Why playing the 'right' background music increases sales

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Restaurants that play a carefully selected mix of music reflecting their cultures can increase sales by more than 9 percent, according to a 2016 study.

Fazoli's ditching artificial ingredients

April 5, 2017

The menu at Fazoli's will be free of all artificial sweeteners, flavors, preservatives and colors by June 19. With 220 units, Fazoli's is the first national…

Panera Bread Company sold to JAB

April 5, 2017

JAB has controlling stakes in Keurig Green Mountain, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Caribou Coffee Company, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and…

Food truck growth goes full throttle: Part 1

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

This four-part series explores the successes and challenges of the food truck industry, Food truck revenues have increased from $650 million in 2013 and should…

From food trucks to food halls: Slapfish founder launches 2 concepts

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Chef Andrew Gruel, who opened his first concept — Slapfish — as a food truck, has just launched two concepts inside an Orange County food hall.

Panera challenges industry to be transparent with beverage offerings

April 4, 2017

Panera Bread has a challenge for the industry: Be more transparent with beverage offerings.

2 fast casual pizza brands exploring new territory

April 4, 2017

Build-your-own pizza brands, Pie Five and Blaze are adding to their unit counts this week.

Why restaurant execs ditching old-school training for video-based methods

Employee training was one of the most talked about topics at the Restaurant Franchise Innovation Summit 2017 in Dallas. The most important thing I heard…

Velvet Taco makes Austin debut

April 4, 2017

Velvet Taco has opened its first Austin unit  — the fourth in Texas — at 11501 Rock Rose Ave., in the trendy, art-infused Rock Rose development, according to a…

Study: UK restaurateurs need to improve customer experience

April 4, 2017

U.K. restaurateurs and retailers are not providing a rewarding customer experience despite the fact that consumers are more likely to buy if they have a…

Potbelly lures mobile app users with a tasty treat

April 4, 2017

Potbelly Sandwich Shop last week officially launched its mobile app, which features payments, order-ahead capabilities and rewards. 

Chronic Tacos returns to Angel's Stadium

April 3, 2017

Chronic Tacos, the charity Olive Crest and the Los Angeles Angles will partner on May 5 to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and let one lucky child throw the Angel's…

Wing It On spreading its wings with growth plan

April 3, 2017

Wing It On, a Connecticut-based fast casual brand, is on a growth mission. It opened its first unit outside its home state last year in Rock Hill, South…

DQ, Mazzio's and Rave roll out the tech to roll in the employees

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

At the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Dallas this week, three big restaurant companies discussed how tech is changing the way they hire and…

Food trucks and restaurants – a symbiotic relationship

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

While many limited service restaurants are clearly interested in expanding into food trucks, veteran food truck operators are using the skills they develop on…

Dickey's launches website honoring franchisees

April 3, 2017

Dickey's Barbecue Pit has launched its latest phase of technology development with a new website, www.smokedonsite.com. This companion website serves to…

C-Speak: PDQ president using tech to get rid of the back office

PDQ President Steve Erickson and David Cantu, co-founder of HotSchedules, discuss how the brand uses technology to control operations and deliver better…

Growth slows for restaurant chains in 2016

March 31, 2017

The Top 500 chain restaurants experienced a deceleration in 2016 with cumulative sales growth checking in at 3.6 percent, down from 5.2 percent the prior year…

Franchise focus: Gyroville delivers Greek traditions in fast casual setting

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

CEO Lambros Kokkinelis, delivering his family's Greek recipes in a fast casual setting, is on a mission to expand throughout the nation.

Starbucks to dedicate new store to mobile orders

March 31, 2017

Following its recent issues with mobile order and pay at some of its busiest locations, Starbucks next week will open a store inside its Seattle headquarters…