Restaurant loyalty programs pay off in surprising ways

by Duessa Holscher — marketing, Granbury Restaurant Solutions

Increased customer data means more opportunities to promote your brand.

Nando's launches menu celebrating boy band's new movie

August 30, 2013

Nando's Peri-Peri is serving special One Direction menus at seven U.S. locations starting tomorrow to honor the boy band's new movie, "This is Us."

Salsarita's sharing lemonade profits with No Kid Hungry

August 30, 2013

One in five children struggles with hunger in America, and to help some of those kids, Mexican fast casual restaurant chain Salsarita's is joining thousands of…

Lavu iPad POS adds customer management solutions

August 30, 2013

Lavu iPad POS has added new customer management solutions, including the ability to pull data such as order history, address and email contact.

Rockbot app expands throughout Texas

August 30, 2013

Rockbot, a jukebox app geared toward bars and restaurants, announced that it has grown more than 10-fold throughout the last year.

Dickey's Barbecue appoints CIO

August 30, 2013

Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants has appointed Brian Maupin as the company's first chief information officer. The former AT&T executive was selected for the…

Salata arriving in Austin, San Antonio

August 30, 2013

Houston-based Salata has a new franchisee, who has plans to open in two new markets —  San Antonio and Austin, Texas.

Pie Face giving free pies for tweets

August 30, 2013

Pie Face, the Australia-based pie shop with several locations in NYC, is giving away free pies the day after Labor Day.

Earl of Sandwich, VooDoo BBQ will discuss Millennial marketing at FCES

Attendees of Fast Casual Executive Summit will learn strategies and best practices for using the mobile channel to build profitable relationships with…

PayPal, TouchBistro pilot mPOS system for Toronto diners

August 29, 2013

PayPal Canada has launched a pilot program in Toronto to let dining customers pay with their smartphones. The payments giant is collaborating on the project…

Wingstop's spreading its wings

August 29, 2013

Wingstop served up one of its busiest growth months in company history, opening 10 stores in August alone. The news comes on the heels of a 10.3-percent…

Red Mango going back to school

August 29, 2013

Red Mango is expanding its presence on college campuses, opening its newest location at Duke University in Durham, N.C., just in time to welcome back students…

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza plans UC Santa Barbara presence

August 29, 2013

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza will soon have a presence near the University of California Santa Barbara through a franchising agreement with Isla Vista BP LLC, led…

GrilliT models growth plan after Chipotle

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

The concept's CEO is on a mission to demonstrate that the fast casual dining experience and fresh, nutritious, home-style cooking are not mutually exclusive.

When an obvious security issue wasn’t – but was indeed

Do you know the warning signs of gang presence, to avoid their infiltration into your operation?

Urban Bar-B-Que inks deal with pizza joint

August 28, 2013

Washington-D.C.-based Urban Bar-B-Que Company has inked a deal with Ledo Pizza System Inc., a 100-unit pizza franchisor of the Ledo Pizza brand. The new…

Starbucks teams up with Whole Foods, expands Latin American footprint

August 28, 2013

Starbucks launched its own snack and juice lines this week throughout Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Specifically, Whole Foods is now carrying 14 of…

New ad campaign echoes Rubio's commitment to oceans

August 28, 2013

San Diego-based fast casual chain Rubio's is launching a new ad campaign dedicated to one of the planet's most cherished natural resources, the ocean. Titled…

Voice Teleservices joins MMS Catering Institute program

August 28, 2013

Portland, Maine-based Voice Teleservices has joined the MMS Catering Institute Industry Affiliation Program, created to certify and connect industry…

Japan's economic recovery leading to more restaurant visits, spending

August 28, 2013

Japan's economic recovery after a downturn in the last quarter of 2012, has spurred an increase in restaurant visits and spending greater than any other global…