The editors of FastCasual.com are now accepting nominations for The 2014 Fast Casual Top 100.
The annual publication is a wildly popular mix of rankings compiled from industry nominations as well as a panel of industry experts.
Categories include:
- The Top 50 Fast Casual Concepts
- The Top 25 Most Influential Fast Casual Movers & Shakers
- The Top 10 Menu Innovations
- The Top 10 Technologies
- The Top 5 Marketing Campaigns
Past winners include Fazoli’s, Smashburger, Firehouse Subs, MOOYAH Burgers, Au Bon Pain, Chipotle and Panera Bread.
“This list is always hard to narrow down because innovation is a staple in the fast casual industry,” said Cherryh Butler, editor of FastCasual.com. “This year, we have added a new category to recognize the industry’s top marketing campaigns. Winners could include anything from creative ads and social media contests to funny slogans or Youtube or Vine videos. We want to showcase those campaigns that have really led to increased traffic and sales.”
Nominations, which can be made here, close Jan. 7, and Butler pointed out that the selection process isn’t necessarily about how many times a brand is mentioned, or even about sales figures.
“We also look closely at why each brand is nominated, so make sure you give specific feedback on the survey,” she said. “Mere revenue growth is not enough, either. We like to see how the brand contributed to the overall growth and evolution of the fast casual segment.”
Now in its 10th year, the 2014 ranking will be revealed May 18 during an elegant banquet at the annual NRA show in Chicago.
Nominations can be made at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TMSYCYN.
About fastcasual.com FastCasual.com, owned by Networld Media Group, is the world’s most-read news and information source to cover fast casual restaurants, which combine the speed of quick-service brands with an atmosphere and food quality typically associated with casual dining establishments. Of the $660 billion restaurant industry, fast casuals account for $31 billion, but they are driving growth in the restaurant industry, increasing sales 13.2 percent in sales in 2012, compared to an industry average of 5.1 percent.
About Networld Media Group Founded in 2000, Networld Media Group is a leading business-to-business media communications company specializing in digital media, associations and events in the mobile, self-service, digital signage, retail, food service and financial services industries. Online properties include ATMmarketplace.com, DigitalSignageToday.com, FastCasual.com, KioskMarketplace.com, MobilePaymentsToday.com, PizzaMarketplace.com, QSRweb.com, RetailCustomerExperience.com, SelfServiceWorld.com and ChurchCentral.com. The company produces executive summits in the fast casual, retail, ATM and mobile payments industries. Its custom media division develops premium content and marketing services for associations such as the ATM Industry Association.
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