Even though much of the U.S. restaurant industry continues to struggle with sluggish customer visits, the fast casual channel continues to grow. This July 2018 QSR article discusses how visits to fast casual restaurants have grown 6 percent annually over the last five years, stemming in large part from store openings, and how fast casual units have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 7 percent over the last five years.
QSR Magazine – Study: Fast Casual Traffic Only Segment to Grow in Last 5 Years