Improving restaurant food cost margins: Benchmarks, tips and expert insights

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Running restaurants is costly, but effective food cost reduction strategies can help operators protect their margins and cut their expenses.

Birdcall targets 100 Midwest locations in 5-year franchise expansion

June 26, 2026

Birdcall plans to expand into the Midwest with a goal of opening 100 franchised restaurants across six states over the next five years.

Smoothie King to open 1st Western New York location in Penfield

June 26, 2026

Smoothie King will open its first Western New York location on July 18 in Penfield as part of a three-unit development agreement. The restaurant, located at…

Freddy's joins premium beverage trend with new drink lineup

June 25, 2026

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has launched Freddy's Bevies, a beverage lineup featuring custard cream sodas, flavored teas and lemonades. The…

The Cost of Running Your Restaurant's Internal Communication on Personal Messaging Apps

Using personal messaging apps for work communication creates hidden costs for restaurant teams, from privacy risks and blurred workdays to missed tasks and…

Restaurant summer hiring soft again, projected to add 450K jobs

June 24, 2026

The number of 16- to 19-year-olds in the workforce totaled about 6 million in April, down 200,000 from the same period in 2024 and 2025. The labor force…

From kitchens to tech hubs: Inside fast casual’s digital revolution

In the latest episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, Cherryh Cansler, publisher of FastCasual.com, sits down with Luke Wilwerding, Vice President of North…

Presented by Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.

Sweetgreen debuts in Tennessee with Nashville opening

June 23, 2026

Sweetgreen will open its first Tennessee location June 30 in Nashville's Gulch neighborhood.

Houston TX Hot Chicken flies to UK with PizzaExpress franchise deal

June 23, 2026

Houston TX Hot Chicken has signed a master franchise agreement with PizzaExpress to bring its fast-casual chicken concept to the United Kingdom. Under the…

Togo's expanding with tech-centric prototype, broker-sourced leads

June 22, 2026

Founded in 1971 near San Jose State University, Togo's Sandwiches is gearing up for a major Western U.S. expansion after partnering with Franchise FastLane's…

Former senator opening Juice It Up in Utah

June 22, 2026

Juice It Up! has entered Utah through a multi-unit development agreement with local franchisees Aaron and Nancy Osmond. The move expands the smoothie and raw…

Chipotle COO Jason Kidd reveals strategy behind tech-driven back-of-house overhaul

Chipotle COO Jason Kidd joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how the 4,100-unit brand is winning and retaining the…

Presented by Star Micronics America

Wonder, Dave’s Hot Chicken Real Estate VPs reveal growth strategies

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Real estate strategy is central to growth for restaurant brands, and Wonder and Dave's Hot Chicken are taking different approaches to scale. In a podcast…

Shipley Donuts signs 3-unit franchise deal in Ohio

June 19, 2026

Shipley Donuts is expanding into Ohio through a three-unit franchise agreement with Koelache Co. LLC, marking the Houston-based doughnut chain's entry into the…

Deliverect Partners with 5&5 to Help Restaurant Brands Scale Their Digital Ordering Ecosystem

New partnership combines Deliverect's ordering technology with 5&5's restaurant technology expertise and managed services model

Huey Magoo’s expands in Texas with 5-unit DFW development agreement

June 17, 2026

Huey Magoo's continues its Texas expansion with a five-unit development agreement covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area, part of the fast-casual chicken chain's…

How Jae Kim is Scaling Chi’Lantro

Jae Kim emptied his $30,000 in savings and maxed out his credit cards to launch a Korean food truck in Austin in 2010. Now he is leading 13 Chi'Lantro…

Yum sells Pizza Hut operations to private equity firm

June 16, 2026

Yum CEO Chris Turner described Pizza Hut as one of the restaurant industry's most recognizable brands and said the company believes LongRange is…

GOOOOOOOALLLLLLL: Fast casual restaurants capitalizing on World Cup fever

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Along with national pride and fan excitement, this year's FIFA World Cup provides restaurants with an opportunity to increase their customer base. Experts tell…

What Is the Best Team Communication App for Multi-Location Restaurant Groups?

Everything multi-location restaurant groups need to know about choosing the right work chat app.