Red Mango parent company group buying Friendly's

November 2, 2020

Investor group Amici Partners Group LLC — a Brix Holdings entity — is buying Friendly's Restaurants parent company, FIC Restaurants Inc., as part of FIC's…

Elevation Burger opening ghost kitchen in Pennsylvania

November 2, 2020

A week after announcing the opening of its ghost kitchen in Dallas, FAT Brands, the parent company of Fatburger, Elevation Burger and Hurricane Grill &…

Starbucks opening in Laos

November 2, 2020

Starbucks Coffee Company is opening its first Laos location next year in the capital city of Vientiane, located on the banks of the Mekong River near the…

Wingstop delcares special dividend after strong Q3

November 2, 2020

After reporting that Q3 system-wide sales were up nearly 33%, Wingstop Inc.'s board of directors has approved a special cash dividend of $5 per share in…

El Pollo Loco launches inclusivity-centered holiday campaign

November 2, 2020

El Pollo Loco Inc. has launched a holiday campaign, "Kids on Culture," which calls on the community to encourage inclusivity. Anchored in a 30-second video…

Inspire Brands' acquisition of Dunkin’ will more than double company's size

In a mammoth deal announced Saturday, 11,000-unit Inspire Brands signed a merger agreement with 20,500-unit Dunkin' Brands for a move that may signal some…

Fast casual brands offer tips, best practices for managing the supply chain

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

The supply chain is a critical aspect of a brand's operations and it needs to scale easily while reducing costs, increasing efficiencies and boosting revenue.

Dickey's taps Chicago for first ghost kitchen

October 30, 2020

Dickey's Barbecue Pit opened its first virtual kitchen Friday in Chicago. Providing only delivery service, customers in the surrounding 10-mile area may order…

Dickey's going Down Under

October 30, 2020

Dickey's Barbecue Pit's latest international agreement calls for 50 units to open in Australia with restaurant group QSR Foods Pty LTD. Dickey's has partners…

Boston Market parent company buys Corner Bakery

October 30, 2020

Pandya Restaurant Growth Brands LLC has acquired Corner Bakery from affiliates of Roark Capital Partners. Terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.

Fajita Pete's heading to Denver

October 30, 2020

Fajita Pete's, a fajita delivery and catering restaurant founded by Colombian-born immigrant and entrepreneur Pedro "Pete" Mora, is expanding to Denver via a…

Starbucks boasting speedy recovery

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Despite reporting sales declines for Q4, Starbucks Corporation President and CEO Kevin Johnson said he was pleased with the chain's finish to the fiscal year…

Tray DineSafe offers contactless automated locker, virtual drive thru

October 30, 2020

Tray, an enterprise restaurant management platform, has launched DineSafe, a suite of contactless self-service features that enables a safe post-COVID…

Digital made up 60% of Shake Shack's Q3 sales

October 29, 2020

Digital sales at company-owned Shake Shacks tripled, and average weekly sales and same-Shack sales improved in both urban and suburban locations compared to…

Disposable aprons address pandemic-era safety concerns

October 29, 2020

Safety ranks at the top of most diners' lists of concerns, and now brands have a line of disposable aprons to give both workers and customers added protection.

Digital, off-premise sales keeping Noodles & Co afloat

October 29, 2020

Q3 digital sales at Noodles & Co grew 151%, accounting for 61% of sales and keeping the chain afloat during the pandemic.

Clover ushers in touchless dining feature

October 29, 2020

Restaurants using Clover's point-of-sale platform from Fiserv Inc. are now able to offer guests a touchless experience from order to payment.

Chopt opening 5th New Jersey location

October 29, 2020

Chopt Creative Salad Co. is opening its newest New Jersey restaurant Wednesday at 52 Farm View in Montvale.

Coolgreens expanding amid pandemic

October 29, 2020

Despite trying times for the industry, Coolgreens reported record-breaking growth in Q3, doubling its number of franchise restaurants with three openings…

Chicago banning dine-in service

October 29, 2020

Chicago restaurants must close all dine-in service as of Friday, according to a mandate from Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health.