Top 100 gala to honor Excellence in Food Safety winners

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

January 4, 2022

As part of the 2022 FastCasual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, FastCasual and Steritech, a provider of food safety assessments, will honor two runners up…

Nominations now open for 2022 Top 100 Movers & Shakers

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

January is a time for goal setting and self-reflection, but it's also the first step in a long process of building our annual Fast Casual Top 100 Movers &…

FastCasual's most-read stories of 2021

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

The year's top headlines ranged from stories about robots automating the industry and the growth of Shaq's fast casual brand to updates on COVID-19, menu…

Hooters, Hoots CEO reveals 5 ways he preps teams for holidays blitz

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Sal Melilli, CEO of HOA Brands, the parent company to Hooters and Hoots Wings, shares how he is preparing his team for the holiday rush.

Kum & Go transforming into fast casual brand?

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Kum & Go has created a line of freshly prepared sandwiches, grain bowls, pizzas and blended beverages worthy of any fast casual brand, according to Jac…

At least 1 Starbucks to unionize

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

December 10, 2021

Despite a letter sent this week to Starbucks employees from CEO Kevin Johnson reminding them that they were the "heartbeat of this company," workers at the…

5 restaurant tech trends here to stay in 2022

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Take a look at five technologies that will still be necessary in 2022.

Fusian founders launching chicken concept

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Hunny Bee’s is the third restaurant concept for Ohio-based Paceline Restaurant Partners, which also owns the sushi concept, Fusian, and The Wizard of Za, a…

How Pollo Campero will triple US footprint in 5 years

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Luis Javier Rodas, Pollo Campero's managing director and COO, recently chatted with FastCasual about how he plans to transform the brand into one of the…

Famous Toastery relaunches franchising, doubling presence by 2024

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

After surviving the pandemic, Famous Toastery is poised to grow out of its home market of Charlotte, expanding into Virginia and Tennessee, and two of its…

Upscale Indian restaurant launching fast casual spinoff

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

After establishing himself as a leader on the Indian restaurant scene in Georgia with his fine-dining restaurant — Sankranti — Srivivasa "Nimms" Nimmagadda is…

Lemonade juices up look

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Restaurant brands are shifting strategies as a result of the pandemic, and Lemonade, a California-based fast casual brand known for its seasonal food and…

Starbucks: 'Pandemic to blame for disappointing China sales'

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Starbucks reported Thursday that Q4 revenue fell short of expectations, thanks to a 7% drop in same-store sales in China.

Why Sweetgreen created smaller format for World Trade Center

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Sweetgreen, which has 140 locations and filed Monday to go public, is opening Friday inside the World Trade Center. As one of the first food and beverage…

COVID-19 forces Soupergirl to close cafes, embrace retail

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Although COVID-19 forced Soupergirl to close its two cafes, the mother-daughter duo behind the Washington D.C. company is doubling its revenue in 2022 thanks…

Chick N Max wins Perfect Pitch

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

The Perfect Pitch, which tasks five up-and-coming entrepreneurs with pitching their concepts to Summit attendees and an advisory panel in hopes of securing…

2 Panera VIPs keynoting Fast Casual Executive Summit 2021

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Very few fast casual brands have been as successful as Panera Bread over the years, and that success is directly linked to its willingness to take risks when…

Shaq taps restaurant pros to triple-team chicken chain competition

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Shaquille O'Neal, Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern and Chef and Co-owner Matt Silverman join Fast Casual's Cherryh Cansler for an exclusive interview about the…

Hey, fast casuals: It's time to get back out there!

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

It's almost time for the fast casual industry's family reunion. The Fast Casual Executive Summit kicks off on Oct. 3 in Charlotte.

Pumpkin spice lattes are back — earlier than ever

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

August 24, 2021

Starbucks may lead the way, but fast casuals around the world are still carving out a place for pumpkin-based menu items.