The Habit adding 2nd Fontana, California store

December 20, 2023

The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based restaurant company owned by Yum Brands, is opening a drive-thru restaurant Friday in Fontana, California.

Black Rifle Coffee taps Creative Realities for digital signage

December 20, 2023

Black Rifle Coffee, a coffee brand that has branched into retail coffee locations, has partnered with Creative Realities, a technology firm offering digital…

Slice House by Tony Gemignani celebrates 100th franchise deal

December 20, 2023

Slice House by Tony Gemignani has inked deals for 100 franchise units. The San Francisco-based brand launched franchising efforts 18 months ago in California…

California Fish Grill dives into voice AI

December 20, 2023

To allow restaurant staff to focus more on the customer experience inside its 55 restaurants, California Fish Grill replaced its traditional phone system with…

Gully Boyz: 2 cultures, 2 cuisines, 1 machine

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Gully Boyz, the first Indian and Pakistani restaurant in the fast casual space, aims to offer affordable and approachable South-Asian cuisine.

Freddy's continues Canadian expansion

December 20, 2023

Wichita, Kansas-based Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has signed its second development agreement for Canada. Led by Dan Arndt of ZZA Hospitality…

Salad Station eyes Florida for expansion

December 20, 2023

Salad Station is seeking franchisees in the Orlando/Daytona Beach area to aid its goal of tripling its footprint by the end of 2026.

2024's Top 3 restaurant trends: Better back-office tech, smarter operations, more staff support

by Tony Smith — CEO & Co-founder, Restaurant365

Tony Smith, CEO and co-founder of Restaurant365, reveals that the majority of respondents from a 5,500-location study are planning digital, operational and…

Just Poke debuting Kraken Box, expanding menu, chef collabs

December 19, 2023

Just Poke, a Seattle-based fast casual chain with restaurants throughout western Washington and British Columbia, is adding three locations next year, making…

Pepper Lunch signs multiunit deals for Hawaii, Florida

December 19, 2023

Pepper Lunch, a Japanese-born concept with over 500 locations in 15 countries, has signed two development agreements for North America, hot on the heels of its…

Gong cha, Pepper Lunch, Krystal leaders to talk issues facing today's franchisors

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Five speakers will discuss challenges facing restaurants at the Franchising Think Tank at the Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit March 24 in Kansas City…

Boston Market's future is up in the air

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

December 18, 2023

The future of Boston Market is in jeopardy after owner Jignesh Pandya filed for personal bankruptcy on Dec. 8 with the Eastern District of Pennsylvania…

Honeygrow opening 40th store

December 18, 2023

Toms River, New Jersey, will be home to Honeygrow's 40th location when the Philadelphia-based chain opens Friday inside the Ocean County Mall.

Food truck vendor opens sweet brick-and-mortar cheesecake store

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Podcast host Mandy Detwiler talked to Nicole Burks about her start as a food truck owner and what it took to open her first store.

Assessing restaurant tech stack saves money, reduces management tasks

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

Restaurant technology is great but sometimes a brand can amass a tech stack that’s proving to be expensive and hard to manage. Learn how minimization and…

Beans & Brews Coffeehouse percolating into Texas

December 15, 2023

Beans & Brews Coffeehouse, a drive-thru coffee franchise, is opening the first of three San Antonio locations Saturday. Two others will open in Q1 of 2024.

Jinya Ramen Bar levels up loyalty program, app

December 15, 2023

At Jinya Ramen Bar, the focus on "kaizen" — the Japanese practice of continuous improvement — runs deep in the company's culture and guides its customer…

Fazoli's returning to Arizona

December 14, 2023

Fazoli's, a portfolio company of FAT Brands, has returned to return to Mesa, Arizona, after closing a former location there in 2004.

MOD Pizza introduces trio of game-day pizza favorites

December 14, 2023

MOD Pizza has introduced the Tailgate Trio, a group of pizzas inspired by game-day appetizers, according to a press release.

FastCasual releases 2024 '20 Brands to Watch'

December 14, 2023

Customer demand for innovation and customization in food menus, as well as a preference for food infused with new and bold flavors, is driving growth. These…