Former Pei Wei CMO named president of Velvet Taco

March 27, 2017

Dallas-based Velvet Taco has named Clay Dover president, according to Front Burner, the chain’s parent company led by CEO Randy DeWitt.

McAlister's franchisee: 'Don't climb the ladder; build your own'

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Heather Ricks, a McAlister's Deli franchisee in Virginia, has a six-person management team. Five are females, and one of her restaurants boast an all-female…

Rosati's CEO: 'If your company is a boys club then join the club'

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Marla Topliff, president of Rosati's Pizza, fell in love with the restaurant business after working as a marketer for Rosati's.

Capriotti's readying first Indiana location

March 24, 2017

Brother-franchisee team Andrew and Ryan Bonnell will open their first Capriotti's Sandwich Shop in Indianapolis, according to a press release. The unit is also…

CoreLife Eatery partners with industry veteran

March 24, 2017

CoreLife Eatery will open 10 locations in Indiana with the help of restaurant industry veteran Melissa Rohwer, according to a press release.

Beehive Kitchen opens in Ft. Lauderdale

March 24, 2017

Centurion Restaurant Group's newest concept, Beehive Kitchen, will open on March 29 in Fort Lauderdale, according to a press release.

Cowboy Chicken puts mobile pay into action

March 24, 2017

Cowboy Chicken announced its new app, available in the Apple App store and the Google Play Store, according to a press release. The app was designed by…

American Council of the Blind sues Eatsa over kiosk and app access

March 24, 2017

The American Council of the Blind has sued Eatsa, a fast-food chain that uses automated self-service kiosks and ordering apps, over insufficient access…

Trumpcare yanked before vote, Affordable Care Act remains ... for now

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

Trumpcare was pulled from consideration in a vote by Congress, despite an ultimatum from the President to vote on the measure. For now, the Affordable Care Act…

Have you taught your managers to track prime costs?

There are certain metrics and habits, especially in the independent segment, that managers need to be mindful of on a regular basis

HuHot founder: 'Delegate well and train others'

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Linda Vap, president and founder of HuHot Mongolian Grill, was a scientist before she got into the restaurant business.

4 ways your restaurant staff is stealing from you

Opportunities for theft will depend on the operations and setup of your restaurant, but if you think like a thief, you're more likely to recognize and prevent…

3 pizza concepts adopt Punchh platform

March 23, 2017

Punchh, a restaurant technology platform, added MOD Pizza, Pizza Inn and PizzaRev in the second half of 2016, according to a press release.

Dillas Quesadillas opens another Dallas location

March 23, 2017

Dillas Quesadillas, brainchild of Kyle Gordon, former managing partner at Raising Canes, will open its second location in the Dallas area on April 14…

Pita Pit adds 12 business coaches to franchisee field support system

March 23, 2017

Pita Pit franchisees can now tap 12 business coaches which are now part of the franchise support system, according to a press release.

Starbucks to create 240K jobs

The chain is on target to create more than 240,000 jobs globally —  68,000 in the U.S. — by opening 12,000 stores globally and 3,400 new stores in the U.S. by…

QikServe unveils kiosk ordering solution for hospitality sector

March 23, 2017

QikServe, a multichannel ordering and payment specialist, has rolled out a new solution for hospitality businesses that are looking to implement kiosk-based…

Pizza Press presses forward, 150 new sites by late 2018

March 23, 2017

Five years after its inception, Pizza Press is having a growth spurt, announcing this week plans to open nearly 150 restaurants worldwide over the next two…

Cottage Inn exec: 'Female leaders ask the right questions'

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Deborah Masse has led Cottage Inn to double-digit sales growth by rolling out a new branding initiative and through the introduction of digital and social…

Impossible Burger hits 'big time' with restaurant opening and mega-production facility

March 23, 2017

Impossible Burger — the company behind a soy-based burger claiming to taste like beef —has opened a huge California production facility to produce 4 million of…