3 fast casuals conquering 'the munchies' on 4-20

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

To celebrate the holiday known as 4-20 in cannabis culture, several fast casual brands are offering special menu items and marketing campaigns.

Noodles & Company aims for big growth, franchise expansion in 2022

April 19, 2021

Noodles & Company is aiming for a minimum 7% system-wide unit growth goal in 2022 and banking on franchise development to make it happen.

Saladworks, Frutta Bowls investing in ghost kitchens

April 19, 2021

After acquiring Fruta Bowls and Garbanzo last year, Saladworks' parent company, WOWorks has partnered with Combo Kitchen, a franchise system that allows…

Smashburger rolls out spicy chicken sandwich

April 19, 2021

Smashburger has jumped into the middle of the so-called QSR Chicken Sandwich Wars, inviting guests to test their spicy-food threshold with its Scorchin' Hot…

Dog Haus owner rolls out virtual wings, burger brands

April 19, 2021

The Absolute Brands, which owns Dog Haus and a variety of other concepts based in Pasadena, California, is adding wings and burgers to its offerings by…

What's right and wrong with curbside at Panera, The Habit Burger?

by Jessie Chen — Marketing, Radar

Radar and FastCasual, which assessed nine restaurant chains' curbside experiences, reveal how Panera Bread and The Habit Burger fared.

2 CEOs throw down in wing-eating contest

Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, challenged Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison to an atomic wing eating contest, where the losing CEO agreed to make a…

Chipotle, Jersey Mike's execs reveal pandemic-era strategies

April 16, 2021

The pandemic has no doubt taken its toll on restaurants, but while thousands are struggling, others are reporting gains, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and…

Bonchon supporting 'Stop Asian Violence' campaign with T-shirts

April 16, 2021

South Korea-based Bonchon has created a "Stop Asian Violence" fundraising campaign in response to the increasing number of attacks against the Asian-American…

Chick N Max launching franchise initiative

April 16, 2021

With three corporate-owned restaurants serving customers in Wichita, Kansas, Chick N Max is now franchising the concept and will double its footprint by the…

Virginia chef offers food via refrigerated vending machines

April 16, 2021

A Richmond, Virginia chef is placing refrigerated glassfront vending machines to offer his food at retail locations, according to a wric.com report.

Wings Over serving limited edition CBD-infused menu

April 16, 2021

In celebration of the holiday known as 4-20, Wings Over is serving CBD-Infused Garlic Parm wings, tenders and tots. This limited-edition CBD menu will be…

Customers can thank 'Sunday' for 10-second payments

April 16, 2021

Customers in the U.S. and Europe can say goodbye to waiting for their dinner bills, thanks to an Atlanta-based tech company, Sunday. It developed a 10-second…

QSRs recovering faster than all segments

April 15, 2021

To get the COVID-19 global pandemic under control in March 2020, the U.S. government restricted on-premises dining at roughly 70% of all U.S. restaurants. By…

Luckin Coffee secures $250M from private investors

April 15, 2021

Luckin Coffee Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in February, has entered into an investment agreement with a Centurium Capital affiliate and Joy…

Wayback Burgers heading to Germany

April 15, 2021

Connecticut-based Wayback Burgers is planting a flag in Augsburg, Germany, with help from first-time franchisee Paulus Bulun, who has been living in Augsburg…

Former Yum! CEO teaching brands about 'bouncing back'

April 15, 2021

Greg Creed, former Yum Brands CEO, may be retired, but he knows exactly what it takes to transform struggling brands into stars. He'll share those tips during…

Walmart embracing fast casuals, local services as store-based tenants

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

With the departure of McDonald's and Subway operators from within its storefronts, Walmart aims to fill in-store leased space with "relevant" tenants, ranging…

Local Kitchens opens 3 digital food halls in San Francisco

April 15, 2021

Local Kitchens, a digital food hall concept, has opened locations in Lafayette, San Jose and Cupertino, California. Customers may create meals from any of the…

Chipotle achieves 51% waste-diversion rate

April 15, 2021

Chipotle Mexican Grill achieved a 51% waste-diversion rate this year through recycling, composting and waste-to-energy programs, reaching a key goal outlined…