Slim Chickens adds UK location

January 3, 2023

Arkansas-based Slim Chickens has opened its first Cheshire Oaks location in the U.K. thanks to its partnership with Boparan Restaurant Group, which owns…

NY couple's good deed earns free chicken for 1 year

January 3, 2023

Bb.q Chicken is giving a year's supply of free chicken to a New York couple who hosted 10 stranded South Korean tourists during the recent blizzard in the…

Chick N Max bringing 53 locations to US markets

January 3, 2023

In its first full year of franchising, Wichita, Kansas-based Chick N Max has signed deals to open 53 locations in Kansas, South Dakota and Texas. It plans to…

What families want from fast casual brands

by Jennifer Loper — President, C3 Brand Marketing

The lack of focus on kids is a big miss given that parties with children 12 and under bring in checks that are twice as high as parties without them.

How Much Does Digital Signage Cost? Digital Signage Price Guide for 2023

From superior versatility to dynamic messaging to more integrated communication, the advantages associated with digital signage are numerous.  Understanding…

Bubbakoo’s franchisee opens 9th location

December 30, 2022

Bubbakoo's Burritos opened earlier this week in Mahwah, New Jersey, under the direction of franchisees Sagu, Amar, Perry and Fenil Patel, who own eight other…

Australia's Guzman y Gomez opening 2nd US store

December 30, 2022

Australia-based Guzman y Gomez, the nearly 200-unit fast casual founded in 2006 by CEO and native New Yorker Steven Marks, is opening its second U.S. location…

Island Fin Poke opening 1st Tallahassee location

December 29, 2022

Florida-based Island Fin Poke is opening its first Tallahassee location next month at 1415 Timberlane Road.

Juice It Up adding 7 California stores

December 28, 2022

Juice It Up has inked six franchise agreements that will result in seven locations opening in Southern California by the end of 2023. It has over 30 locations…

Urban Plates cutting price of subscription program

December 27, 2022

With guests feeling the pinch of inflationary pressures, California-based Urban Plates has upgraded its Plate Pass program and slashed the price from $10 per…

Ike’s Love & Sandwiches hits Manhattan Beach

December 27, 2022

San Francisco-based Ike's Love & Sandwiches opened last week in Manhattan Beach at 1116 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Slim Chickens growing in Ohio

December 27, 2022

Fayetteville, Arkansas-based Slim Chickens is growing in Ohio with an opening at 4990 Fulton Dr. N.W., under the direction of multi-unit franchisee Ohio Slims.

Restaurants want to lower energy use, but need help

by Al Subbloie

Amid rising inflation, America's small- to medium-sized businesses, which the U.S. trade representative calls the "backbone of our economy," are no better off…

Fiesta Restaurant Group CEO steps down

December 27, 2022

Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc. CEO Rich Stockinger has stepped down from the parent company of Pollo Tropical. CFO Dirk Montgomery will serve as interim CEO…

Salata taps former NCR exec to lead tech team

December 27, 2022

Salata, a built-to-order salad kitchen with 90 locations, has hired Briton Smetzer as VP of IT. With a background in a variety of industries, including fast…

FastCasual's Top 10 most-read stories of 2022

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Readers were most interested in well-established brands moving into new markets. News about Dave's Hot Chicken, for example, entering South Carolina and…

Pickleman's makes Oklahoma City debut

December 23, 2022

St. Louis-based Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe is continuing its Midwest expansion, opening this week in Oklahoma City at 6001 N. May Ave. It's the fourth…

Huey Magoo’s hits 40th unit milestone

December 23, 2022

Florida-based Huey Magoo's has opened its 40th location. The store is in Flowery Branch, Georgia, and marks the fourth location in the Atlanta area.

Former Rego president named CEO of Denver's Birdcall

December 22, 2022

Denver-based Birdcall, which has nine locations serving natural chicken with a proprietary and vertically integrated technology platform, has hired Mark…

Weenie Wonder opening 2nd location

December 22, 2022

Rise Brands, which owns 16-Bit Bar+Arcade, Pins Mechanical Company, and No Soliciting, is opening its second Weenie Wonder location in February 2023 in…