How Saroki's Crispy Chicken & Pizza pairs great food, service with mega pavilions

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Saroki's Crispy Chicken & Pizza proves that gas station food can be great. Lead by brothers Todd and Curtis Saroki, the brand has 19 locations in mega gas…

From Nigeria to DC: A founder's quest to take African food mainstream

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Nigerian-native Ada Osakwe, an angel investor and former banker, is bringing her African fast casual concept, Nuli, to Washington, D.C.

Some restaurant sales sizzle, others fizzle

August 12, 2025

Summer sales have been hot and cold for U.S. restaurants this summer, with some areas seeing significant growth while others struggled, according to Toast's…

Leasecake launches AI-powered tool to help restaurants identify risks, improve lease terms

August 12, 2025

Leasecake, a company that manages commercial leases, has launched Leasecake LIFT, an AI-powered tool designed to help businesses identify risks and improve…

Vicious Biscuit's app sweetens catering, loyalty programs

August 12, 2025

Vicious Biscuit rolled out Vicious Biscuit Rewards, a mobile app designed to boost guest interactions and streamline operations, with a particular focus on…

Ziosk hires CTO

August 12, 2025

Ziosk, a hospitality platform for restaurants, has appointed Jacob Feinstein as chief technology officer to oversee the company's engineering division and lead…

Thriving through uncertainty: The power of resilience

by Jim Knight — Founder & CEO, Knight Speaker

Let's be honest — uncertainty is here to stay. From industry shake-ups to disruptive tech, shifting markets, and yes, even global crises, unpredictability is…

Bubbakoo's rolling into Utah

August 11, 2025

Bubbakoo's Burritos, a Mexican-fusion restaurant chain, will open its first Utah location this week in Orem, offering free burritos to the first 50 guests.

Smalls Sliders to open in West Virginia, Ohio

August 11, 2025

Smalls Sliders has inked its first-ever development deal for West Virginia. The deal will bring three of the brand's signature "Cans" — its units — lead by…

1st co-branded Round Table Pizza, Fatburger opens in California

August 11, 2025

FAT Brands Inc., parent company of 18 restaurant concepts, has opened its first co-branded Fatburger and Round Table Pizza in Rancho Cordova, California…

How AI turning labor from cost center into growth driver for QSRs

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

In a free webinar titled "Labor Forecasting 2.0: Predicting Future Demand and Staffing for Efficient Growth with AI" viewers will learn how AI is powering…

How Fast Fresh Brands CEO is scaling healthy eating

Cody Pepper, founder of Fast Fresh Brands, which owns Bee Healthy Cafe and Nature's Table, said growth accelerated when he partnered with DIA Equity Partners…

Dave & Buster's pushing international expansion

August 11, 2025

Dave & Buster's is expanding its global footprint with the opening of its second location in India. The 22,000-square-foot entertainment venue is located…

Speaker Spotlight: Filippo Fiori, Due Cucini Italiana head chef, CEO

by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

From Italy to China to the U.S., Filippo Fiori has gained a lot of wisdom from his travels, which he plans to share at the Fast Casual Executive Summit.

Is market volatility fueling interest in restaurant franchise ownership?

Although Tim Koch, president and COO at Franchise FastLane, said restaurant franchising isn't for everyone, it can be a powerful way to reclaim control in a…

Gregorys Coffee partnering with Craveworthy Brands

August 8, 2025

Craveworthy Brands, a multi-restaurant platform company, along with Branded Hospitality, Kitchen Fund and Harborfield Management Co., has become a managing…

Fransmart launches platform for early-stage restaurant, franchise brands

August 7, 2025

Fransmart, a franchise development company, has launched an investment platform that allows individual accredited investors to co-invest alongside the firm in…

Dillas Quesadillas hires Michael Mabry to head franchise development

August 7, 2025

North Texas-based Dillas Quesadillas has named restaurant industry veteran Michael Mabry as its head of Franchise Development.

Scaling fast casual: Cava's depth vs. Sweetgreen's breadth in Q2 2025

by Shira Petrack — Content Manager, Placer.ai

Cava's overall visits grew year-over-year n Q2 '25 while average visits per location remained relatively stable (-1.0%). Sweetgreen also experienced overall…

Naya lands capital to accelerate growth

August 6, 2025

Naya, specializing in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, is poised for national expansion after a major financial transaction from TriSpan. The private…