Mo’ Bettahs expands in home state with Highland, Utah opening

September 28, 2026

Fast casual Hawaiian lunch plate brand Mo' Bettahs is continuing its expansion in its home state of Utah with the opening of a restaurant at 10969 N. Town…

Ziggi’s Coffee offers free drinks for National Coffee Day

September 28, 2026

Denver-based Ziggi's Coffee will celebrate National Coffee Day by offering a small Daily Brew, Iced Coffee or Cold Brew for free with the purchase of another…

Stop taking so long: 5 lessons from Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Here are five takeaways from Jon Taffer's keynote International Franchise Association event this week.

Restaurant employees see industry as long-term career path, study finds

September 25, 2026

New research from the National Restaurant Association finds that restaurant employees largely view the industry as a place to build long-term careers, develop…

Urbane Café expands Southern California footprint with Glendale opening

September 25, 2026

Urbane Cafe will open its first Glendale, California, location Sept. 28 at 249 N. Glendale Ave., expanding the Ventura-based chain's Southern California…

CAVA reaches 500 restaurant milestone with Minneapolis opening

September 25, 2026

Fast-casual Mediterranean brand CAVA has reached 500 restaurants with the opening of its newest location in Minneapolis, marking the Washington, D.C.-based…

Flying Biscuit Café signs franchise agreement for Charlotte market

September 25, 2026

Flying Biscuit Café has signed a franchise agreement with David Mumby and Jimmy Mumby to bring the breakfast-and-brunch concept to the Charlotte, North…

Starbucks announces 250 store closures

September 24, 2026

Starbucks has confirmed in an email to FastCasual.com that it is closing 250 underperforming U.S. stores this week, even as its North American business returns…

Square integrates Apple Business to boost restaurant visibility on Apple Maps

September 24, 2026

Square has launched a new integration with Apple Business, allowing restaurant operators and other local businesses to manage their presence across Apple Maps…

Scooter's Coffee overhauls digital ordering system

September 24, 2026

Scooter's Coffee has overhauled its digital ordering system, migrating its mobile app and more than 900 drive-thru locations onto Olo's software platform in…

Love & Honey Fried targeting East Coast growth

September 24, 2026

Love & Honey Fried Chicken, a Philadelphia-founded fast-casual restaurant brand known for its chef-driven menu, is expanding into Massachusetts as part of…

Perfect Pitch winner TAP joins 9 brands in 2026 'Fast Casual Frontrunners'

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

There are plenty of restaurant brands trying to be the next big thing, but discovering those that could actually shape where fast casual goes next is a…

Angry Chickz to open 48th restaurant nationwide in Sacramento

September 24, 2026

Angry Chickz will open its first Sacramento, California, restaurant Sept. 25 at 4740 Natomas Road, marking the chicken chain's 40th California location and…

Why Dillas Quesadillas simplified its menu to prepare for growth

by Valerie Gritton

Dillas Quesadillas is simplifying its menu to improve speed, accuracy and the customer experience as it prepares for future growth. In this episode of the…

The $10 cocktail: Will it work on fast casual menus?

Bartender and James Beard nominee Ivy Leyenda joins Fast Casual Nation to break down whether cocktails belong on the fast casual menu.

4 fall menu items that have nothing to do with pumpkin spice

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

From lobster-shaped lollipops to Dr Pepper-dusted chicken, these fast-casual brands are taking a different approach to fall menus.

Cheba Hut rolls into Virginia with Midlothian opening

September 23, 2026

Toasted sub brand Cheba Hut will make its Virginia debut Sept. 25 in Midlothian, marking the eighth location for franchisee WAHi Brands Inc.

85°C Bakery Cafe reaches 100 U.S. locations with Colorado debut

September 23, 2026

85°C Bakery Cafe has entered Colorado with the Sept. 18 opening of its Aurora location, bringing the bakery-cafe brand to 100 locations in the U.S.

Starbird bringing 17 locations to Pacific Northwest

September 23, 2026

Fast casual chicken concept Starbird Chicken is expanding into Washington state through a franchise agreement with Mehta Investment Group that will bring 1…

Closing the gap between order ready and order in hand

Why the last mile costs operators more than they think. The gap between order ready and order in hand is part of the operation that affects labor efficiency…

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