Mother's Restaurant: One of the original Fast Casual concepts?

September 14, 2010

Sunday morning I had breakfast in Mother's Restaurant in New Orleans. Per photo attached, it was established in 1938. As I prepare to attend the "Fast Casual Executive Summit" in October, I wondered if Mother's was one of the originators of the fast casual concept. For as long as I can remember, you ordered at the register, took a seat and waited for the service team to bring your food. In New Orleans, this is still a relatively little used concept except in the national chains. When I moved to Houston, the prevalence of fast casual astounded me. One of the questions I need to ask at the summit is WHAT drove this service model? Was it less expensive, more efficient, consumers preferred? I understand why it works from a business perspective but why do consumers like the model? As a consumer, why do you choose fast casual restaurants?