Page 10 The Skanner January 20, 2016
News
‘Fast food’ Becoming a Dirty Term in Restaurant Industry
National chains try out different catch phrases — such as ‘fine casual’ and ‘fast crafted’ — to sell their fare
NEW YORK — Fast food is be-
coming a dirty term.
As smaller players challenge
fast-food chains like McDon-
ald’s and Burger King, they’re
fighting to set themselves
apart by describing their food
as “fast-casual,” ‘’fine casual,”
‘’fast crafted” and even “fan
food.” That’s even though they
follow the same basic format:
People standing in a line to or-
der and pay a cashier for their
food.
The new phrases are being
embraced as companies try
to position their offerings as
fresher or higher quality to
distance further their menu
items from the stigma that fast
food is greasy, cheap and un-
healthy.
Even traditional fast-food
chains acknowledge they have
an image problem. McDonald’s
Corp. has said it wants to trans-
“
PHOTO BY CANDICE CHOI / ASSOCIATED PRESS
CANDICE CHOI
AP Food Industry Writer
This Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, photo, shows a “McPick 2 for $2” deal at a McDonald’s
restaurant in New York. Restaurant chains – reacting to backlash against the
concept of “fast food” – are toying with using other phrases to sell their products.
but fast food.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
and Panera Bread Co. are wide-
ly referred to in the industry
ties and Exchange Commis-
sion, Shake Shack explained:
“Fine casual couples the ease,
value
and
I think [Jon Stewart] would come up with his
own term, but I’m sure he would have some
fun at our cost
form into a “modern, progres-
sive burger company.” And
Yum CEO Greg Creed has not-
ed the need for the company’s
Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut
chains to redefine the meaning
of fast food, which is seen as in-
dustrial and impersonal.
In the meantime, others are
cooking up phrases to tele-
graph that they are anything
as “fast casual” chains, a term
meant to convey that they
serve dishes that are in line
with what people might find at
a casual, sit-down restaurant.
Shake Shack, the New York
City-based burger chain, took
it a step further last year when
it declared itself to be “fine ca-
sual.”
In a filing with the Securi-
convenience
of fast casu-
al concepts
with the high
standards of
excellence in
thoughtful
ingredient
sourcing,
preparation,
hospitality
and quality grounded in fine
dining.”
Even Arby’s, whose food
has been mocked on The Dai-
ly Show by former host Jon
Stewart, is trying to change its
image and has started calling
itself “fast crafted.”
Chris Fuller, a spokesman for
Arby’s, said the chain came up
with description after holding
“Brand Camp” meetings with
employees around the country
in 2014.
Workers were given cards
with the names of restaurant
chains, and told to lay them
out in order, with “fast-food”
representing one end and “fast
casual” representing the other
end. Arby’s always fell some-
where in the middle, Fuller
said.
As a result, he said the chain
realized it offered the conve-
nience of fast-food, but also of-
fers “that made-for-your care”
with its sandwiches.
When asked how he thought
Stewart might react if he were
still on The Daily Show, Fuller
said: “I think he would come
up with his own term, but I’m
sure he would have some fun
at our cost.”
Arby’s isn’t alone, of course.
Del Taco says it considers itself
to be “QSR-plus,” a reference to
the industry term “quick ser-
vice restaurant” that’s used to
refer to fast-food.
And Dairy Queen’s tag line is
“Fan Food Not Fast Food.”
Allen Adamson, founder of
BrandSimple Consulting, said
the trend shows the term fast-
food has become the “death
star” of the industry.
Adamson noted there was a
time when the idea of getting
food quickly was a unique con-
cept, but that restaurants can
no longer rely on speed alone
to attract customers.
“Everything can be fast to-
day. What you want to com-
municate is something more
desirable,” he said.
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For The Skanner News
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