Comments on: Serving Up Cheap (and Healthy) Fast Food

By: Ted Mininni

Ted Mininni — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:44:57 +0000

Hi Anita,
Thanks for weighing in with your comments. Agreed: healthy + fast is a great trend in fast casual dining now, and it’s about time, right? Still, even with these new offerings, consumers will still opt for fast and less healthy. The key is education: parents need to instill good habits in their children from the beginning, so they can make sound choices for themselves as they grow up. We are actually discussing two segments of the restaurant industry here: fast food and fast casual. The greatest growth potential is in the latter and as Paul said, if anyone can execute this formula well, it ought to be two alums from McDonald’s. Stay tuned. . . .

By: Anita Allison

Anita Allison — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:54:09 +0000

LOVE IT! Healthy fast food is the answer…period. If our American diet is not changed dramatically today, this generation of kids will be the first to live sicker and die younger than their parents. Yes, taste and service are very important as well, but the bulk of us live life in the fast land, so convenience reigns…which is why we need to change the fast food industry – one restaurant at a time. Check out what we are doing at http://www.livegreen2go.com!

By: Ted Mininni

Ted Mininni — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:59:52 +0000

Thanks for opining, Paul. Agreed. Let’s remember: there’s also a difference between fast food and fast casual restaurants where consumers expect the experience to be stepped up. Every detail matters. That’s why I particularly liked Donahue’s statement: “After getting the formula down, they will determine “if and how quickly the concept can scale.” That’s the right approach to take. Exactly right.

By: Paul Barsch

Paul Barsch — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:41:46 +0000

Ted, Chipotle has showed that there’s definitely a market for fast, (mostly) sustainable food of good quality. As you mentioned, getting the food quality is paramount, but so is operational execution and excellence. That’s where Mike Roberts and Mike Donahue will really help!