According to a recent report by the NPD Group, for the year ending August 2021, visits to fast casual restaurants were eight percent higher than for the corresponding 12-months ending August 2020.  Fast casual restaurants were seriously impacted by COVID with a 23 percent reduction in visits during the second quarter of 2020. As opposed to quick service restaurants, fast casual operations generally lacked drive-thru capability and were slow in developing take-away sales and home delivery.

David Portalatin of the NPD Group stated, “Fast casual restaurants have capitalized on the lessons they learned during the pandemic.”  He added, “Their customers are happy to return because so many fast casual restaurants have built a strong clientele based on their innovation and ability to deliver a quality customer experience.”