The neverending winter: 11 fast casuals hoping LTOs will keep customers coming back 'til warmer days

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

From hot chicken to shrimp alfredo pizza, below is a partial list of limited-time menu items keeping us full, warm and hopeful for a spring thaw.

Chicken Salad Chick celebrates significant growth, franchise developments

February 28, 2019

Chicken Salad Chick had a banner year in 2018, with its 12th consecutive quarter of positive growth, the opening of 26 restaurants and the signing of 2…

Daphne's Mediterranean to open 6 Austin stores

February 28, 2019

Greek fast casual Daphne's Mediterranean will open six Austin, Texas, locations in just five weeks, with grand opening celebrations starting March 8.

Wing It On: Food trucks on the way

February 28, 2019

Wing It On will begin franchising its Wing It On Wheels food truck model as a standalone operation or a complementary offering to brick-and-mortar units…

Roam Artisan Burgers opens 6th unit

February 28, 2019

Roam Artisan Burgers, based in San Francisco, opened its sixth unit earlier this month. Located at City Center Bishop Ranch in the Tri-Valley region serving…

How Paris Baguette CEO plans to open 1,000 US locations

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Paris Baguette CEO Jack Moran describes international expansion as time-consuming, inefficient, frustrating and involving a lot of hard work. Is it worth it?

Tahini brands recalled after multistate salmonella outbreak

February 28, 2019

A multi-state salmonella Concord outbreak has led federal food safety authorities to issue a warning and recall of Achdut Ltd. tahini. The FDA and U.S. Centers…

30-year study: Fast food portions now 'significantly' bigger, saltier, higher in calories

February 28, 2019

Fast food brands got a bit of a punch in the gut this week when an analysis of offerings at 10 of the top U.S. QSR brands in 1986, 1991 and 2016 revealed that…

Kitchen United launching locations in Austin, Scottsdale

February 27, 2019

Kitchen United will open kitchen centers in Austin, Texas, and Scottsdale, Arizona, in the third quarter of this year.

Pancheros Mexican Grill expands leadership ranks

February 27, 2019

Pancheros Mexican Grill is expanding its leadership roles and its management with the addition of a social media manager position.

Wingstop's CXO resigns

February 27, 2019

Wingstop Chief Experience Officer Stacy Peterson Androes has resigned, according to the Dallas Business Journal.

Panera, ex-CEO and founder battling in court over potential hires, noncompete issue

February 27, 2019

Panera and its founder and ex-CEO, Ron Shaich, are in a court battle over Shaich's hiring of three Panera tech leaders, who had resigned in order to take…

Potbelly hoping to be the next 'Come-back Kid'

February 26, 2019

Potbelly Corporation reported Monday that its total revenues and company-operated, same-store were down for the fourth quarter as well as the full fiscal year.

Noodles & Company launches special deal for March

February 26, 2019

Noodles & Company is launching a special deal for online order customers during the Daylight Savings Time weekend.

Will Fiesta Group's digital initiatives put it on the path to profitability?

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Although Fiesta Restaurant Group, parent company of Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana, closed several units last year and reported mixed financial results Monday…

Doug Stephens on the future of the physical store

Consumers are increasingly turning to mobile to conduct research, compare prices, and purchase products. According...

How to create and implement your BYOD policy

As discussed in an earlier blog post, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies have transformed...

8 BYOD Benefits For Organizations With Frontline Staff

Consumer expectations are making their way into the workplace in fascinating ways and the Bring...

The gap in every CX plan

In recent years, retail, foodservice, and hospitality brands have strived to improve the customer experience....

Blaze pizza kicking off March with California, Nevada openings

February 26, 2019

Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza continues its expansion this week with two restaurant openings in the western U.S.  The company is opening a sprawling…