Blog

The 2012 Fast Casual Top Movers and Shakers [Infographic]

The top restaurant chains, people, trends and technologies shaping the fast casual segment.

June 18, 2012 by Valerie Killifer — Editor, FastCasual.com

Just as fast casuals change recipes from time to time, so do publishers. This year—our 7th of publishing the Fast Casual Top 100—we decided, as did many of our brands last year, to add some new flavors to our mix...and an infographic.

In the past, the Top 100 focused exclusively on concepts. In so doing, it omitted a range of important factors that contributed to the continued growth of this rich segment. For this edition, then, our rankings include not only the top brands, but also the people, trends and technologies that contributed most to fast casual. The infographic below provides a snapshot of the top selections in each category.

I am optimistic that the new method provides a better reflection of the segment as a whole. Just as in business, it takes a full view to understand where the segment has been and where it’s headed. We hope you believe that our top 100 provides such a view and will continue to do so as we move into another year filled with success.

If you like the infographic, please feel free to post it on your own website or blog using the embed code below.

+ click to enlarge image