Erbert & Gerbert's 100th unit opening in Minnesota

January 9, 2017

Minneapolis will be home to Erbert & Gerbert’s 100th unit. Under the direction of Manuel Pizano-Carlo, who owns a unit in Energy Park in St. Paul, the…

Smashburger CEO trades burgers for pizza

January 9, 2017

Former Smashburger President and CEO Scott Crane has moved to the top job at Pizza Inn and Pie Five, owned by Rave Restaurant Group, according to a news…

Johnny Rockets enters 30th country

January 9, 2017

Johnny Rockets recently celebrated its 30th anniversary by entering its 30th country — Paraguay.

Cafe Rio execs talk strategy behind brand's rapid growth

Strong leadership, innovative tools and a commitment to treat each location as its only location are all reasons for the brand's robust growth.

Chipotle exec pleads guilty to cocaine possession

January 6, 2017

Chipotle executive Mark Crumpacker pleaded guilty today to cocaine possession, but his case will be dismissed if he attends treatment for a year, stays off…

Fast Casual CEOs predict the future

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Several CEOs weigh in on the year's unfolding trends.

IoT, customer-facing robots and VR among topics to be discussed at 2017 ICX Summit

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

The annual conference, which draws hundreds of customer experience leaders and innovators, is June 5-7 in Dallas and features a range of interesting sessions…

Shake Shack names COO

January 6, 2017

Shake Shack Inc has appointed a chief operating officer, naming Zach Koff to the position. The company also announced the retiring of Jeff Uttz as CFO.

Sleep talkers beware: Alexa is listening for your restaurant reorders

Amazon Prime members can now voice-order meals through Amazon Restaurants on Alexa-enabled devices,

Zoup opening 2nd Massachusetts unit

January 6, 2017

Soup lovers in Massachusetts got their first taste of Zoup nearly two years ago when the chain opened in the Sherwood Plaza on Route 9 in Natick. The chain is…

Ice cream brands scoop out year's new flavors

January 5, 2017

Winter can't freeze the ice cream-centered QSRs out there from churning out new flavors and other enticements to lure even the frostiest amongst us off the…

Great Harvest Bread CEO: Competitors should be worried

The chain has launched a "hub-and-spoke" bakery-cafe franchise opportunity, meaning franchisees can purchase a large territory that includes a single Great…

On the menu: Deep-fried Twinkies

January 5, 2017

While many restaurants are catering to guests hoping to drop a few pounds in the new year, McCain Foods is betting that others won't forget about the…

Nitro-focused ice cream chain ready to franchise

January 5, 2017

Cauldron Ice Cream, based in Santa Ana, California, is expanding through franchising with help from Fransmart. Cauldron, which uses liquid nitrogen to make ice…

El Pollo Loco campaign makes LA connection

January 5, 2017

L.A. ... for Gladys Knight and the Pips, it just proved "too much for the man." While Wang Chung could only manage to "live and die" there. But to fire-grilled…

Blaze shakes off artificial, unhealthy ingredients

January 5, 2017

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza has launched an initiative to rid the chain's food of artificial ingredients with a promotion that offers free pizza to guests, who…

6 ways technology can conquer 2017's top challenges

One tech experts looks at a few 2017 restaurant technology trends through the lens of the complex issues that today's restaurant brands will face over the next…

Freshii's devilish promo rewards customers for ditching QSR gift cards

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

The latest promotion from Freshii — which officially classifies itself as a "health casual" brand — is taking direct aim at its fast food competitors by…

FastCasual accepting nominations for Top 100 Movers & Shakers

January 4, 2017

FastCasual is taking nominations for its annual list of Top 100 Movers & Shakers, which honors the brands and executives leading the fast casual restaurant…

Chipotle launches online tool to help customers 'make calories count'

January 4, 2017

Chipotle Mexican Grill has a New Year’s resolution: Help customers to not only count calories but make calories count. The chain has launched a dietary options…