The last five years have seen the emergence of the casual fast-food phenomenon, a trend line first identified by Gerald Celente in the Trends Journal and later in his book Trends 2000.
In a CNBC article earlier this month, it was reported that fast-casual restaurants are the “only niche in the restaurant sector that’s shown any growth — and that has led to some big public offerings, from Chipotle to Shake Shack.”
The article went on to show that this new generation of fast casual-food providers, pushing a healthier alternative to more traditional fast food, does not provide healthy alternatives at all.
In fact, several of these chains ― Chipotle being a good example — produce high-salt, calorie-rich meals disguised as healthier alternatives.
The institute forecast that the move toward healthier “clean foods,” as Celente first termed the movement, would gain steam in the early years of this new century. It has done just that. And the growth curve for fast-casual food will show steady growth.
TREND FORECAST: The chains will struggle to produce their brand of what is truly healthy, clean food. But the “healthy” brand will serve them well and sustain growth. That said, their market share will be dwarfed by the traditional junk-food chains, who are best positioned to serve cheaper food for large portions of the population still suffering from low wages and no upward mobility.