Franchise News
QSR: The 5 Biggest Fast Casual Openings of 2016
This year’s biggest fast casual names to enter the industry focused on chef-driven concepts.
QSR Magazine took a look at five of the biggest fast casuals that opened in 2016, focusing on what these new concepts did to differentiate themselves in the market and create buzz. The five restaurants discussed are LocoL (opened in January) in Los Angeles, Porano Pasta (opened in January) in St. Louis, Great State Burger (opened in February) in Seattle, Lobster Press (opened in January) in New York City and Shouk (opened in May) in Washington, D.C.
A common theme amongst all the above listed restaurants is that they are chef-driven, attempting to create one-of-a-kind dining experiences with classic and unique menu items alike. Some restaurants, while creating lots of buzz, weren’t immediately well received by all.
"The truth is that LocoL has hit a nerve,” wrote LocoL co-founder Roy Choi responded when a New York Times restaurant critic gave the restaurant a zero-star review. “Doesn't mean all people love it, some hate it. But no one is indifferent by it. ... His criticisms are a reflection of us and the nerve that LocoL touches. And our imperfections. Also the nerve of challenging the binary structure of privileged thought patterns and how life is not just about what's a success or failure, but some things are real struggles and growth journeys."
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About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
