Smoke’s Poutinerie founder dead at age 50

October 30, 2023

Smoke's Poutinerie Founder and Chief Entertainment Officer Ryan Smolkin, 50, died Oct. 29, after suffering unexpected complications from a recent surgery…

Sweet Paris opening in Mall of America

October 30, 2023

Texas-based Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café is opening a second location in Minnesota at the Mall of America. Last year, the chain announced a multi-unit deal…

Fiesta sold to Authentic Restaurant Brands

October 30, 2023

Authentic Restaurant Brands, a portfolio company of New York-based principal investment firm Garnett Station Partners, has completed its acquisition of Fiesta…

Capriotti’s, Wing Zone, Swamp Dawg, Goodcents execs talk growth with lean teams

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Restaurant labor shortages have become a pervasive issue, affecting both corporate and store-level operations. Three restaurant executives discussed labor…

Will the joint-employer ruling destroy restaurant franchising?

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

"The rule upends employment policy, adopting a far-fetched definition of 'employer' based on 'indirect or potential influence' of an employee and then fails to…

Plant Power Fast Food debuts black bean-based burger patty

October 27, 2023

Plant Power Fast Food has introduced the Hippie Patty in time for World Vegan Day on Nov. 1. The patty is comprised of black beans, poblano peppers, chipotle…

SoundHound AI survey finds nearly 8 in 10 diners believe AI assistants will take over most food ordering within years

October 26, 2023

Nearly 80% of diners believe AI assistants will take over food ordering duties in the next few years, according to a press release and report by AI firm…

Text marketing highly effective for pizzerias

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, editor Mandy Wolf Detwiler speaks with Shane Murphy, co-founder and CEO of Boostly, about the effectiveness…

Presented by PizzaMarketplace.com

Naf Naf franchisee opening 3rd unit

October 26, 2023

Chicago-based Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill is opening by year's end in Greenfield, Wisconsin, 1 minute from the Southridge Mall near the Franklin and Hales…

Pepper Lunch upgrading POS system, adding kiosks

October 26, 2023

Japan-born Pepper Lunch, a fast casual concept with over 500 locations in 15 countries, is tapping Revel Systems to develop a cloud POS and business management…

FAT Brands opens co-branded Fatburger, Round Table Pizza location

October 25, 2023

FAT Brands Inc. has opened its first-ever co-branded Fatburger and Round Table Pizza location in Dallas. The 3,500-square-foot restaurant is the first of four…

Beef-a-Roo, Blenderz opening inside shipping containers to cut costs

Next Brands President Austin Capoferi describes how franchisees may buy a unit for an all-inclusive price of $200,000.

Shake Shack making New Hampshire debut

October 25, 2023

Shake Shack is opening the doors of its first New Hampshire location on Monday at the Tuscan Village at 9 Via Toscana in Salem. Located directly over the…

Rise Southern Biscuits rolling out menu upgrades

October 25, 2023

North Carolina-based Rise Southern Biscuits and Righteous Chicken is rolling out menu updates next week featuring sandwiches, breakfast boxes, tater tots and…

Mandoe Media Expands its Reach with New Partnership in the US Market

Mandoe Media, a global leader in digital signage technology, is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with TD SYNNEX, a leading global distributor…

Mountain Mike’s Pizza Continues Growing Throughout California With First Ventura County Location

Leading Family-Style Pizza Chain Now Open in Oxnard

Fuku hits Vegas arena

October 24, 2023

Fuku, a spicy fried chicken fast casual concept developed by David Chang, has opened a concession location at T-Mobile Arena, the home of the National Hockey…

Australian-based Mexican eatery adding to Chicago footprint

October 24, 2023

Guzman y Gomez is opening a fourth restaurant next week in Chicago's Buffalo Grove at 120 McHenry Road.

Tous les Jours enters Canada

October 24, 2023

Tous les Jours, a French-Asian bakery serving over 300 artisan pastries, cakes and desserts, has planted a flag in Calgary, Canada, marking its entry into its…

The future of automation and self service

The rise of linked technologies, from 5G and upcoming 6G networks to AI and the Internet of Things, is rapidly transforming the linked destinies of automation…

Presented by Automation & Self-Service