Viva Chicken proves there's life amid COVID-19

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Charlotte-based Viva Chicken CEO Gerald Pulsinelli shares five strategies that has breathed new life into the chain amid the coronavirus.

NCR, Microsoft partner to keep restaurants' devices running

September 18, 2020

NCR Corp., a software and services leader for the retail, restaurant and banking industries, is partnering with Microsoft to power NCR Digital Connected…

Huddle House-Perkins hustling toward pandemic-era marketing moves

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Hustle - noun: meaning busy movement and activity. Many restaurant brands have embraced the term "hustle" over the past year to navigate the pandemic-era…

WaBa Grill enhances mobile app

September 17, 2020

California's WaBa Grill has updated its WaBa Rewards App to improve the guest experience with an easy-to-navigate menu layout and order flow, as well as a…

SoFresh expanding in Tampa

September 17, 2020

Tampa-based SoFresh, an emerging fast casual concept, has finalized plans to open Carrollwood and Lakeland locations in the fall, said John Williams Jr.…

Zoup's broth available in 9K retail locations

September 17, 2020

Zoup Good, Really Good Broth — created by Eric Ersher, who founded fast casual chain Zoup Eatery — has added 2,000 retail partners, placing its broth in more…

Carrabba’s Italian Grill co-founder expanding fast casual concept

Chef and Restaurateur Damian Mandola, co-founder of Carrabba's Italian Grill, and Paul Avery, president and CEO of the World of Beer Bar & Kitchen chain and…

Paris Baguette expanding amid pandemic

September 17, 2020

As the pandemic continues, Paris Baguette has not halted its franchise sales expansion. The chain has signed two franchise deals in Brea and West Covina…

El Pollo Loco donating $100K to Latina-owned small businesses

September 17, 2020

El Pollo Loco Inc. is honoring its Hispanic heritage and Los Angeles roots by donating $100,000 to Latina-owned small businesses in Los Angeles during Hispanic…

Keeping Your Restaurant Nimble in a Crisis with Back-of-House Technology

Successfully navigating a restaurant through the unpredictable current of a global pandemic demands more than just obvious tactics.

Consistency in Restaurant Expansion

A major part of successful growth is providing the same experience to guests no matter which location they visit.

Presented by SpeedLine Solutions

Hughes Pioneers Self-Healing Capability that Improves Enterprise Wide Area Network Performance Using Artificial Intelligence

First-of-its-kind AIOps capability deployed across tens of thousands of WAN sites delivers 70% success in averting service disruptions

Michael Bolton song honors Panera's latest menu creation

September 16, 2020

Grammy Award Winner Michael Bolton is known for his heartfelt ballads about love, and Panera Bread is using his voice to bring together two of its most-loved…

Torchy's Tacos selling sauce at Whole Foods

September 16, 2020

Fans of Austin-based Torchy's Tacos may now purchase the brand's Green Chile Queso and Diablo Sauce from 40 Whole Foods locations in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma…

Former McDonald's franchisee expanding Chicken Salad Chick in Oklahoma

September 16, 2020

Auburn, Alabama-based Chicken Salad Chick is expanding in Oklahoma with its newest restaurant in Chisholm Creek, according to a company press release. Located…

Juice It Up hires ops veteran

September 16, 2020

Juice It Up has hired Carlo Verdugo as director of operations and business development. An industry veteran with nearly two decades of franchise experience…

Kona Poke opening at Orlando wine bar

September 16, 2020

Kona Poké is opening an express location at Quantum Leap Winery, 1312 Wilfred Dr., Orlando, allowing customers to order from the Kona menu while sipping wine.

FAT Brands to deploy Revel kiosks, solutions across all Fatburger locations

September 16, 2020

FAT Brands, a global franchising company in the fast casual and casual dining markets, plans to roll out Revel Enterprise across all Fatburger locations, with…

The next contestant on the Perfect Pitch is...

Meet the five up-and-coming fast casual brands vying to win the 2020 Perfect Pitch during the virtual Fast Casual Executive Summit Oct. 20-21.

Penn Station reveals rebrand, redesign

September 14, 2020

Penn Station East Coast Subs is updating its 35-year-old brand with the rollout of PS 2020 — a restaurant redesign and new menu.