Quick Service Restaurants or Casual Dining
Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) have become a lot more popular in recent years. The need for quality food quickly has increased with everyone on the move more. However, this need has not reduced the quality, restaurants are still expected to produce a great product in a reduced time
The QSR market in the UK is currently worth more than £20bn with an average growth rate over five years of 1.3% according to plusaccounting.co.uk. This sounds like a huge number but when you compare it to the United States, the sector was worth over $300 bn in 2021 alone.
According to Statista.com the most popular QSR in the UK is Greggs in the first quarter of 2022 with 74% of the British public having a positive opinion of the brand. With Pizza Express, KFC (owned by Yum! Brands Inc), Pizza Hut (also owned by Yum! Brands Inc), and Costa Coffee rated in the top five all with 58% having a positive opinion of the brand.
The term quick-serve is also often known as fast food, the majority of fast-food restaurants are operated as chain or franchises. This allows the chain to expand rapidly over a larger area with the costs for set up being shared between the franchise and the franchisee. This includes the likes of McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos and Subway. However, not all of the QSRs and casual dining operate in this way, some of them use the more traditional business model, such as Nando’s they operate as company owned restaurants rather than franchises.
There is a stigma that most QSRs simply serve unhealthy food, this has been changing over the last few years with companies adapting their menus and bringing in plant-based products, salads, wraps and other healthier options into the mix. McDonald’s first introduced fruit bags in 2005. Over 17 years ago and since then they have continued to expand their healthy eating range.
