Speaker Spotlight: Seth Larsen, CDO, Cheba Hut Toasted Subs

by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

Seth Larsen, CDO of Cheba Hut Toasted Subs talks about how stays ahead of the competition while having a blast in today's speaker spotlight.

How top franchise brands turn culture into direct profitability

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Industry leaders will gather at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit to share actionable strategies for transforming workplace culture and technology into a powerful engine for talent retention and long-term profitability.

6 ways restaurants are making Valentine's Day 'wonderfully weird' in 2026

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Forget flowers and candy; we are doing bro-quets, McNugget Caviar and puppy love.

Peter Piper Pizza truly engrained in the communities it serves

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

In this podcast episode, Peter Piper Pizza CMO Genaro Perez discusses how the 50-year-old legacy brand drives growth through affordable lunch buffets and a "trans-creation" marketing strategy that prioritizes deep cultural nuances and bilingual outreach over simple translation.

Labor Forecasting 2.0: Predicting Future Demand and Staffing for Efficient Growth with AI

Labor is your most significant controllable cost—but leveraging labor as a growth driver is more complex than ever. Enter labor forecasting 2.0: an AI-driven approach that helps multi-location units match staffing to real-world demand, while optimizing schedules for labor compliance, operations efficiency, and sales.

25 Fast Casual Brands to Watch in 2026

FastCasual’s sixth annual report, “25 Brands to Watch,” identifies the trailblazers poised to become the next household names. These concepts are not just keeping pace with the industry; they are actively redefining it. Congratulations to the class of 2026!

2025 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers

This year, the exceptional caliber of leadership across the industry led to a slight adjustment in our numbers—we were compelled to recognize 100 brands and 25 executives instead of our usual 75- 25 split. We also added an extra executive, a testament to the fierce competition and outstanding contributions within the fast-casual arena.