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Top 20: FastCasual reveals 2018's most-read stories
The year's most popular stories covered a variety of topics ranging from ghost kitchens and franchising to trend predictions and how to win the third-party delivery game
December 28, 2018 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com
The year's most popular stories covered a variety of topics ranging from ghost kitchens and franchising to trend predictions and how to win the third-party delivery game. See below for the full list.
20. What millennials want from restaurants
May 30
Marc Castrechini, vice president of product management of Cayan — now TSYS — revealed results from Cayan's survey of 1,010 diners between the ages of 18 and 65. It found implications for how restaurants should use payments to complement their dining experiences to keep younger patrons satisfied.
19. Will self-pour beer tech become the next big thing in fast casual?
March 11
Restaurant and tech experts discussed how self-pour technology has emerged as a tool to help beer lovers to indulge in the variety of craft beers now available.
18. Firehouse CEO on 'surviving the era of the aggregators'
Aug. 24
George Orlin, COO, Intelligent Transactions, interviewed Firehouse CEO Don Fox about how he deals with third-party delivery services, including Uber Eats, GrubHub and DoorDash.
17. Blaze Pizza sales on fire with 51% increase overpreviousyear
Feb. 27
Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza grew phenomenally fast over 2017, reporting 51 percent growth in system-wide 2017 sales to $279 million. The previous year's sales hit $185 million.
16. Power couple transforms one-unitbusiness into franchising empire
Nov. 9
Andrew K. and Shauna Smith chatted with FastCasual about their 10-year entrepreneurship journey that started with one franchise but led to the creation of a franchising empire netting more than $190 million annually. Their brand development and franchise company — Four Foods Group — oversees 155 restaurant locations, including Little Caesars Pizza, Kneaders Bakery & Cafe, Swig, R&R BBQ and Mo'Bettahs.
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Andrew and Shauna Smith founded Four Foods Group in 2008. |
15. Is there a ghost in your kitchen?
May 15
Amanda McNamara, digital marketer blogger for Toast’s Restaurant, pulled back the curtain on ghost kitchens, a restaurant without a brick-and-mortar location for guests to visit.
14. Digital-only pizza brand makes debut in New York
Jan. 18
Pizza Factory owner Dino Redzic talked with FastCasual's sister site, Pizza Marketplace, about his decision to accept only online orders, making the Long Island City, New York-based concept the world's first "full-digital pizzeria."
13. True Food Kitchen named 'top emerging brand' of 2018
April 6
Data analytics firm Fishbowl's named True Food Kitchen as the top brand on its Top 30 emerging brands report.
12. Spring beverage trends going back to the basics
March 6
Industry experts talked about how consumers were drinking familiar beverages like tea and coffee but adding flavor twists to spice them up.
11.Delivery: Will it drive sales or gobble up profits?
Feb. 9
Christopher Sebes, president of Xenial, weighed the pros and cons of third-party delivery can help and hurt a brand.
10. Is your brand ready to embrace Gen Z's obsession with over-the-top food trends?
Feb. 20
Rachel Saunders, editor in chief of Cassandra Daily and insights and strategy director, gave advice to help restaurant brands attract Gen Z.
9. Freshii named FastCasual's top brand of the year
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| Cherryh Cansler,editorof FastCasual, far left, celebrates Freshii's Top 100 win with the brand's VP of Supply Chain Amardeep Rai, VPof Marketing Melissa Gallagher, and Taylor Company's Dan Domberg. |
May 22
FastCasual's editorial team released its annual list of the industry's most significant brands, awarding Freshii the No.1 spot on The 2018 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers.
8. International Women's Day: Q&A with 25 female execs from Subway, Tender Greens, many more
March 8
In celebration of International Women's Day — March 8 — FastCasual interviewed 25 of
the industry's leading ladies to develop its second annual "Women in the Lead" series.
7. How Cracker Barrel is reaching Gen Y, Z consumers throughfast casualconcept
Feb. 28
Mike Chissler, chief operating officer of Holler & Dash, discussed why and how Cracker Barrel is reaching a younger crowd with its fast casual brand, Holler & Dash.
6. Self-orderkiosks dominate NRA Show
May 31
The number of kiosks on display tripled at The 2018 National Restaurant Show compared to 2017. the number on display at Chicago's McCormick Place nearly tripled as kiosk manufacturers scrambled to meet the restaurant industry's demand to improve customer service with new technology.
As McDonald's continues its nationwide rollout of self-order kiosks, thousands of QSRs and fast casual restaurants don't want to get left behind and are shopping the market.
5. 11 menu trends going mainstream in 2018
Jan. 2
Richard Keys, chef and co-founder, Food & Drink Resources, assessed industry data to compile the official FDR list of predicted food and beverage trends for the upcoming year.
4. Wahlburgers selling burgers at US grocery stores
April 24
Wahlburgers announced that it was collaborating with ARKK Food Company to develop a retail product line that included ground beef, pre-formed patties, pre-formed sliders and brick pack.
3. Top 3 technology innovations changing the restaurant industry
April 5
Robert Grimes, International Food & Beverage Technology Association president and CEO, pointed out three specific technologies that foodservice operators should have on their radars: robotics, 3D printing and the blockchain.
2. What you need to know about the most popular food delivery apps
May 22
Daniel Mattia, of The Zebra, gives his analysis of Postmates, Doordash, Grubhub and UberEATS. "This is not a contest — merely an unbiased comparison to help interested parties choose the right service, part-time employer, or management tool that suits them the best," he said.
1. 7 technologies transforming the restaurant industry
Jan. 9
Niall Keane, CEO of SynergySuite Restaurant Management Software, uncovered seven technologies shaping the industry in 2018.
About Cherryh Cansler
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SynergySuite
SynergySuite helps multi-unit restaurants simplify operations and increase profitability with easy-to-use restaurant management software. Global brands trust SynergySuite's mobile-first software with inventory, purchasing, recipe costing, food safety, scheduling, cash management, human resources and business intelligence.
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