are then moved
back through the production line for sauce and toppings. Then, after being placed on specific racks, pizzas are
refrigerated, then baked, on Zume Pizza’s fully equipped food delivery vehicles. Pizzas are then delivered piping
hot out of the oven and ready to enjoy.
Why robots? Efficiency, for one, evidenced by stats like the 9-second pizza dough roll-out. Safety is another factor.
For example, Zume Pizza in 2018 welcomed a new robot to the fleet, Vincenzo, which takes partially baked pizzas
out of the 800-degree oven and places them on a pie rack. Vincenzo can fill four separate racks at a time without
tearing the dough or dropping toppings, and can also withstand the high oven temperatures that so often leave
pizza chefs with a variety of burns.
There’s a compelling case to use robotic automation to speed up production and increase the overall cost
efficiency of operations. Yet as robots become more prevalent throughout the workforce, they’re often met with
skepticism, even fear, by people who fear their jobs will be taken over—and subsequently eliminated—by their
automated counterparts.
Collins and Garden offer another solution. They take a human-centric approach to automation. People are an
integral part of the team, including in the kitchen. And because robots bear the burden of the menial and repetitive
tasks, Zume Pizza employees are free to focus on other, more fulfilling work.
“Our best pizza spinner is really happy to work on our menu and ingredient selection,” Collins said in an interview
with The Verge.
The key is to working with robots is to always keep your employees and customers in mind.
“After you add automation into your process, how will you reinvest that surplus?” Garden said in a Q&A with
Robotics Business Review. “Hopefully, you’ll follow our lead and first reinvest it back into your workforce to help
retrain them and prepare them for the future of work — finding new roles for them within your company.”
2019 fast casual
20 24You can also read
