Salsarita's working its way through Carolinas, Kentucky

April 23, 2013

Salsarita's has acquired five franchisee-owned locations in the Charlotte, N.C., area as part of its long-term plan to corporately own 10 to 15 percent of its…

MAD Greens is 'mad about' local sourcing

April 23, 2013

In an effort to support local sourcing, Colorado-based MAD Greens has partnered with Boulder-based Olomomo Nut Company to create a new salad for its menu.

Survey: Two-thirds of Americans would refuse to patronize restaurants with dirty restrooms

April 23, 2013

Foodservice professionals have a lot to think about when trying to deliver a quality dining experience, but restrooms need to be a major consideration…

Good news: Restaurant sales, unit growth, financing up

Total unit growth for the Top 100 restaurant chains was 1.8 percent in 2012, the highest since 2007.

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza heading to New Jersey

April 23, 2013

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza announced that Green Brook, N.J.-based AMPAL Group has signed an agreement to develop 10 franchise stores in Central and Northern New…

Bruegger's Bagels marks 30th anniversary with giveaway

April 23, 2013

Bruegger's Bagels is celebrating its 30th anniversary with Three Free Bagel Day as a way to thank its loyal guests and as a fundraiser for Children's Miracle…

Snapfinger app adds more mobile options for restaurants

April 23, 2013

The mobile commerce platform Snapfinger announced the launch of its on-premise, self-checkout and mobile payment application that the company said enables…

Robeks switches from foam to recyclable cups

April 23, 2013

Starting this summer, Robeks will switch from foam cups to recyclable plastic cups. According to the company, many of its customers requested the change.

Penn Station thanking customers with free fries

April 23, 2013

As a special thank you to its loyal customers, Penn Station East Coast Subs is offering a free small order of its fresh-cut fries to anyone who dines in…

Boston fast casual determined to keep 'farm-to-table' food while franchising

Contrary to popular belief, two restaurateurs say it's not too expensive or difficult to franchise a concept that only serves locally sourced food.

Fatburger offering Thousand Island burger as LTO

April 23, 2013

Fatburger is now offering its Thousand Island Fatburger through May 20. The burger adds a new taste profile to the already expansive Fatburger menu, taking a…

McDonald's Middle East teaches restaurant franchisees how to succeed internationally

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

In order to succeed internationally, American brands must learn to control their supply chain, choose the correct real estate and develop strong franchisees.

Elevation Burger highlights gluten-free menu options

April 23, 2013

To show its comittment to serving gluten-free menu options, Elevation Burger is now participating in the international Chef to Plate Gluten-Free Awareness…

How will fast casual restaurants adopt digital signage and digital menu boards?

April 22, 2013

FastCasual.com sister site DigitalSignageToday.com is preparing this year's edition of its "Digital Signage Future Trends" report, and needs your input to let…

NRA's Educational Foundation awards $1.4M in scholarships

April 22, 2013

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announced the winners of its 12th annual National ProStart Invitational, which took place in…

Smoothie King targets St. Louis for franchise growth

April 22, 2013

Smoothie King Franchises Inc. announced it is targeting St. Louis for franchise expansion. To fuel development, Smoothie King is offering candidates 40 percent…

Drink up: Chipotle now serving margaritas

April 22, 2013

After a successful test run in its Kansas City, Mo., market, Chipotle is adding margaritas to most of its restaurants just in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Smashburger headed north with new franchise director

April 22, 2013

Smashburger is ready to expand further into Canada under the leadership of a new director of franchise sales, Audra Wosik.

Fatburger to open in Lebanon

April 22, 2013

Fatburger has announced its newest location in Beirut, Lebanon. The owner of the newest location, Vetra Investments, LLC, is a hospitality and food service…

Lipton offers Tea Makeover to boost beverage sales

April 19, 2013

Lipton hopes its new Tea Makeover will make it easier than ever for restaurants — from large chains to small independent brands — to sell and market tea to…