Blog: Does fast casual exist?

A blog on gothamist.com has asked, "Does 'fast-casual' even exist?" referring to a recent article in the New York Times discussing the popularity of the restaurant-industry trend.

In recent weeks, several newspaper articles from across the United States (and even Canada)have profiled the fast-casual restaurant industry and asked the question, "What, exactly, is it?"

In the 2006 article, Defining fast casual, we supply our formula for what fast casual is:

Restaurant service model (food is brought to the table or food is picked up) + food is made to order + price points + nice décor = fast-casual restaurant.

It's not an exact science, but at least it's a place to start.