Why franchises must rethink growth in a digital-first world

Somia Farid Silber, CEO of Edible Brands, discusses how success in franchising is no longer equated growth only unit expansion. Territory optimization is…

Ziggi's Coffee names Stacey Pool chief growth officer

July 23, 2026

Ziggi's Coffee has named Stacey Pool as its new chief growth officer, a newly created leadership role based at the company's headquarters in Mead, Colorado.

Angry Chickz prepares for first Pennsylvania opening

July 23, 2026

Sherman Oaks, California-based Angry Chickz will open its first Pennsylvania restaurant July 31 at 152 S. Wyoming Ave., in Kingston, marking the Sherman Oaks…

Beyond Juicery + Eatery opens third Georgia location

July 23, 2026

Beyond Juicery + Eatery will open its third Georgia restaurant July 25 at 4060 Peachtree Road NE in Brookhaven. The location is owned and operated by…

Biscuit Belly acquires 35 Maple Street Biscuit Company locations to triple footprint

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Co-founder Lauren Coulter opens up about the "once-in-a-lifetime" deal — from how it will reshape the brand's growth strategy to the plan for winning over…

How Scooter's Coffee expanding supply chain to support 1,000 stores

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Scooter's Coffee invests in its supply chain as the company's number of stores approaches 1,000.

Insomnia Cookies serving 10M scoops as it launches National Ice Cream Day offer

July 22, 2026

Photo courtesy of Insomnia Cookies Insomnia Cookies served approximately 10 million scoops of ice cream across its network in 2025. Now, the…

Juice It Up reports 13% systemwide sales growth through midyear

July 22, 2026

Juice It Up reported 13% year-over-year systemwide sales growth through the first half of 2026, driven by higher customer traffic, menu innovation and…

True Food Kitchen names Jeff Chandler as CEO

July 21, 2026

Jeff Chandler has been synonymous with Hopdoddy Burger Bar over the last decade, but the Texas-based executive is now leading True Food Kitchen, a…

What the data says about restaurant catering today

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

As corporate catering transforms into a critical growth engine for the restaurant industry, top brands will share their battle-tested, data-driven playbooks…

Toastique Founder Brianna Keefe details growth from single toast bar to national franchise

Toastique founder Brianna Keefe opened her first location at 24 with no investors, a personal guarantee, and a vision for a concept that didn't yet exist. In…

City Barbeque opens 2nd Tennessee location in Murfreesboro

July 21, 2026

City Barbeque has expanded its Tennessee presence with the opening of a second restaurant in the state. The Dublin, Ohio-based barbecue chain launched its…

The 'Slutty' Empire: How Pinky Cole turned vegan burgers into a national brand

Slutty Vegan founder and CEO Pinky Cole Hayes joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to share her journey from television producer to…

Opus launches tool to turn franchise data into action

July 20, 2026

Opus Training, a training operations platform used by multi-unit brands, has launched Opus Recommendation Engine, a product designed to convert operational…

FDA says Taylor Farms Cyclospora test a false positive as outbreak weighs on restaurant traffic

by Valerie Gritton

Taylor Farms is reporting the CDC has found a fast-positive for the cyclospora outbreak linked to its products.

Jersey Mike's launches IPO, plans to list on NYSE

July 20, 2026

After months of speculation, Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. said Monday it has begun a roadshow for its initial public offering, moving forward with plans to sell…

Rock N' Roll Sushi opens 1st Virginia restaurant

July 20, 2026

Rock N' Roll Sushi has entered Virginia with the opening of its first restaurant at 11458 Belvedere Lane in Midlothian. The restaurant opened on July 20 at The…

4 ways AI-using restaurants are cutting food, labor costs to outpace competitors

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Restaurant365's mid-year survey of nearly 10,000 U.S. locations shows exactly how AI adopters are pulling ahead — creating what the company calls the…

Build your leadership team: The team that reports directly to you

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

True organizational growth and scalability require distinguishing between mere managers and genuine leaders.

5-state Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taco Bell shredded lettuce

by Valerie Gritton

The Cyclospora illness is being linked to Taco Bell locations in the Midwest. The brand is taking precautions and removing the affected producer's products…