Fast Casual Hall of Fame honoring Geoff Alexander, Mark Brezinski, Darden Coors at Executive Summit
by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com
The 2026 Fast Casual Hall of Fame will recognize three restaurant executives whose leadership has shaped innovation, technology adoption and growth across the fast casual industry during the Fast Casual Executive Summit in Arlington, Texas.
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How Latitude Food Group CEO James O’Reilly is scaling &pizza, Tijuana Flats
by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media
As CEO of Latitude Food Group, industry veteran James O'Reilly is leveraging a centralized backend support model and rigorous operational discipline to strategically scale vibrant fast-casual brands like &pizza and Tijuana Flats without sacrificing their unique cultural identities.
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3 leaders every Founder must hire to scale
by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners
To successfully scale a company and transition from an overwhelmed operator to a confident CEO, founders must stop trying to manage everything themselves and instead invest in a strategic financial leader, a proactive business attorney and an experienced operational leader.
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Traffic counts show signs of recovery post Cyclospora
Restaurant chains that experienced sharp declines in foot traffic following the recent Cyclospora outbreak are beginning to recover, although some brands…
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How FiiZ Drinks is turning a viral beverage trend into a scalable brand
Plus, Instant CEO Tal Clark reveals new data on restaurant worker financial stress and why faster access to earned wages could be the next retention advantage
AI and the Future of Restaurants: From Foot Traffic to Predictive Insight
As consumer behavior and privacy expectations evolve, restaurants need smarter ways to understand diners and drive growth. Gladys Kong of Azira and Isabelle Soriano of Goodway Group explore how AI and location intelligence can inform site selection, media strategy, audience engagement, and faster, more informed decisions.
2026 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers
Welcome to the 2026 edition of the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Each year, this report serves as a pulse check for the industry, celebrating the brands and leaders who aren’t just keeping pace with the market—they are redefining it.
