Why It’s A Great Time to Buy a Fast Casual Franchise

Why it’s a great time to buy a fast casual franchise

We touched upon the numbers recently in our blog – owners and prospective owners have never been more interested in owning and operating franchises. And to be candid, now is a great time to buy a fast casual franchise in particular.

1. Interest in fast casual franchises is through the roof

Fast casual franchises have shown strong performance despite the pandemic. And they’re poised for continued growth in the coming years. Why exactly? Let’s break down just a few of the reasons why it’s a great time to buy a fast casual franchise:

2. Fast casual is filling a massive hole in food offerings right now.

Today’s customers want healthy, fresh food, and they want it quickly. And with COVID-19 still on top of many people’s minds, healthy food has never been more important. Typical fast food fare isn’t the first preference for today’s health conscious individuals and families. Particularly here at Shaka Kitchen, we are proud to boast a healthy menu of Aloha-inspired dishes. Chef and Founder Kiersten Gormeley has designed – and continues to innovate – exciting, vibrant dishes that are healthy and delicious. Our success throughout the pandemic is a testament in large part to our incredible menu and quality of dishes.

3. Particularly since the pandemic started, people are often looking to get fresh food, fast.

Healthy is important, but you can technically get “healthy” (or at least less-unhealthy!) food out of a vending machine (technically!). More customers today want healthy food that’s fast and fresh. That’s an area where only fast casual really excels. With fresh ingredients that are typically right in front of the consumer, they know that it’s fresh, and they’re watching it be made before their eyes. That’s an experience that has transformed quick eating (think of the subpar experiences many people have when they painfully watch their fast food being made 🤦‍♀️

4. Consumers (especially millennials and gen z) want the customization and personalization that comes with fast casual.

Millennial and Gen Z spending power comes out at over $165 billion in the U.S. And that doesn’t factor in their influence on their Gen X parents. And while there is conflicting data, studies suggest that both millennials and generation Z show a strong preference toward personalization in their consumer experiences (in addition to studies showing that both are especially biased toward healthy eating options).

In other words, fast casual franchises are MADE for millennials and gen z, and they are providing the experiences that these individuals want…oh, and where they have money to spend!

5. Fast casual often provides chef-level food options at lower price points and quicker service.

Everyone loves a gourmet dining experience. But not everyone loves the price tag. Or the hours-long meals. After all, we’ve got places to be, diapers to change, and more. Fast casual fills a void in dining options by providing chef-designed meals that could very well be found in a higher end restaurant. But, at lower price points and with significantly quicker service. We mentioned earlier how our menu is carefully crafted by Chef and Co-Founder Kiersten Gormeley. You may have even seen Kiersten on Food Network! While we don’t necessarily want to toot our own horn, as they say, we kind of feel like we should here. After all, we are extremely proud to have Kiersten at the helm! And the results in our restaurants are a fabulous testament to the power of chef-designed meals with the fast casual model.

We are thriving here at Shaka Kitchen, and our new franchise owners will be poised for significant success and growth as well. Our franchise program has been carefully designed by our leadership team and a range of franchising experts to be sure Shaka owners have everything they need to be successful. To learn more about franchising opportunities, contact us today. A member of our franchising team will follow up with you soon.