Chicken Guy lands in Florida mall

July 5, 2023

Hatched from the minds of Emmy Award-winning TV host Guy Fieri and restaurateur Robert Earl, Chicken Guy opened a location this week in Miami's Dadeland Mall.

6 things families want from fast casual brands

by Jennifer Loper — President, C3 Brand Marketing

Families with kids 12 and under bring in checks that are more than twice as high as parties without kids. What are you doing to get your piece of the pie?

Voodoo Doughnuts adds 3 to leadership team

July 5, 2023

Voodoo Doughnut has hired three executives in hopes of propelling its growth trajectory. They include:

3 ways Sip Fresh is reinventing the fast casual beverage industry

Sharon Arthofer, founder and CEO of Sip Fresh and the first franchisee of Wetzel's Pretzels, discusses how the brand's franchising concept and unique offerings…

Cafe Rio increases store count by 50%

June 29, 2023

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill is continuing to expand its footprint in the U.S., reporting five-year growth of over 50%. The fast casual chain specializing in Mexican…

Chick N Max now serving Houston

June 29, 2023

Wichita-based Chick N Max has opened its first Texas restaurant at the Willis Shopping Center at 12312 I-45 North in Houston. The 2,500-square-foot restaurant…

Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream entering Tennessee

June 29, 2023

Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream will make its Tennessee debut on July 8 in Brentwood at 5002 Thoroughbred Lane in the Merchants Walk Shopping Center.

Nekter opening 200th location

June 29, 2023

For Steve and Alexis Schulze, it seems like just yesterday when they opened their first Nekter Juice Bar in 2010, but the co-founders will celebrate their…

Bango Bowls launches franchising initiative

June 29, 2023

Bango Bowls, a franchise born from the belief that embracing a positive mindset is directly tied to finding enjoyment in nourishing the body, is seeking to…

Velvet Taco hires marketing VP

June 29, 2023

Velvet Taco has hired Brooke Perry as VP of marketing. She held the same title for ChopShop and will help Dallas-based Velvet Taco grow beyond its 40 locations.

District Taco developing in Virginia Beach

June 29, 2023

District Taco has signed a 10-unit development agreement with Brothers Best for the Virginia Beach/Tidewater region, including the outer banks of North…

Smokey Bones promotes COO to president after CEO departs

June 29, 2023

Smokey Bones, a 62-unit casual brand that also operates two virtual kitchen brands — The Wing Experience and The Burger Experience — has promoted COO Hal…

DoorDash offers drivers hourly pay option

June 29, 2023

Delivery company DoorDash is offering drivers the option to be paid hourly on deliveries, adding to its longstanding payment option of being paid per delivery.

Shake Shack, Scooter's Coffee execs keynoting Fast Casual Executive Summit

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Idris Stover, Shake Shack's director of diversity, equity, inclusion and culture, and Nathan Lester, senior director of drive-thru innovation at Scooter's…

Biscuit Belly inks deal for North Carolina, Virginia

June 28, 2023

Biscuit Belly, a Kentucky-based brunch brand, is partnering with DGB, a venture group consisting of people with backgrounds in multi-unit development, in…

Inked Tacos, The Original Hot Chicken opening dual-branded location

June 28, 2023

Inked Tacos and The Original Hot Chicken, owned by Atlanta-based Experiential Brands, are opening a dual-branded location in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

The Dolly Llama entering Northern California

June 27, 2023

The Dolly Llama, a dessert shop serving waffle and ice cream concoctions, is moving into Northern California with a location in Elk Grove slated to open by end…

Big Chicken hitting New Jersey

June 27, 2023

Big Chicken, founded by Hall of Famer and New Jersey native, Shaquille O'Neal, is opening six locations in New Jersey, thanks to a deal with franchisees Chad…

Everytable raises $25M

June 27, 2023

Everytable, whose mission is to make nutritious food more accessible, has raised $25 million in the initial closing of its Series C-2 preferred stock…

Sip Fresh signs 3-pack deal

June 27, 2023

Sip Fresh is launching three stores in San Diego via an agreement with Kevin Tam, who previously worked for Wetzel's Pretzels, Boston-based food trucks and…