The Original Location of 12 American Fast-Casual Restaurants [MAP]
At the crossroads of full-service and fast-food restaurants lives the fast-casual concept. These restaurants sometimes offer a menu, but more often than not, the foundation of their business model is customizable food options made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Once the food is prepped, consumers can take it to go if they desire, but the atmosphere inside is often nice enough that dining in feels more elevated than it does at a McDonald’s or a Wendy’s.
The style of service skyrocketed in popularity during the Great Recession as diners sought out quick, affordable food options that were still healthy and fresh. Today, fast-casual restaurants remain incredibly popular, with the category led by major players like Chipotle and Panera Bread. Newer chains are growing rapidly, too, with establishments like Sweetgreen and Cava expanding from smaller local operations in the late aughts to chains with hundreds of locations across the country today. But where did each of these fast-casual restaurants get their start?
From Jersey Mike’s and Jimmy John’s to Cava and Sweetgreen, check out the original location of some of America’s largest fast-casual restaurant chains below!
Jersey Mike’s: Point Pleasant, New Jersey
This popular sandwich spot might be called Jersey Mike’s today, but it actually got its start as a restaurant called Mike’s Subs located near the beach in Point Pleasant. The first location was opened in 1956 by Mike Ingravallo, and it wasn’t until about 15 years later that it would begin to transform into the multinational chain it is today. In 1971, Peter Cancro, then a teenager, started working at Mike’s Subs to earn some spending money. When he heard that the owners would be selling the shop, he intervened, asking his football coach for some financial support before purchasing the chain. In 1975 at just 17 years old, Cancro became the sole owner and proprietor of the restaurant, renaming it Jersey Mike’s about a decade later. Cancro served as CEO of the company until April 2025, overseeing its growth from a single establishment to well over 3,000 locations across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Australia.
Jimmy John’s: Charleston, Illinois
The first Jimmy John’s opened its doors in 1983 just blocks away from the Eastern Illinois University campus in Charleston, Ill. To open the sandwich shop, 19-year-old founder Jimmy John Liautaud borrowed $25,000 from his father, an army veteran, who allegedly made him promise to join the army if he failed within a year. (Spoiler alert: Jimmy John succeeded.) Despite the fact that the original location only had four sandwiches on the menu — The Pepe, Totally Tuna, Turkey Tom, and Vito — consumers couldn’t get enough. Three years later, Liautaud opened a second location in Macomb, Ill., and today, Jimmy John’s is a bonafide sandwich empire. As of October 2025, the chain has over 2,700 locations across the U.S.
Panda Express: Glendale, California
Panda Express was founded in 1983 by Andrew and Peggy Cherng, as well as Andrew’s father, chef Ming Tsai Cherng. The concept for the now-beloved fast-casual restaurant was developed from the Panda Inn, a full-service restaurant opened by Andrew and his father a decade earlier in Pasadena. From the beginning, the Cherngs had the goal of producing Chinese American food that was capable of appealing to a broad consumer base, and it’s safe to say they succeeded. Several dishes, like the Orange Chicken and Chow Mein, have inspired thousands of copycat recipes online. To this day, the chain remains under Cherng family ownership and is the largest Asian restaurant chain in the U.S. with over 2,500 locations nationwide.
Five Guys: Arlington, Virginia
Famous for its greasy smash burgers and overflowing paper bags of french fries, Five Guys was founded by Janie and Jerry Murrell in Arlington, Va., in 1986. Initially named for Jerry and the couple’s four sons (before a fifth son was born), Five Guys remained a local chain with just five locations for its first 16 years of operation. In 2003, the company allowed for franchising opportunities, which drastically expanded the number of locations nationwide. According to the company, 18 months after franchising began, Five Guys opened over 300 locations. Nowadays, the menu has grown from just burgers and fries to include hot dogs, sandwiches, and milkshakes, which are sold at almost 2,000 locations worldwide.
Panera Bread: St. Louis, Missouri
Panera Bread might be an international chain now, but it started as a modest, family-owned bakery founded by Ken and Linda Rosenthal in 1987. Originally known as the St. Louis Bread Company, the bakery specialized in freshly baked artisanal breads, bagels, and light lunch fare like soups, salads, and sandwiches. By 1993, the St. Louis Bread Company was operating approximately 20 locations across Missouri and was acquired by Au Bon Pain Co., which rebranded the chain to Panera Bread. Over the course of the next five years, Panera Bread would open 1,000 locations nationwide, offering consumers from coast to coast a taste of its famous sourdough bread bowls. By 2017, the chain had more than doubled in size. Today, the chain operates over 2,200 locations, which brought in over $6 billion in systemwide sales last year.
Chipotle Mexican Grill: Denver, Colorado
It’s hard to think of a fast-casual restaurant more popular than Chipotle Mexican Grill. The chain got its start in Denver in 1993 when founder Steve Ells opened the first location just across the street from the University of Denver. Ells, a Culinary Institute of America alum, was inspired by the plethora of taquerias he visited in San Francisco’s Mission District, but Chipotle was never intended to be what it is today. In fact, Ells actually opened the restaurant with the goal of using it as a “cash cow” to launch a fine-dining concept. But Chipotle was simply too successful to abandon ship. Two years after opening his first location, Ells opened a second Chipotle, followed by a third location just a year later. In 1998, Chipotle received a massive investment from McDonald’s, which helped the chain grow from just over a dozen outposts to over 500 by 2005. In January 2006, Chipotle went public, and McDonald’s exited its investment position a few months later. The lack of investment from the fast food chain did nothing to hinder Chipotle’s success, though. Today, the chain operates almost 4,000 locations worldwide and has an annual revenue of over $11 billion.
