Top 25 Brands to Watch in Fast Casual

Panera Bread was one of the first chains to publicly remove all artificial ingredients from its menu, dropping more than 150 food additives and replacing with fresh, natural and minimally processed foods. The company closed out 2015 with more than 1,900 locations and as of September 2016, Panera’s site states there are 2,024 cafes in 46 states. The brand is building off rapid development and increased sales as it enters the next year, closing out Q3 with more than $684 million in profits.

Panera is a trailblazer for other fast casuals looking to make the switch to a more health conscious approach.

Pita Pit announced its 600th store opening in February and launched a revamped brand image in the fall, shifting focus from the fresh, healthy concept the brand was founded on to the high quality of its flavor-packed pitas. Pita Pit also started highlighting top selling items with limited time offers like the Chicken Souvlaki Pita to entice regular customers to try something a little different and draw interest from new customers and potential franchisees.

• "Pita Pit's growth goals have always been centered around finding great franchisees and great locations, with a focus on delivering a great experience,” said Pita Pit President Peter Riggs. “We never say, ‘we absolutely have to open X number of stores this year.’ Instead, our main focus is opening stores where we can provide the level of quality product people have come to expect from Pita Pit.”

Panda Express has proudly become America’s largest Chinese restaurant chain, serving favorites like Orange Chicken and Broccoli Beef and consistently adding new items to the menu. Panda Express has more than double the number of locations than its next biggest competitor, Pei Wei, and shows no sign of slowing down. The chain’s privately held company Panda Restaurant Group Inc. started investing in alternative companies that sell everything from pizzas to salad. The goal is to aid in growing smaller chains, learn how to utilize delivery and strengthen international growth.

Shake Shack released its quarterly numbers in early November of 2016 and revenue had jumped a whopping 40 percent to $74.6 million year over year. This spike comes on the heels of a 2015 same-store sales increase of 17 percent.

The company has introduced a number of new menu items this year including a few successful limited time offerings. Continued innovation is key to the company’s success and looking ahead, the brand is introducing new seasonal shake flavors. Founded in 2004 as a kiosk location in New York City, Shake Shack has grown significantly in 12 years, opening the 100th location in August and celebrating ongoing overseas expansion.

Your Pie is a fast casual pizza franchise that takes pride in its unique topping combinations with its “Craft Pie Series,” a monthly rotating pie crafted by the creative minds of the Your Pie team. The series reaffirms Founder Drew French’s Italian roots with the use of fresh ingredients and even family recipes. The brand is quickly becoming one of the leaders in the fast casual pizza category. With 37 locations across the country and dozens more in development, Your Pie is gearing up to take an even bigger bite out of the competitive pizza segment.

Halal Guys is a street food business that started off in New York City and started franchising in 2014 after recognizing the concept was filling a void for Middle Eastern cuisine in the fast casual space. The chain currently has more than 12 franchised locations, more than 200 units in development across the United States and recently sparked international development. With its cult following, affordable cuisine and high demand, Halal Guys is definitely a newcomer in the space to watch.

Jimmy Johns’ freaky fast delivery helped earn the brand $2,018,700 in sales in 2015. The franchise closed out 2015 with 2,450 locations, reporting 16 percent growth over 2014. Jimmy Johns recently sold a majority stake to Roark Capital Group, current investor of major brands like Arby’s and Carl’s Jr., which could mean the brand is looking at expanding globally. Plan on hearing even more about this sandwich giant’s development over the next few years.

MOOYAH launched a new “Taste to Try” campaign this year, offering guests new burger combinations every month and reporting improvement of both customer engagement and month-over-month sales. After expanding into major metros like Boston and Los Angeles in 2016, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is anticipating incredible growth entering 2017, looking towards expanding into key markets, growing on existing markets and increasing international presence.

Famous sweet tea wasn’t the only thing making this brand $548 million in system-wide sales in 2015. The brand launched a new restaurant design in 2015 and opened 27 new restaurants, maintaining steady growth with a current roster of more than 361 restaurants in 28 states. Locations nationwide now sport a wide variety of seating areas with a more inviting atmosphere, even reintroducing chalkboard inspired menus similar to those the brand used at launch.

Which Wich Superior Sandwiches launched a new online ordering process and rolled out delivery which is being implemented in various locations across the country. Making technology accessible as new systems, designs and products are introduced to the market has improved the customer service experience for Which Wich’s guests and ultimately led to increased expansion. The chain also launched a new kid’s menu in 2016, geared towards the preferences of moms and the preferred flavor profiles of their kids, along with several different LTOs based on current food trends like the Superfood Wich.

Which Wich also has a year-long nationwide charity initiative, Project PB&J, where each location agrees to match a guests donation of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with one of their own.

Toppers Pizza has doubled in size over the last three years and continues to entice multi-unit investors to join its ranks with a solid concept, compelling AUVs and high quality ingredients. Toppers Pizza has been recognized by both Entrepreneur and QSR Magazines in 2016 as one of the top 500 franchises in the states and one of the year’s Best Franchise Deals. The franchise has become famous for its wide assortment of toppings and to drive the point home, Toppers recently removed the extra cost per additional topping, inviting pizza lovers to customize without breaking the bank.

Firehouse Subs has continued to stun the industry with year-over-year growth since launch. Brothers and founders Chris and Robin Sorensen opened their first location in 1994 and surpassed the opening of their 1000th unit this year. Sticking to the charitable mission of Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, the brand has donated over $25 million to public safety organizations across the country.