I think its been somewhat common in US before as well in cafes, pizza places, bars, food courts etc. I think the difference the article is trying to make is th

I think its been somewhat common in US before as well in cafes, pizza places, bars, food courts etc. I think the difference the article is trying to make is the places like Souvla (fast-casual), that have nice decor, good/high-end food and wine options and potentially restaurant like prices, are targeting the normal mid-high end customers but using low-cost the self serve model. Souvla does get old quite fast, but nowadays I'm definitely drawn to fast-casual places if I'm just interested to eat and not spend the whole day/night in the restaurant. You know what you get, the quality is good, its at least perceivably healthier (you don't feel sick like you would after McDonalds) it's fast (even with lines, you know you are in and out in 15-30mins) and there usually no table seating rules (you can order and sit down even if one of your friends is 15mins late).