How Starbucks’ new leadership role could help more women advance in the restaurant industry

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

The coffee chain will hire over 300 coffeehouse coaches over the next month, with thousands more by the end of the calendar year. It could be a huge step to…

From kitchens to tech hubs: Inside fast casual’s digital revolution

In the latest episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, Cherryh Cansler, publisher of FastCasual.com, sits down with Luke Wilwerding, Vice President of North…

Presented by Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.

Sweetgreen debuts in Tennessee with Nashville opening

June 23, 2026

Sweetgreen will open its first Tennessee location June 30 in Nashville's Gulch neighborhood.

Houston TX Hot Chicken flies to UK with PizzaExpress franchise deal

June 23, 2026

Houston TX Hot Chicken has signed a master franchise agreement with PizzaExpress to bring its fast-casual chicken concept to the United Kingdom. Under the…

Togo's expanding with tech-centric prototype, broker-sourced leads

June 22, 2026

Founded in 1971 near San Jose State University, Togo's Sandwiches is gearing up for a major Western U.S. expansion after partnering with Franchise FastLane's…

Former senator opening Juice It Up in Utah

June 22, 2026

Juice It Up! has entered Utah through a multi-unit development agreement with local franchisees Aaron and Nancy Osmond. The move expands the smoothie and raw…

Former McDonald’s operator opens Paris Baguette in Thousand Oaks

June 22, 2026

Former McDonald's owner-operator Gabriel Vesci has opened a Paris Baguette cafe in Thousand Oaks, California, as part of a Southern California expansion plan.

Chipotle COO Jason Kidd reveals strategy behind tech-driven back-of-house overhaul

Chipotle COO Jason Kidd joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how the 4,100-unit brand is winning and retaining the…

Presented by Star Micronics America

Reddie opens access to restaurant digital signage platform

June 19, 2026

Digital signage manufacturer Reddie has opened access to its intelligent platform, allowing resellers and distributors to white-label and monetize hardware and…

The Power of One: Your role as a Founder

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To successfully escape the "Stuck Zone" and scale a business, a Founder must transition from a hustle-driven operator to an intentional CEO by making three…

Wonder-owned Grubhub launches ChatGPT ordering integration

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

June 19, 2026

In an effort to capture customers using AI platforms for daily digital discovery, Grubhub has launched an integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing users to…

Tord Olav Dønnum on the future of autonomous foodservice

by Richard Slawsky — Editor, Connect Media

Tord Olav Dønnum discusses how robotics, automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping foodservice operations and how autonomous kitchens can help…

No pickle butts: How Love & Honey Fried Chicken built a scalable brand

Laura Lyons, co-founder & CEO, Love & Honey Franchise Company, explains how the brand's systems, obsession over details and training are helping the five-unit…

Wonder, Dave’s Hot Chicken Real Estate VPs reveal growth strategies

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Real estate strategy is central to growth for restaurant brands, and Wonder and Dave's Hot Chicken are taking different approaches to scale. In a podcast…

Shipley Donuts signs 3-unit franchise deal in Ohio

June 19, 2026

Shipley Donuts is expanding into Ohio through a three-unit franchise agreement with Koelache Co. LLC, marking the Houston-based doughnut chain's entry into the…

JINYA Holdings launches Japanese bakery concept in Southern California

June 19, 2026

JINYA Holdings is expanding beyond ramen and robata with the launch of Mikan bakery & more, a Japanese-style bakery and beverage concept scheduled to…

Standardize Without Strangling: The Multi-Location Catering Paradox

How the best multi-unit brands protect brand consistency without killing the local flexibility that actually drives catering revenue.

Presented by MONKEY Catering Platform

Your Best Customers Are Already in Your Database

Why a purpose-built CRM - not pricing, not promotions - is the real growth engine for catering.

Presented by MONKEY Catering Platform

The State of Catering 2026: What the Data Is Really Telling Us

The State of Catering 2026 is a market report built on real transactional data from 100+ restaurant brands across the MONKEY network, 8,000+ locations, $1B+ in…

Presented by MONKEY Catering Platform

Catering is not takeout. Mixing it together stifles growth.

Catering is a fundamentally different business from takeout, and the tech built for one simply cannot run the other well.

Presented by MONKEY Catering Platform