Are Casual Restaurants Going the Way of the Dinosaurs?

Where do they stand in the times of fast casual and delivery?

Photo by Kate Townsend

I’ve seen some changes come through the restaurant industry since I joined its family. A CBS story discussed the recession of 2008 and how hard it hit the casual restaurant. Some long-time chains closed their doors completely, forced to file bankruptcy, while the restaurants that provided a cheap sit down experience held on. As eating out became a luxury not everyone could afford, we saw a rise in the fast food chains’ profits. The pendulum began to swing away from the casual restaurant toward cheaper options.

After years, even though the industry has bounced back, we’re still seeing a shift as to where people are spending their money. According to Forbes, diners are spending more money at fast-casual and less at traditional restaurants. The industry has also seen an increase in the usage of delivery services as opposed to dining in. These signs plus the difficulty in finding staff make me wonder where the casual restaurant will fit into the industry in the coming years and how it will affect restaurants in the future.

“What can the casual restaurants do to swing the pendulum back their way?”

“What major impacts have happened because of the loss of sales in casual restaurants?”