Fast-casual brand collabs: Making partnership pay off
by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media
Kelly Gray (Hot Head Burritos) Stacey Kane (chief marketing officer) Lori Primavera (Smoothie King) and Traci Graziani (Kraft Heinz) will present their insights during the session, "From Concept to Counter: What it Really Takes to Launch a Successful Brand Collab” at the upcoming FastCasual Executive Summit, Oct. 4-6 in Arlington, Texas.
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Why Gwyneth Paltrow-backed Goop Kitchen is adding dine-in to $6.7M delivery empire
by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com
The company opened its first dine-in restaurant this month at One Paseo in Del Mar, California, a 92-seat flagship that marks a new chapter for a brand that has spent five years growing almost entirely as a delivery and pickup concept.
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Inflation, labor and AI: 5 things fast casual operators need to know
by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com
Toast’s latest industry survey reveals why restaurant operators are still betting on growth despite rising costs and hiring challenges.
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Little Caesars, Jersey Mike's franchisee adding Mike's Red Tacos to Michigan portfolio
Mike's Red Tacos, a San Diego-born birria concept named a Yelp Top 100 U.S. restaurant in 2023, has signed a 15-unit franchise agreement to expand into…
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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 explored how AI and location intelligence can inform site selection, media strategy, audience engagement, and faster, more informed decisions.
How restaurant real estate is being rewritten — and what operators need to know
On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Daniel Ceniceros, Founder & CEO of Connect Media, to unpack how commercial real estate is reshaping the restaurant industry.
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Accuracy is the New Loyalty
Order accuracy directly impacts restaurant profitability, customer trust and repeat business. In this webinar, Star Micronics explores where costly errors happen and how smarter labeling can improve item identification, modifiers, handoff, catering, food safety and traceability while working alongside POS and KDS platforms.
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.
