fast-casual

adjective

fast-ca·​su·​al ˈfast-ˈkazh-wəl 

-ˈka-zhə-wəl, 

-ˈka-zhəl

variants or less commonly fast casual

: of, relating to, or being a restaurant that combines elements of fast-food service (such as counter ordering) with other elements (such as made-to-order food) that are typical of a full-service restaurant

The fast-casual restaurants typically offer fresh, hand-prepared burgers and fries in an atmosphere that might feature plush chairs and a fireplace but no kiddie playland.

—Karen Robinson-Jacobs

Not content to merely upgrade their menus, some chains are looking at overhauling their entire concept to match the fast-casual approach, whereby meals typically are prepared to order and there is limited table service.

—Julie Tamaki

fast-casual noun

or fast casual

plural fast-casuals or fast casuals

… fast-casuals became the darling of the last decade, driven in part by the effects of the Great Recession, skyrocketing rents and rising food costs.

—Tim Carman

Examples of fast-casual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cimarusti along with his wife and partner Crisi Echiverri cite surging labor and seafood costs, post-pandemic sales drops and shifting habits as ‘middle restaurants’ — between fast-casual and tasting menu destinations — falter. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026

Over in Connecticut, Mystic Fish Camp, the latest from James Beard Award-winning chef David Standridge (The Shipwright’s Daughter), brings back the nostalgia summer camp feels at its fast-casual fish shack. —Carissa Chesanek, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

Five years after Traveler’s Table debuted, the Mitchells expanded to fast-casual sister restaurant Traveler’s Cart at 1401 Montrose Blvd. —Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle, 5 May 2026

Hart said Hometown also helps fill an unmet niche downtown by adding a high-quality, fast-casual option that complements existing restaurants and broadens the choices available to residents and visitors. —Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fast-casual

• casual