Qdoba Mexican Eats: Denver, Colorado
Chipotle wasn’t the only Mexican grill to get its start in Denver. Two years after the first Chipotle opened, Anthony Miller and Robert Hauser established Qdoba, but at first, its name looked a little different than it does today. Founded as Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill, the first Qdoba opened on the corner of Grant Street and 6th Avenue in 1995, though the restaurant’s name was changed to Z-Teca two years later. It wasn’t until 1999 that the chain would be renamed Qdoba Mexican Grill (a name that was changed once more to Qdoba Mexican Eats in 2015). While the restaurant was successful in its early days, in 2003, Jack in the Box acquired the Mexican eatery and rapidly expanded its presence across the U.S. According to the chain, when the acquisition happened, Qdoba was bringing in approximately $65 million in yearly sales from about 80 locations. By the time Jack in the Box sold the Mexican chain in 2018, there were over 700 locations bringing in a total of more than $820 million per year. Today, Qdoba is owned by private equity firm Butterfly Equity and operates more than 785 locations across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.
Wingstop: Garland, Texas
Wingstop currently operates almost 3,000 locations worldwide, but the chicken wing eatery started as a humble operation in Garland, Texas, in 1994. Founded by Antonio Swad and Bernadette Fiaschetti, the chain originally focused on just Buffalo-style chicken wings, but as the number of locations expanded, so did the number of wing offerings. By the time the company allowed for franchise opportunities in 1997, it already had 90 locations across the Lone Star State. Naturally, franchising exponentially increased Wingstop’s presence across the U.S., with rapper Rick Ross even getting in on the action by purchasing 25 locations. In addition to its original Buffalo Hot, Wingstop serves eight other proprietary flavors including Mild, Atomic, Cajun, Teriyaki, Lemon Pepper, Hawaiian Barbeque, Garlic Parmesan, and Hickory Smoked BBQ.
Raising Cane’s: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The idea for Raising Cane’s was born in a college classroom. While attending the University of Georgia, eventual founder Todd Graves took a business class during which he had to pitch an idea for a sustainable business. He decided to pitch a chicken finger restaurant — and he received the lowest grade in the class. Undeterred, he picked up a number of jobs after graduating to realize his dream of operating a chicken finger shop. In 1996, he finally pulled it off, opening the first Raising Cane’s in Baton Rouge when he was just 24 years old. And Graves’ professor could not have been more wrong: Today, Raising Cane’s has over 900 locations in the U.S. and recently beat out KFC to become the No. 3 chicken shop in the U.S. Still at the helm of the company is Todd Graves, who serves as founder and CEO.
Moe’s Southwest Grill: Atlanta, Georgia
Two of the largest Mexican-inspired fast-casual restaurants got their start in Colorado, but Moe’s Southwest Grill was founded on the opposite side of the country in Atlanta. Established in December 2000, Moe’s was founded by Martin Sprock, who created the restaurant through his company Raving Brands. While the name Moe’s might lead you to believe the chain was named after an individual, it’s actually an acronym for musicians, outlaws, and entertainers. Moe’s was practically an instant hit, expanding to nearly 400 locations across the U.S. and Canada by the time the chain was sold to Focus Brands (now known as GoTo Foods) in 2007. Moe’s Southwest Grill currently operates 566 restaurants across North America and recently celebrated its fourth consecutive year of growth.
Cava: Rockville, Maryland
Today, Cava is best known for its quick-serve Mediterranean bowls, but the concept actually originated as an independent, full-service Greek restaurant called Cava Mezze. Established in Rockville, Md., in 2006, Cava Mezze was founded by three friends — Ted Xenohristos, Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ike Grigoropoulos — who wanted to open a restaurant that paid homage to their Greek roots and traditions. The trio operated the restaurant entirely on their own in its early days, with Xenohristos serving food and drinks, Moshovitis running the kitchen, and Grigoropoulos handling accounting. Surging in popularity and in need of some organization, Cava Mezze hired consultant Brett Schulman as CEO, who proposed expanding the concept into a separate, Greek-inspired fast-casual restaurant. The next year, the first Cava opened in Bethesda, Md., serving custom bowls and pita sandwiches to hungry customers. Cava currently operates just over 400 locations across 29 states, and Cava Mezze has expanded to include a second location in Olney, Md.
Sweetgreen: Washington, D.C.
Sweetgreen is the largest salad chain in the U.S. by both systemwide sales and number of locations, but when it opened, it was operating out of a minuscule 560-square-foot shack in Washington, D.C. The restaurant was founded in 2007 by Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet, and Nathaniel Ru, three Georgetown graduates who noticed a lack of healthy lunch options on their university’s campus. Before opening their own brick and mortar, the three friends often hosted taste tests of potential menu items with friends in Jammet’s dorm room, with each attendee provided with an anonymous survey to share their thoughts. Once they had a menu solidified and investment secured, the trio opened the first Sweetgreen location just a few blocks away from Georgetown’s campus. Within a year, they opened two more locations nearby, and by 2013, the chain expanded into East Coast cities like Boston and New York. The beloved salad chain currently has over 900 locations nationwide.
*Image retrieved from MelissaMN via stock.adobe.com
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