Potbelly opening 1st unit in Mankato, Minnesota

December 11, 2017

Potbelly Sandwich is opening Thursday in Mankato, Minnesota. The shop, which features a drive-thru, is located at 1859 Madison Ave., in front of Walmart at…

CoreLife Eatery looking to expand in Ohio

December 11, 2017

CoreLife Eatery is hoping to bolster its presence in Columbus and other areas of Ohio by offering new franchise opportunities. 

Dog Haus opening in Rockford, Illinois

December 11, 2017

Dog Haus is opening its next franchise location Saturday in Rockford, Illinois. Goalz Restaurant Group owns the unit at 7616 Walton St., and is giving…

Franchise focus: Pork & Mindy's CEO focused on 'extending the register'

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Founder and CEO Kevin Corsello discusses why he loves operating in food halls and pop-up locations and what he wishes he would have known before launching his…

Shell Shack more than doubling footprint in 2018

December 8, 2017

Shell Shack, a Dallas-based seafood brand, is more than doubling its footprint in 2018.  "We have an aggressive 2018 growth plan and we're ready to share…

Honeygrow raises $18 million in latest round of funding

December 8, 2017

Honeygrow, a Philadelphia-born concept, has raised $18 million in Series E fundraising. The capital, which brings the total amount raised to $70 million, will…

El Pollo Loco open in Norco

December 8, 2017

El Pollo Loco has opened in Norco, California, on River Road — the city's first for the brand, a news release said. The 2,660-square-foot restaurant seats 6…

Blaze lights up Concord, North Carolina

December 8, 2017

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza is opening soon in Concord, North Carolina on Christenbury Parkway, a news release said. The 2,800-square-foot location seats 78 and is…

Eatsa CEO: 'Our long-term goal is to change the fast casual industry'

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Eatsa, both a restaurant and technology provider, faced a difficult choice in deciding the best way to revolutionize the fast casual dining experience. The…

GM delivers restaurant commerce to the driver's seat

December 7, 2017

GM has figured out how to monetize drivers' commutes by installing an auto industry first in its cars — a commerce platform that allows anyone riding inside to…

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill returning to South Beach

December 7, 2017

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is opening its latest unit in South Beach, Florida, where the brand was born in 2004. Franchisee Left Field Holdings will open the…

Study: Fast casual customers want more digital ordering opportunities

December 7, 2017

Digital ordering is more popular than ever, according to the 2017 Online and Mobile Ordering Index, which found that nearly two-thirds of fast casual customers…

Capriotti's opening in Nevada

December 7, 2017

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop opens Saturday in Reno, Nevada. Located at the Airport Square-Costco Center, the store will feature an updated restaurant design that…

Pokeatery opening 1st franchised location by year's end

December 7, 2017

Pokeatery, a San Francisco Bay Area-based build-your-own poke concept, will open its first franchised unit by year's end in Walnut Creek, California. The store…

Illegal Burger beefs up online, mobile ordering

December 7, 2017

Illegal Burger customers can now place delivery and pick-up orders via the restaurant's online ordering system, powered by ChowNow. The mobile-friendly service…

Fast casuals innovating desserts, snacks to boost post-lunch traffic

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

More customers than ever are ordering dessert between 2-4 p.m.

Starbucks launches AR experience in Shanghai

The Shanghai Roastery is the first Starbucks in the world to offer an augmented reality experience to customers. Customers, who download the app, get a whole…

4 ways to cut confusion over restaurant management software

by Dave Bennett — President & CEO, Mirus Restaurant Solutions

Like many terms in the restaurant industry, there is some confusion over the term "restaurant management software." In this article, I'd like to briefly…

LRS pagers upgraded to collect customer data

December 6, 2017

Tracking how long customers are waiting for orders or deliveries just got a boost from paging, tracking and guest intelligence tool provider, Long Range…

Captain D's finds a home in 'My Ol' Kentucky Home'

December 6, 2017

Captain D's is opening in what Kentuckians call 'My Ol' Kentucky Home's' home of Bardstown, Kentucky, where much of the imagery described in that well-known…