Operators and vendors join forces to set supply chain best practices

April 12, 2017

Foodservice supply chain company, HAVI, has joined with the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, food industry consultants at Kinetic12 and…

Study: Wanderlust is stealing restaurant dollars

April 12, 2017

Consumers' love of travel is slicing into the food service sector's pie, potentially creating a defining moment for the restaurant industry.

Memphis couple launches fast casual brand with organic, vegetarian menu

Mama Gaia, which means "Mother Earth" in ancient Greek, opened last month, offering vegetarian-friendly pitas, quinoa bowls and salads.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe ends Q1 with 4 percent increase in comps

April 12, 2017

Tropical Smoothie Cafe closed the first quarter of 2017, with positive comp sales of 4 percent and signed franchise agreements to open 30 restaurants…

Verts hires NYC agency, former Chipotle designer to refresh branding, voice

April 12, 2017

Verts Mediterranean Grill has hired Michael Talese as its creative director.

Rise Biscuits takes on Tennessee

April 12, 2017

Rise Biscuits Donuts is opening in Tennessee, signing a seven-unit deal with each opening over the next seven years. Real estate options are being explored for…

3 ways technology can lower food costs

by Niall Keane — CEO of SynergySuite, SynergySuite

With timely insights, restaurants can optimize processes, make better decisions, and save time and money

Starbucks to help Chinese employees pay for aging parents' health care

April 11, 2017

Starbucks, known in the U.S. as a champion for employee rights and welfare, is working toward the same reputation in China. The company announced today that as…

Uberrito hires development leader to drive franchise growth

April 11, 2017

Mexican fast casual Uberrito has named Peter Ortiz as its new chief development officer, tasking him with driving the brand’s national franchise strategy.

Starbucks testing grab-and-go lunch options in Chicago

April 11, 2017

Starbucks is testing grab-and-go lunch options this month in more than 100 stores in Chicago. Named Mercato, which means marketplace in Italian, the offering…

Hopdoddy Burger Bar hires new vice president of food and beverage

April 11, 2017

Hopdoddy Burger Bar has hired Mark Adair as vice president of food and beverage. Adair has 30 years of experience in the industry, and plans to launch seasonal…

New tech finds, funnels real-time restaurants digital sign content

April 11, 2017

Allure is debuting an advanced content automation technology for digital signs and other devices used in the fast food and fast casual sectors. Allure…

2 techs combine forces to reduce labor costs

April 11, 2017

7shifts and Toast are combining forces to create an integration that helps chains lower labor costs by streamlining employee clock-ins and schedule…

Firenza snatches up Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria

April 11, 2017

Virginia-based Firenza has acquired Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria, a seven-unit fast casual pizza chain based in California that will assume Firenza branding by…

Chipotle launches new campaign focused on ingredients

April 10, 2017

Chipotle is aiming to get more "real" with the launch of a new marketing campaign about the ingredients in its menu items.

Pie Five, Firehouse, First Watch,Pei Wei execs discuss 'the good, the bad and the ugly' of online reviews

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

A recent survey found that 61 percent of the dining public check online reviews before visiting a restaurant. How those reviews can help or hurt sales was a…

Gluten-free market slows

April 10, 2017

The glow is fading from the gluten-free foods market, where growth is expected to slow significantly from the high double-digit levels of 10 years ago to…

Lemonade Restaurant Group taps Mediterranean Cuisine Operating Co.’s Kelly Hansen

April 10, 2017

Lemonade Restaurant Group, a Los Angeles-based fast casual restaurant company that serves seasonal California cuisine, has named Kelly Hansen as senior…

How fast food can be good food: London's LEON co-founder shares strategy for success

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

LEON CEO John Vincent, who will keynote the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit being held July 18-20 in London, talks with FastCasual about how he…

2 pizza brands 'lightening up' spring menus

April 10, 2017

Both Mod Pizza and Blaze are taking decidedly "lighter touches" with their spring offerings, adding a few veggies to star on their menus.