Infographic: Fast And Casual Dining Is Big Business

When Americans want their burger, fries, tacos or chips, but they also want to take it up just a notch, they opt for fast-casual dining chains. These restaurants that are just a tiny bit fancier than your average fast food chain have been opening more new restaurants than any other dining category even amidst the coronavirus pandemic, according to QSR Magazine.

Ahead of the pack is TexMex eatery Chipotle, which managed to overtake runner-up Panera Bread in the pandemic year. According to the QSR 50 ranking, from which the numbers are taken, both Chipotle and Panera could benefit from their ongoing efforts to digitize even more once the pandemic hit. Like in previous years, Asian food chain Panda Express comes in rank 3 and was lauded for its early and thorough pandemic response to keep staff and customers save from the virus.

Because many companies in the segment are not publicly listed, QSR estimated the figures for several chains on the list.

The biggest winner in the segment was Texas chicken joint Wingstop, which grew its sales by almost 50 percent between 2019 and 2020, landing it in rank 4 of the biggest fast-casual chains in the U.S. The brand's aggressive expansion strategy is aiming to make it a "top 10 global brand". According to QSR estimates, this caused the chain catch up to competitor Zaxby's, which only grew its sales by around 9 percent in the same time frame.