HTeaO to host grand opening celebration in Lowell, Arkansas

July 8, 2026

Iced tea franchise HTeaO will host the grand opening of its first Lowell, Arkansas, location on Saturday, July 11, according to a press release.

Moe's Southwest Grill, Schlotzsky's execs discuss AI usage, new prototypes, growth plans

GoTo Foods CBOs Mike Smith (Moe's Southwest Grill) and Donna Varner (Schlotzsky's) join Fast Casual Nation host Cherryh Cansler to discuss how a shared brand…

Your Pie targets Wilmington for North Carolina franchise expansion

July 8, 2026

Your Pie, an Atlanta-based fast-casual pizza franchise, will expand its footprint in North Carolina, targeting Wilmington and the Cape Fear region for its next…

Nominations now open for Top 30 Movers & Shakers: Catering

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Nominations will close July 28, 2026.

The World Pizza champion who 'Let go to grow'

13-time world pizza champion Tony Gemignani spent 17 years honing his craft before betting on himself. In this episode of Founderology - Built to Breakthrough…

Report: Cyberattacks hit 78% of restaurants despite security confidence

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

A 10-unit restaurant chain could lose between $20,000 and $50,000 during a two-hour outage on a busy Friday evening, excluding recovery costs such as forensic…

Smashburger simplifies summer LTO lineup to improve operations

July 8, 2026

Smashburger is taking a more focused approach to limited-time offerings this summer, introducing two burgers and two shakes as part of a broader strategy to…

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers ending 2026 with over 60 openings

July 7, 2026

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is on track to open about 60 restaurants in 2026, pushing the fast-casual chain close to the 600-location milestone.

Pokeworks seeking Texas real estate for expansion

July 7, 2026

Pokeworks is ramping up its Texas expansion, having sold out franchise availability across nearly every major market in the state.

Swig signs 13-unit Chicago development agreement

July 7, 2026

Swig, a dirty soda brand, has signed a 13-unit franchise agreement to expand into Chicago's southwest suburbs.

Why more women are turning to restaurant franchising

by Carla McLean — Marketing Executive, IFA World Franchise Show

For women looking to build a business with long-term scalability, franchising presents an opportunity to combine independence with the support of an…

'The Office' actor Leslie David Baker opens HoneyBaked franchise in California

July 7, 2026

Tony Vennie, courtesy of HoneyBaked Actor Leslie David Baker and entrepreneur Tony Vennie have opened a HoneyBaked franchise in Sherman Oaks…

South Block to open Tenleytown location July 11

July 7, 2026

Fast-casual acai bowl and smoothie chain South Block will open a location in Washington, D.C.'s Tenleytown neighborhood on July 11. The restaurant, at 452…

Yogurtland's AUVs climb 27%

July 6, 2026

Yogurtland's traditional store average unit volumes climbed to $934,959 in 2025, marking a 27% increase over a two-year period and placing the frozen dessert…

Tiki Taco adding KC location

July 6, 2026

Tiki Taco, a Kansas City-based independent restaurant brand, is expanding north of the Missouri River with the opening of its sixth location on July 7.

The top 3 priorities for Founder success in 2026

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To succeed in 2026's highly competitive market, businesses must focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional customer experiences across all channels…

Smalls Sliders launches Soda Shakes, Coca-Cola’s new concentrated syrups

July 6, 2026

Smalls Sliders is rolling out two new beverages for the summer season. The company has announced its new line of Soda Shakes, featuring Fanta and Barq's Root…

Birdcall’s Midwest expansion strategy backed by tech, real estate

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Fast-casual chicken chain said that proprietary technology, real estate optoins and a multichannel business model will help with its Midwest expansion.

Zaxby's taps Russell Holland to lead development strategy

July 6, 2026

Zaxby's has named Russell Holland chief development officer, formalizing his leadership role. The move comes as the fast-casual chicken chain continues…

Is the pumpkin-spice latte to blame for the fruity coffee trend?

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Remember when we all thought adding a little pumpkin spice to our morning brew was the height of culinary rebellion? It turns out that was just the gateway…