AI and the Future of Restaurants: From Foot Traffic to Predictive Insight

As consumer behavior and privacy expectations evolve, restaurants need smarter ways to understand diners and drive growth. Gladys Kong of Azira and Isabelle…

Presented by Azira

Nick the Greek opens second Stockton restaurant

July 24, 2026

Nick the Greek has opened its second restaurant in Stockton, California, boosting its presence in San Joaquin County.

Birdcall signs 5-unit franchise deal for Indianapolis

July 24, 2026

Denver-based Birdcall has signed a franchise agreement to open five restaurants in the Indianapolis area, marking the first step in the chicken chain's Midwest…

Pizza Brands to Watch 2027 nominations now open

July 23, 2026

Pizza Marketplace is seeking nominations for its "Pizza Brands to Watch in 2027" special report, aiming to highlight innovators, trailblazers and rising stars…

Nominations closing soon for 2026 Top 30 Movers & Shakers: Catering

July 23, 2026

Time is running out to nominate catering industry leaders for the Top 30 Movers & Shakers: Catering, with submissions closing July 28.

Your Pie drives 2026 growth with data analytics, menu innovation

July 23, 2026

Fast casual pizza brand Your Pie is continuing its 2026 expansion and menu development following major technology upgrades last year. The Ischia…

Why franchises must rethink growth in a digital-first world

Somia Farid Silber, CEO of Edible Brands, discusses how success in franchising is no longer equated growth only unit expansion. Territory optimization is…

Ziggi's Coffee names Stacey Pool chief growth officer

July 23, 2026

Ziggi's Coffee has named Stacey Pool as its new chief growth officer, a newly created leadership role based at the company's headquarters in Mead, Colorado.

Angry Chickz prepares for first Pennsylvania opening

July 23, 2026

Sherman Oaks, California-based Angry Chickz will open its first Pennsylvania restaurant July 31 at 152 S. Wyoming Ave., in Kingston, marking the Sherman Oaks…

Beyond Juicery + Eatery opens third Georgia location

July 23, 2026

Beyond Juicery + Eatery will open its third Georgia restaurant July 25 at 4060 Peachtree Road NE in Brookhaven. The location is owned and operated by…

Deliverect and SoundHound AI Partner to Turn Voice Into a Fully Automated Ordering Channel for Restaurants

The integration creates a seamless, automated path from a customer's first voice interaction to kitchen fulfilment, across drive-thru, phone, kiosk, and in-car…

Biscuit Belly acquires 35 Maple Street Biscuit Company locations to triple footprint

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Co-founder Lauren Coulter opens up about the "once-in-a-lifetime" deal — from how it will reshape the brand's growth strategy to the plan for winning over…

How Scooter's Coffee expanding supply chain to support 1,000 stores

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Scooter's Coffee invests in its supply chain as the company's number of stores approaches 1,000.

Insomnia Cookies serving 10M scoops as it launches National Ice Cream Day offer

July 22, 2026

Photo courtesy of Insomnia Cookies Insomnia Cookies served approximately 10 million scoops of ice cream across its network in 2025. Now, the…

Juice It Up reports 13% systemwide sales growth through midyear

July 22, 2026

Juice It Up reported 13% year-over-year systemwide sales growth through the first half of 2026, driven by higher customer traffic, menu innovation and…

True Food Kitchen names Jeff Chandler as CEO

July 21, 2026

Jeff Chandler has been synonymous with Hopdoddy Burger Bar over the last decade, but the Texas-based executive is now leading True Food Kitchen, a…

What the data says about restaurant catering today

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

As corporate catering transforms into a critical growth engine for the restaurant industry, top brands will share their battle-tested, data-driven playbooks…

Toastique Founder Brianna Keefe details growth from single toast bar to national franchise

Toastique founder Brianna Keefe opened her first location at 24 with no investors, a personal guarantee, and a vision for a concept that didn't yet exist. In…

City Barbeque opens 2nd Tennessee location in Murfreesboro

July 21, 2026

City Barbeque has expanded its Tennessee presence with the opening of a second restaurant in the state. The Dublin, Ohio-based barbecue chain launched its…

The 'Slutty' Empire: How Pinky Cole turned vegan burgers into a national brand

Slutty Vegan founder and CEO Pinky Cole Hayes joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to share her journey from television producer to…