Stop relying on hope: Marketing blueprints from Ziggi's Coffee, Lee's Chicken, Pita Pit, Budget Branders
by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media
Panelists provide marketing insights ahead of FastCasual's upcoming "Restaurant Marketing Workshop" on June 2-3 in Boston.
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Part 1: Cool technologies at the NRA Show 2026
by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media
Editor Mandy Wolf Detwiler spent time in the tech pavilion at the National Restaurant Association Show.
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Guided, not ghosted: Top food, beverage trends shaping 2026-27
by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc
The future doesn’t belong to those who predict every storm. It belongs to those who learn to navigate through them.
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Swig signs 6 unit franchise deal to fuel South Texas growth
Swig continues its Texas expansion with a new six-unit franchise agreement that will bring the beverage brand to communities across South Texas. The St.
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How best friends are building their pizza and brew empire
Joey Freis and Mitchell Millar bought a pizzeria at 21 with no plan. Now they lead nine restaurants and are getting ready to scale Best Pizza & Brew towards its next destination of 35 locations. In our conversation, we discussed what it took to stop being the answer to every question and start scaling towards their vision.
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The 1:1 Personalization Playbook: Using AI to send every guest their own offer
In this session, Hang CEO Matt Smolin, whose platform powers millions of AI-personalized offers a month for restaurant brands, will walk through the playbook to start personalizing your own offers right away.
Kalibrate offers best in location selection services, software
Charles Wetzel, CEO of Kalibrate, a location analytics and site selection platform, talks about his company in this video from ICSC 2026 in Las Vegas.
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.
