Fast Casual: Fast Casual Industry To Hit $67B By 2020

The “Fast Casual Restaurant Market in the U.S. 2016-2020” report attributes a rise in fast casual dining to a millennial target market and the U.S. workforce preferring to purchase lunch rather than cook at home. "As today's consumers face a time crunch, many consumers prefer to eat in fast casual restaurants during work hours," according to Technavio.

Research shows, as reported by Fast Casual, that 33 percent of millennials in the U.S. use social media advertisements and online ratings to learn about available food options in fast casual restaurants. And with high employment rates (68 percent of  people between the ages of 15 to 64 are employed in the U.S.), people are more comfortable spending money to eat out, especially during lunch time.

As a result, more health-conscious fast casual options are popping up. Arushi Thakur, a Technavio industry expert in food, said, “The demand for fresh and healthy salads among millennials is also rising. For instance, Sweetgreen, a fast casual restaurant chain with over 30 outlets, focuses on seasonal and innovative salads made with locally sourced ingredients for its health-conscious consumers."