Sambazon lands at Pittsburgh airport

April 3, 2025

Sambazon, an acai bowl and smoothie shop, has landed at the Pittsburgh International Airport, giving travelers access to acai imported from Brazil.

Doner Shack expands in Glasgow with multi-unit franchise deal

April 3, 2025

Doner Shack is expanding its footprint in Scotland with a three-unit franchise deal with Abrar Khaliq.

Salad House, Barcelona Restaurant Group, Knuckies Hoagies execs talk tech, talent acquisition, retention

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

A panel at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit highlighted the importance of balancing technology with human interaction in hiring and retaining…

Buena Papa founders dish on loaded fries, 'Shark Tank,' expansion plans

Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler of "Fast Casual Nation" sat down with James and Joanna Windon, the couple behind Buena Papa, to discuss their innovative loaded…

Sweetgreen launches loyalty program, Ripple Fries

April 3, 2025

Sweetgreen has launched SG Rewards, a free loyalty program allowing members to earn 10 points for every dollar spent toward perks and access to members-only…

What Chef Robotics' $43M funding means for fast casual automation

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Since Sunbasket, a healthy meal delivery company, partnered with Chef Robotics in 2022, it has displaced 10% of production staff and increased consistency by…

6 ways tariffs could increase fast casual food costs

by Joe Hannon — GM, Inventory & Sales, Restaurant365

The U.S. restaurant industry is feeling the squeeze as tariffs continue to drive up the cost of imported goods. The National Restaurant Association estimates…

FAT Brands accepting cryptocurrency for franchisee royalty payments

April 2, 2025

Los Angeles-based FAT Brands Inc., which owns 2,300 locations of Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, Twin Peaks, Fazoli's and 13 other restaurant…

Curry Up Now opening 1st drive-thru location

April 1, 2025

Curry Up Now, a California-based Indian fast casual brand, has signed a multi-unit franchise agreement with Ganshayam Patel to bring the concept to Bowling…

Madras Dosa expanding New York City footprint

April 1, 2025

Boston-based Madras Dosa Co. is opening three locations this Spring in New York City, joining its existing location in Times Square at 1450 Broadway, which…

Bun Mee: From One Bite to Best in the World

Denise Tran’s journey from attorney to award-winning restaurateur is a masterclass in vision and resilience. On Founderology: Built to Breakthrough, she shares…

Ike's making waves in Hawaii

March 31, 2025

San Francisco-based Ike's Love & Sandwiches has opened a beachfront location in Kona, Hawaii.

Delaware investment firm acquiring Nature’s Table

March 31, 2025

Fast Fresh Brands, owned by the Delaware investment firm, DIA Equity Partners, has acquired Orlando-based Nature's Table, which has locations in Georgia and…

3 tools to help restaurants build efficiency

March 31, 2025

Free white paper reveals three ways restaurants can use automation to simplify arduous tasks.

Mountain Mike's Pizza takes top honors at Pizza Marketplace's Top 100 Movers & Shakers 2025 event

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Mountain Mike's Pizza took home the top honor at Pizza Marketplace's top brand of 2025. Cicis Pizza won a special award from Xrobotics, and David McKillips was…

How to build a thriving restaurant culture that inspires, engages

by Jim Knight — Founder & CEO, Knight Speaker

Jim Knight, founder and CEO of Knight Speaker and bestselling author on the topics of company culture, customer service, rock star leadership and employee…

Big Chicken accelerating digital growth with Figure 8

March 31, 2025

Big Chicken, founded by Shaquille O'Neal, is taking its full-court press to the digital space through a partnership with Figure 8, a digital transformation…

Chipotle rewards members playing digital game to win freebies

March 31, 2025

Chipotle has launched its digital game, Burrito Vault, to give 157,500 Buy-One-Get-One free entree codes and offer fans the chance to win free burritos for a…

How and why restaurant leaders are serving up AI in operations

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

AI is fast becoming ubiquitous in the restaurant environment, helping to streamline tasks, train employees and deliver a more rewarding customer experience.

Thanx integrates with Square

March 28, 2025

Loyalty and guest engagement platform Thanx has integrated with Square, which has an ecosystem of commerce solutions. With this launch, Thanx now supports…