From Conception to First Bite: The Intersection of Food and Technology When Launching a Fast-Casual Restaurant Open Access

Abstract

Building on research surrounding fast-casual restaurants, this work explores how a fast-casual restaurant can survive in a post-pandemic world. This study investigates the Atlanta’s fast-casual restaurant scene, examining practices and developments through recent innovations such as ghost kitchens, apps, automation, and understanding where the opportunity zone is located. This study closely follows a developing Atlanta based emerging fast-casual chain, Recess Concepts, LLC. 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................1

Chapter I: Literature Review & The History Of U.S. Food Regulation......................................................................... 3

I. American Meat Consumption and Regulations...................................................................................................... 3

II. Emerging Fast-Food Culture................................................................................................................................. 6

III. Nutrition and Diet ................................................................................................................................................ 8

IV . Food Sourcing and Supply Chains ...................................................................................................................... 9

Chapter II: Industry Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 11

I. Consumer Culture................................................................................................................................................. 11

II. COVID-19........................................................................................................................................................... 12

III. Technology ........................................................................................................................................................ 12

IV . Consumer Behavior and Decisions ................................................................................................................... 15

V. Recess Concepts, LLC........................................................................................................................................16

VI. Atlanta Fast-Casual/Quick-Service-Restaurant (QSR) Analysis ...................................................................... 19

Chapter III:

Methodology ............................................................................................................................................ 22

I. Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................. 22

II. Recruitment, Data Collection, and Privacy Rights ............................................................................................. 22

III. Study Population................................................................................................................................................ 23

IV. Development of Interview Questions................................................................................................................23

V . Methods For Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 24

Chapter IV: Interview Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 26

I. Sustainability Practices, Sourcing, and Distribution ............................................................................................ 26

a. Nestlé.......................................................................................................................................................... 26

b. Sweetgreen ................................................................................................................................................. 28

c. MetroFresh ................................................................................................................................................. 30

d. Recess......................................................................................................................................................... 32

II. COVID-19 Pandemic .......................................................................................................................................... 33

a. Nestlé.......................................................................................................................................................... 33

b. Sweetgreen ................................................................................................................................................. 34

c. MetroFresh ................................................................................................................................................. 35

d. Recess......................................................................................................................................................... 36

III. Technology and Innovation ............................................................................................................................... 38

a. Nestlé.......................................................................................................................................................... 38

b. Sweetgreen ................................................................................................................................................. 40

c. Recess.........................................................................................................................................................43

Chapter V: Conclusion and Recommendations............................................................................................................ 46

I. Industry................................................................................................................................................................. 46

II.Future of Recess................................................................................................................................................... 48

Appendix .....................................................................................................................................................................49

Section A: Participants Interviewed and Interview Details .................................................................................... 49

Section B:Sample Interview Questions .................................................................................................................. 50

Section C:Images of Atlanta Businesses and Recess Brand Development ........................................................... 51

Section D: Images of Sweetgreen, Cava, and Uber Eats Ordering Application ..................................................... 55

References ...................................................................................................................................................................56 

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Agriculture, Animal Culture and Nutrition Agriculture, Food Science and Technology Business Administration, Marketing
Keyword	Restaurant, Fast-casual, Food, Recess, Sweetgreen, Nestle, Atlanta, Meat, Fast-food.
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Peter Wakefield, Emory University
Committee Members	Marina Cooley , Emory University Jonathan Crane, Emory University

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