Middleby acquires Automatic Bar Controls

December 19, 2013

The Middleby Corporation today announced the acquisition of Automatic Bar Controls Inc., a manufacturer of beverage dispensing systems for the foodservice…

NRA unveils new office, entertaining space

December 19, 2013

The National Restaurant Association has dedicated its new Trinchero outdoor terrace, part of its new office and entertaining space in Washington, D.C.

Five foodservice trends to watch for in '14

December 19, 2013

The U.S. restaurant industry has experienced modest growth in the past few years, and research firm Mintel estimates sales of $438 billion in 2013, as well as…

Success is a team effort

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

Five easy tips to hire the best employees.

Zoes Kitchen designs cookbook

December 19, 2013

Zoes Kitchen, a Mediterranean fast casual concept, has created a recipe book — Fresh Takes — with 10 quick and easy recipes compiled by a taskforce of…

GRILLiT acquires stake in grass-fed beef supplier

December 19, 2013

GRILLiT Inc. today announced that it has acquired a 10-percent equity stake in Natura Foods LLC, the exclusive distributor of "Gaucho Ranch" branded South…

Moe's opening in Rhode Island

December 19, 2013

"Welcome to Moe's!" will soon be heard on the streets of Wakefield, R.I., when Moe's Southwest Grill opens Friday at 600 Kingstown Road in the Belmont Shopping…

CUPS selling digital gift cards

December 19, 2013

Fans of CUPS Frozen Yogurt – That's Hot, a beach-themed self-serve fro-yo concept, can now purchase digital gift cards, according to a company press release.

CaliBurger's Middle East units opening first half of 2014

December 19, 2013

CaliBurger announced this week that it will open five restaurants in the Middle East in the first half of 2014. These openings represent the beginning of a…

Wingstop launches 'Flavor Fight' social media campaign

December 19, 2013

Wingstop and Dr. Pepper have launched the first-ever #FlavorFight contest on social media, inviting fans to vote for their favorite Wingstop flavors and the…

Bowl of Heaven adds dragon fruit, prickly pear

December 19, 2013

Bowl of Heaven is bringing on two super fruits, pitaya, also known as dragon fruit, from Nicaragua and prickly pear — both made from cacti — for the…

Going digital: How 1 Arkansas chain controls hiring, training, scheduling

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

MarketPlace Grill uses Red Book Connect solutions to track training, hiring and scheduling.

Infographic: Fast Casual Social Media Top 10

A look at how the largest fast casual chains in the U.S. stack up on social media.

NPD reports restaurant visits flat, consumer spending up

December 18, 2013

NPD's Crest foodservice tracking shows restaurant traffic remained flat for the bulk of the year compared to last year, and forecasts the year will end the…

Pre-winter means a perfect storm for LTOs

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

From sandwiches to lattes, FastCasual.com takes a look at some of the season's newest menu items.

Pizza Hut, Domino's dominate 2013 Google searches

December 18, 2013

Google has announced its 13th annual Zeitgeist results, showing what users searched for the most during the year. Once again, Pizza Hut was the top searched…

Marketing budgets focused on increased customer engagement in 2014

December 18, 2013

New research from StrongView shows that marketers plan to increase their budgets on activities that increase customer engagement in 2014. However, according to…

Chipotle launches fast casual pizza concept

December 18, 2013

While many new top-your-own concepts expand throughout the country touting themselves as the "Chipotle of pizza," there is now an actual "Chipotle of pizza."

Camille's launches Breakfast Parfait Wrap

December 18, 2013

Camille's Sidewalk Café, a Tulsa, Okla.-based, fast casual concept, has rolled out a Breakfast Parfait Wrap.

Burger 21 opens in Fort Myers

December 18, 2013

Burger 21 has announced the grand opening of its first restaurant in the Fort Myers, Fla., market, located in the Gulf Coast Town Center at 9902 Gulf Coast…