Upscale Food Ignites Plano’s Legacy West

​“Fast is expensive” is the new saying when it comes to food consumption today. Consumers are swiftly shifting their preferences and the shift is not in favor of fast foods. Fast food consumption is dwindling and there is a new preference for upscale food. Most fast food restaurants have upgraded to upscale food in a bid to keep up with the market demands.


This kind of food is mostly served in fast casual restaurants. Last year, fast-casual restaurants sales increased by 13% while sales in fast food restaurants rose by only 4.7%. Could this be the reason why upscale food is taking over Plano’s Legacy West? Why is there a sudden preference for upscale food?
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Fast Food Saturation

​Currently, the country is filled up with fast foods. People are lovers of diversity and they want to experience something different every time. This explains the steady change of food consumption habits in the country.
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Inclination Towards Healthy Living

We have seen, heard and understood the healthy living campaigns. Healthy living begins with what you eat. Compared to fast food, upscale food is healthier and it incorporates organic ingredients. Now that people are more conscious when it comes to matters of nutrition, eating habits are changing. Moreover, people are embarrassed to visit fast food restaurants because they want to be part of the healthy movement hence the preference for upscale food.

Shifting Definition of “Healthy"

The way people gauge food when looking at its health benefits has changed over the past decade. In the early 2000's, people used the number of calories in food as a way of telling apart healthy and unhealthy food. Nowadays, food prepared with natural/organic ingredients is considered healthy. The number of calories in the food matters less. This explains why people will prefer to have a burger from an upscale eatery, as opposed to a fast food restaurant. They simply want to pay more for what they think is healthy.
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Rising Middle Class

The number of people in the middle class has increased significantly in the country. The middle class is the largest class and it is comprised of heavy spenders who try to fit the shoes of the high class. Upscale food is the way to go for middle-class people, who will pay more for quality because they have the money. People in this class prefer to eat out mostly and since they cannot afford fine dining all the time and they want quality, upscale food does the trick for them.

Fondness of Fast-Casual Mode

People want casual dining high-quality food served to them at fast speeds. They want to incorporate the idea of fast serving into quality food. This is the biggest reason why upscale food is taking over.
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Increasingly people are going for upscale food. This trend has grown considerably over the past four years and it can no longer be ignored. At Plano’s Legacy West, the preference for this kind of food is notable. Restaurants in this mall target the upper middle class which makes up the largest visitors to the mall. Upscale food has taken over Legacy West because people would rather pay more for quality.