Fast casual is undisputedly the poster child of growth within the restaurant industry. Five years ago, the segment had barely begun to thrive, with only a handful of concepts making their names, but now more fast casual champions are entering the playing field. In fact, just two years ago, fast casual sales were reported to have skyrocketed 600 percent since 1999. With this rapid expansion and with the influx of concepts, why have consumers embraced this segment and how do operators stand out?

In this  "On Foodable Insight Series" episode, industry experts explore that while the segment was initially known to be dominated by better-burger ideas and craft pizza, there is a hatching success for concepts focused on the chicken sector. The consumer eats two times as much chicken as any other protein and has a reputation of being the healthier alternative after fish. It's no surprise that is a growing arena for fast casuals in order to meet the consumer demand. 

Sean Kennedy, president and CEO of Cowboy Chicken, said his brand sets itself apart because they do not fry their products. Their chicken is artisan, cooked naturally over a hickory wood-burning fire, and their service target time is four minutes from point-of-sale to delivery. Astonishing, but how much headroom improvement is left in the fast casual space?