This article is poorly sourced and USA-specific. The term is not used outside the USA; it appears to be merely a variant of Cafeteria or Self-Service Restaurant. It should be merged as a subsection of Cafeteria, which would allow for better sourcing and a better globalised view. Andrew Oakley (talk) 15:19, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

• Oppose - they are not the same, a fast casual restaurant is a variation on the fast food concept that offers a higher quality product in a more upscale environment. A cafeteria is not the same thing as it is often a facility within a facility such as a school, hospital or business. The nominator shows a lack of knowledge of the commercial food industry that colors his proposal, examples of the three different business concepts can be found in the articles York Steak House (cafeteria style restaurant), Burger King (traditional fast food), Panera Bread (fast casual) and Friendly's (traditional casual restaurant). Cafeterias are a self service affair where the food sits at various stations, fully prepared, and the patron comes along and picks it up from each station; in fast food and fast casual restaurants food is ordered en toto and picked up from the server. Fast casual restaurants are hybrids of the fast food restaurant and traditional casual restaurants; fast casual utilizes the fast food concept of ordering food at an ordering station but differs in the preparation of the food. Fast food restaurant's products are traditionally made from pre-made ingredients (burgers are precooked and assembled upon ordering), while fast casual borrows from the standard sit down concept and makes the food fresh upon ordering. Wait times are usually a little longer in fast casual restaurants versus traditional fast food restaurants and, as the article states, often offer higher quality products with more complex ingredients than the traditional fast food restaurant.
  
  Additionaly, while the name is primarily a North American invention, examples of the concept can be found in commercial foodservice publications in other English speaking nations. --Jeremy (blah blah • I did it!) 15:24, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

The mere fact that they do not exist in Asia, Europe, etc. does not mean that they do not merit their own article as a specific US phenomenon. E.g. see cha chaan teng which may not exist outside Hong Kong (or Chinatowns) but is clearly a legitimate, distinct category of restaurant. The restaurant industry in the United States is highly segmented, both culturally and economically. Cafeterias are a distinct type of establishment very different from fast casual restaurants. In the United States at least, the main difference is the cafeterias are self-service while fast casual are counter-service. --68.175.44.30 (talk) 19:07, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

• Merge - The above does nothing whatsoever to persuade me that this is not simply a cafeteria. They certainly do not exist in Europe. Even is there is a slight difference between this and a cafeteria (which I personally strongly doubt), it would be better to make brief note of it in the cafeteria article since the distinction is so slight as to not deserve a whole other article. --86.156.100.30 (talk) 20:46, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

• Oppose. "Fast casual restaurant" is a marketing term to denote a fast food restaurant with better ambience. Panera Bread, for example.[1] They have very little in common with cafeterias. Kafziel ^{Complaint Department} 00:14, 8 October 2009 (UTC)

• Oppose. Cafeteria? Really? Please look up the definition. --Nricardo (talk) 02:14, 14 October 2009 (UTC)

• Oppose. I live in Berlin, and the fast-casual style of restaurant definitely exists here. I agree that it's similar to a self-service restaurant or a cafeteria, but it's different enough to stand on its own. To me, a cafeteria is a place where you grab a tray and walk down a line picking up prepared food from stations along the way. Apreble (talk) 01:45, 21 November 2009 (UTC)