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FEATURE ARTICLE, MAY 2005
FAST-CASUAL HAS DESIGNS ON DINING
Quick-casual restaurants use cuisine and scene to differentiate themselves from the fast-food crowd.
Brian Tiedge
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Tiedge |
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A well-known maxim is that the only constant in life is change. In American dining, this is best demonstrated in the new segment of restaurants known as “fast casual” or “quick casual.” Not to be confused with fast food (or, as they prefer to be known, “quick service”), fast-casual restaurants started appearing in the past decade or so and have grown into a nearly $6 billion annual industry niche, with projections to grow to more than $30 billion in the coming decade.
When I was a young man, fast food was just hitting its stride, providing quick, inexpensive meals to the growing population of working Americans who either lacked the time or the desire to prepare each meal at home. Fare at a typical American fast-food restaurant was generally simple, ranging from cheeseburgers and fries to ground-beef tacos. Service and décor were equally simple, with customers purchasing their meals at a counter, receiving their food wrapped in paper and consuming it from a molded plastic chair bolted to the floor under harsh lighting.
Over the years, as more and more Americans joined the full-time workforce, and as time for meals and their preparation became more of a rare luxury, the consumption of fast-food meals grew, as did the nutritional and taste sophistication of the public. Indeed, with the maturation of the baby boomer generation and their children, the demand for healthier, tastier alternatives has grown exponentially. In response to the changing preferences and demands of the consuming public, the emergence of the fast-casual segment of American cuisine began in the 1990s, offering more diverse and tasteful menu options. In lieu of the greasy burgers and French fries, there came diverse, flavorful and healthier choices like carne asada burritos, pastas, paninis and more exotic noodle dishes.
Having taken considerable pains to upgrade their menus and service, fast-casual restaurants also embrace more sophisticated and comfortable designs to reflect their higher quality and to further differentiate themselves from their fast-food cousins. Gone are the traditional laminate countertops, plastic chairs and tables, Formica floors, harsh fluorescent lighting, and glaring primary color schemes. Replacing these simple design features are fireplaces, architectural stone, wood tables, upholstered seating, open kitchens, tasteful art, muted lighting and sophisticated color schemes that present a welcome, comfortable setting in which to dine.
Noodles & Company, one of the leaders of the growing fast-casual segment, has found that sophisticated customers crave more ethnic foods. In response, their menus consist of American noodle dishes (like macaroni and cheese), European (such as penne with tomato sauce) and Asian noodle offerings. “I think consumers are looking for stronger, more sophisticated flavor profiles, and ingredients that are slightly exotic,” explains Aaron Kennedy of the Boulder, Colorado-based chain.
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Noodles & Company's new, modern interior features fresh design elements. Courtesy of Noodles & Company
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At Noodles & Company, the décor features a warm, nature-inspired palate of spice red, ochre and sage green. Natural banded-wood tabletops lend a slightly Asian feel, and wavy half-walls reflect the theme of the restaurants’ noodles. Light maple-colored wooden fins hang from the ceilings, and the chairs are an eclectic mix of wood finishes — maple, cherry and walnut. The carpets are olive green, with flecks of spice colors; terra cotta lines the entrance and walkways.
The design of Noodles & Company restaurants reflects the quality of the cuisine and promotes a comfortable dining experience. “The decor delivers a much more enjoyable experience for the customer,” says Kennedy. “It’s much more akin to casual dining or a neighborhood bistro. It creates a generally higher quality perception and takes the whole experience to a higher level.”
Wyoming-based Taco John’s, which began 35 years ago as a more traditional quick-serve restaurant chain, has repositioned itself as part of the emerging quick-casual market. Offering an authentic Mexican menu, Taco John’s is redesigning its restaurants to better reflect the quality of the fare served there. “We want to build on the heritage of Taco John’s by preserving some of our earlier design elements and smoothly blend them with the new,” explains Brian Dixon, vice president of marketing.
Americans vote with their pocketbooks, and these businesses have found that the more affluent, health-conscious market of working Americans expect, and are willing to pay for, higher quality meals and environments. A tasty meal is not enough to compete in this market; quality design is a required element in the success of the fast-casual segment.
Brian Tiedge is a principal with MCG Architecture in Denver.
©2005 France Publications, Inc. Duplication
or reproduction of this article not permitted without authorization
from France Publications, Inc. For information on reprints
of this article contact Barbara
Sherer at (630) 554-6054.
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