How restaurants can take back control from 3rd-party platforms

by Stephen Klein — Cofounder and CEO, Saivory

In a post-COVID world, tech giants, aggregators, and delivery platforms have significantly expanded their influence in the competition for restaurant…

Bankruptcy may not be the end for Pinky Cole

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Pinky Cole has built an empire on grit. She's faced the worst before, and she's come out on the other side. As she navigates this latest chapter, the question…

Gringo’s Tex-Mex, Jimmy Changas rolling out Ziosk to streamline checkout

March 2, 2026

Gringo's Tex-Mex and Jimmy Changas are streamlining checkout, increasing loyalty program participation and improving customer service by rolling out Ziosk's…

JRI Hospitality acquires HCI, adds 43 Freddy’s locations

March 2, 2026

JRI Hospitality has acquired the restaurant operations of Manhattan, Kansas-based HCI Hospitality, a move that adds 43 Freddy's Frozen Custard &…

Buffalo Wild Wings GO expanding in Teays Valley

February 28, 2026

Buffalo Wild Wings GO is bringing its takeout-focused model to Teays Valley with the official opening of a location on Wednesday, March 4.

How to empower employees through autonomy, ownership

by Jim Knight — Founder & CEO, Knight Speaker

Effective leadership requires balancing autonomy with support to transform organizational culture, drive innovation and boost performance by empowering…

Big Dave’s locks in supply chain partnerships to supercharge expansion

February 27, 2026

Big Dave's Cheesesteaks is charging full-speed ahead with its national expansion, cementing its supply chain infrastructure through a double-shot of strategic…

Freddy's Frozen Custard launches senior meals

February 27, 2026

While most fast casuals focus their menu innovation on building the next generation of kid-sized meals, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is taking a…

GoTo Foods names CFO, CGO

February 27, 2026

GoTo Foods, the parent company of seven foodservice brands, has hired a chief financial officer and chief growth officer while elevating three veteran internal…

Don't bet the house on GLP-1: Why 'Everyday Health' is the better menu strategy

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

The modern restaurant menu has become a casino floor. The lighting is dimmed to hide the margins, the air is thick with the scent of "better-for-you" trends…

South Florida Beverage Company Fresh Blends Wins Best Kiosk Innovation at the Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Awards

Cloud-connected beverage platform honored for redefining operational erfficiency and user experience in automated retail and QSRs.

Speaker Spotlight: Chris Noffze, director of direct franchising and operations, Gong cha

by Bradley Cooper — Editor, Connect Media

In today's Speaker Spotlight, we are highlighting Chris Noffze, director of direct franchising and operations at Gong cha Americas, who will be sharing…

5 strategic plays behind Cava's $1B year

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Cava Co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman didn't just report numbers during the company's Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings call on Tuesday; he reported a…

The legacy glow-up: How Paul Damico is tech-enabling Perkins, Huddle House

Make Every Location Your Best Location: Drive More Revenue From Your Underperforming Stores

Fixing your bottom 10% locations beats building new ones. Momos' AI platform shows how multi-location brands can recover over $28 million in annual revenue per…

Presented by Momos

Pinky Cole stripping down Slutty Vegan’s business realities on ‘Real Housewives’

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

By bringing the fast casual world to one of reality TV's biggest stages, Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole is betting on the idea that authenticity — not just…

Strategic sizzle: Why Houston TX Hot Chicken prioritizes smart growth over rapid expansion

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Houston TX Hot Chicken is leveraging its "electric" brand energy and massive social media following to drive organic franchise leads and fuel a strategic…

The Real Reason Your Team Is Burning Out (It's Not What You Think)

The way your team communicates is burning them out. And if you're running your internal communication through personal messaging apps like WhatsApp or…

Got marketing chops? Prove it: The 2nd Annual Top 30 Movers & Shakers Nominations are live

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Calling all restaurant marketing visionaries!

Mendocino launches 'Come Graze a While' menu

February 23, 2026

Mendocino Farms, a Southern California-founded fast casual chain, will debut its first seasonal menu of the year on Feb. 24, featuring a selection of dishes…