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Why New York town's ban on fast casual is a mistake

April 3, 2013 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

I'm all for supporting local eating establishments, but Eastchester, N.Y.'s ban on fast casual restaurants goes to the extreme. It's one thing to tout, "Eat, Buy local," but it's another thing to take away the choice. Plus, many fast casual establishments are often franchises, so supporting them is often supporting your neighbors.

Eastchester Town Supervisor Anthony Colavita doesn't see it that way. He told MyFoxNY that his town of 30,000+, simply doesn't want fast food. The town's board voted earlier this week to amend its zoning code, which had already banned quick-service restaurants, to prohibit chains that have more than 15 locations.

"...and we also decided that this 'fast casual thing' that's developing out there wasn't something we wanted to have either," Colavita told MyFoxNY. He said in another story that the town wasn't "Going to cheapen the town with fast food or these formula fast-quick casual places."

I guess Colavita hasn't caught on that this "fast casual thing" isn't just a trend to ignore, nor are these types of restaurants about pumping out cheap food in units with "standardized decor and corporate-driven architecture," as written in and banned by the town's zoning code.

So many fast casuals these days strive to serve fresh, healthy fare and really try to give each restaurant a local flavor. For example, Smashburger's menu in Shreveport, La., has Cajun-style flavors, while its Louisville, Ky., location boasts a "Bluegrass Burger" with a Bourban-made sauce. Johnny Rockets also specializes in localizing menus. Its Lincoln Park restaurant features localized menu options to reflect some of Chicago's favorite cuisine items, including Chicago-style Hot Dogs and an Italian Beef Sandwich.

Many fast casuals also go out of their way to use locally sourced products. Fast casual giant Chipotle, in fact, used 10 million pounds of produce from "local" farms in 2012. Elevation Burger, FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt, Burgerville, Freshii and Asian Box also buy and serve local whenever possible. And those are just a few of many.

Eastchester already has a Starbucks and a Dunkin' Donuts, so those are grandfathered in, but the town has no plans to allow other chains. In fact, Colavita and crew rejected a February request from Panera to set up shop.

I think this decision is a disservice to the community members. Fast casual restaurants not only bring in jobs and allow the regular Joes of the world to be business owners, but Eastchester residents are also missing out on some delicious cuisine.

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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