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Feature Article, May 2005
The Importance Of Design In The ‘Fast Casual' Market
Quick service restaurants step up to the plate and realize that the food isn't the only element that attracts customers.
Brian Tiedge
One of life's maxims is that the only constant in life is change. In the world of American restaurants, this is demonstrated best 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. Thirty years ago, 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 and receiving 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 with, at best, the smiling likeness of a painted clown hanging from the wall as decoration.
Over the years, as more and more Americans left the home and joined the full-time workforce, and as time for meals and their preparation became more of a rare luxury, the consumption of these meals grew; so too did the nutritional and taste sophistication of the public. Indeed, with the maturation of the baby boom generation and their children, neither of which does much cooking, 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. Gone were the greasy burgers and french fries, replaced with diverse, flavorful, and healthier choices like carne asada burritos, pastas, paninis and more exotic noodle dishes.
Having taken considerable pains to upscale 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.
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Inside a prototype Noodles & Company location. Photo courtesy of Noodles & Company.
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Denver-based Noodles & Company, one of the leaders of the growing fast casual segment, has found that sophisticated customers crave more ethnic foods. In response, its 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, though not so exotic that they are unfamiliar or unapproachable,” explains Aaron Kennedy of Noodles & Company.
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.
Taco John's locations incorporate a more colorful palate of orange-tinted reds, peppered-gold and dark greens. Adhered stones are used throughout, particularly in the entryways and countertops, and metal awnings top the windows. The re-imaging program focuses on the environment of Taco John's restaurants to reflect the high quality, great tasting, freshly prepared food its customers have come to expect, Dixon says.
As with the more sophisticated food offerings available at fast casual restaurants, consumers enjoy an equally inviting décor at these locations. 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, as well as a member of the company's board of directors.
©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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