Fast Casual Executive Summit

How to deliver fast casual quality at 'QSR speeds'

Customers expect QSR speeds with fast casual quality. A panel at the Fast Casual Executive Summit will share how restaurants can keep up.

Photo: Connect Media

July 28, 2026 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, Connect Media

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Fast casuals and food trucks alike are at an impasse. While the expectation for food quality hasn't decreased, the demand for faster service has. As a result, fast casuals and food trucks have found themselves under pressure to meet the pace of QSRs, which can be a major challenge for both quality control and drive-thru management. How can they deliver a leaner faster checkout and drive-thru? That's a question that a panel at the Fast Casual Executive Summit aims to address.

Held from Oct. 4 to 6 in Arlington, Texas, the panel will feature Matt Armstrong, co-founder of Huey Magoo's, Scott Ford, president and CEO of Hawaiian Bros and Brian Simowitz, president of Houston TX Hot Chicken. They will create a roadmap for operators to optimize their drive-thru lanes during the panel entitled The Leaner, Smarter Drive-Thru at 11 a.m. on Oct. 5.

Fast Casual reached out to the panelists to get a preview of what they planned to share at the event. Check it out down below!

Q. What is one major drive-thru challenge in 2026?

Simowitz: The biggest challenge is balancing speed with hospitality. Guests expect an accurate, high-quality experience delivered faster than ever, while operators are managing higher labor costs, increasing wage pressure and more complex menus. The challenge is improving throughput without sacrificing food quality or the guest experience.

Armstrong:Overall costs of a drive-thru location is the biggest challenge. From land acquisition, construction, to equipment, development costs are making it tougher to pencil.

Q. What is one strategy for making a drive-thru smarter and leaner?

Simowitz: We have to stop thinking about the drive-thru as just a lane around a building and start thinking about it as an integrated operating system. Site design, kitchen layout, technology, staffing, menu simplification and data all have to work together. When those pieces are aligned, you improve speed, increase capacity and create a better guest experience without simply adding labor.

Armstrong: Redesigning the civil and architectural layout while reducing building size seems to be the biggest bang for your buck. You can always do the same or even higher sales with less when you become more efficient.

Q. What is one thing you are most excited about for the event?

Simowitz: I'm looking forward to hearing how other brands are solving similar operational challenges. Every brand approaches the drive-thru a little differently, and events like this are a great opportunity to exchange ideas, challenge conventional thinking and bring back practical solutions that improve the guest experience and restaurant economics.

Armstrong:This will be my first time attending the Fast Casual Summit and I have heard how great of an event it can be to share these best practices within our industry.

Click here to register for the event.

OperationsHawaiian Bros Houston TX Hot Chicken Huey Magoo's

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Fast Casual Executive Summit

October 4-6, 2026 | Arlington, TX

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About Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is an experienced editor for Connect Media. He has written across a wide range of beats, ranging from food to digital signage to banking, and is the current editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing. When he’s not crafting a story, you can find him going for a run or spending time with his wife and three sons.

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