NEW YORK CITY – Limited-service restaurants, such as the fast-casual concepts, have struggled with selling alcohol, but lately, wine sales have taken off in this category, Nation’s Restaurant News reports. Sales of wine in limited-service restaurant jumped 10.2% from May 2013 to October 2013, compared with the year before. Overall wine sales dropped 2.6% during the same time period.

Family-dining restaurants saw wine sales bump up 10.4%, while casual-dining establishments registered a decline of 2.7%. Fine-dining and upscale-casual restaurants both grew their wine sales to 3.6% and 8%, respectively.

“There definitely has been an increase in distribution both in fast casual and in family dining,” said Chuck Ellis, president and CEO of Restaurant Sciences. “Restaurants are always looking for different products.”

For fast-casual restaurants, wine can make them stand out among the competition. “Our wine program is doing well,” said Spencer Rubin, a managing partner at the Melt Shop. “Our intention was to add an additional offering that would improve the guest experience. A glass of wine is a nice complement to any sandwich, especially a grilled cheese, and it is proving to be very successful thus far.”

Ellis said one of the reasons for the increase in wine at fast-casual is that the cost is low and the wine quality isn’t expected to be as high as at fine-dining establishments. “It’s not like you need a wine list or a sommelier,” he said.