Handel’s Ice Cream hires Naveen Dasa as CFO

March 23, 2026

Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, headquartered in Canfield, Ohio, has appointed Naveen Dasa as chief financial officer.

Walk-On’s partners with Cole Swindell, plans Nashville location

March 20, 2026

Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux has expanded its franchise efforts by teaming up with Jamie Daniel of Daniel Hospitality Group, according to a company press release.

bb.q Chicken updates rewards program

March 20, 2026

Seoul, South Korea-founded bb.q Chicken, has updated its rewards program to boost customer loyalty and encourage more frequent visits.

Fueling growth from 1 cup to 100+ locations

Brandon Knudsen, co-founder and CEO of Ziggi’s Coffee, shares critical advice on how he bootstrapped Ziggi's from a single coffee shop to more than 10…

Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks Names Shawna Snyder Chief Operating Officer to Drive Strategic National Growth

Industry veteran brings decades of multi-unit growth experience as Big Dave’s builds the operational backbone to support national expansion following recent…

Papa Johns Selects Deliverect to Modernize Delivery Operations Across U.S. Restaurants

AI-powered platform unifies in-house and third-party fulfillment, powering enterprise-scale digital ordering

The accidental franchisor: Eddie Flores Jr. kicks off Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit with candid look at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

March 17, 2026

Eddie Flores Jr. transitioned from real estate to become the franchisor of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, building a legacy based on the "aloha spirit" and family…

Bambu opens inside Colorado Walmart Supercenter

March 17, 2026

Just over a month after announcing a partnership with Walmart stores, Vietnamese dessert chain Bambu has opened a inside a Walmart Supercenter in Westminster…

Clementine’s Ice Cream secures $6M for expansion

March 17, 2026

Clementine's Ice Cream landed $6 million in funding to support its national expansion strategy. Next Phase Capital, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, led…

WaBa Grill reports 10% increase in systemwide sales

March 16, 2026

WaBa Grill closed 2025 with strong systemwide performance, including 7.1% in same-store sales growth. The momentum has continued into 2026, as the Anaheim…

The New Front of House: Why Pizza’s Next Growth Era Runs on Self-Order Kiosks + Intelligent POS Systems

Easy-to-use kiosks fully integrated with a modern POS system have emerged as the most efficient and cost-effective solution to the challenge of front-of-store…

Presented by INFI, HungerRush

The 4:30 am grind: How a cotton-field startup turned into an artisan pizza empire

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Joe Carlucci, founder and owner of Valentina's…

Data-driven survival: Unpacking the economic forces reshaping fast casuals

In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist at the National Restaurant…

Presented by direct2you

How Velvet Taco avoids 'Starbucks-style' drift

Chris Schultz, CEO of Velvet Taco, joins Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler on Fast Casual Nation to break down the operational blueprint behind one of the…

Presented by Momos

The legacy glow-up: How Paul Damico is tech-enabling Perkins, Huddle House

Make Every Location Your Best Location: Drive More Revenue From Your Underperforming Stores

Fixing your bottom 10% locations beats building new ones. Momos' AI platform shows how multi-location brands can recover over $28 million in annual revenue per…

Presented by Momos

Strategic sizzle: Why Houston TX Hot Chicken prioritizes smart growth over rapid expansion

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Houston TX Hot Chicken is leveraging its "electric" brand energy and massive social media following to drive organic franchise leads and fuel a strategic…

The Real Reason Your Team Is Burning Out (It's Not What You Think)

The way your team communicates is burning them out. And if you're running your internal communication through personal messaging apps like WhatsApp or…

6 Signs Your Team Communication Isn't Secure Enough

Here are six signs your team communication isn't as secure as you think. If any of these sound familiar, it's time to rethink how your team communicates at…

Scaling sweet success: How Rita’s Italian Ice navigates franchise growth

When Lawrence Brown, Chief Development Officer at Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, joined Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler on Fast Casual Nation, he brought…