How Urban Bird Hot Chicken turned a bad lease into a fast-growing brand

Brandon and Chantel Gawthorp built 32 Wingstop franchises across three states over 20 years, then let it all go to bet on themselves. They opened the first…

5 menu localization myths that could hurt your restaurant brand

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

August 4, 2026

Michael Magerl, Joel Bulger, John Iannucci and Sarah Rooney are the panelists for "From Trend to Table: Operationalizing Regional Promotions in a Multi-Unit…

Traffic counts show signs of recovery post Cyclospora

August 3, 2026

Restaurant chains that experienced sharp declines in foot traffic following the recent Cyclospora outbreak are beginning to recover, although some brands…

3 leaders every Founder must hire to scale

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To successfully scale a company and transition from an overwhelmed operator to a confident CEO, founders must stop trying to manage everything themselves and…

Shark Club Sports Bar & Grill opens 2nd US location in North Texas

August 3, 2026

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Shark Club Sports Bar & Grill will open its second U.S. location Aug. 7 at 13850 Chadwick Parkway in Northlake, Texas.

How FiiZ Drinks is turning a viral beverage trend into a scalable brand

Plus, Instant CEO Tal Clark reveals new data on restaurant worker financial stress and why faster access to earned wages could be the next retention advantage

Presented by Instant Financial

Shipley Donuts grows footprint with 9-shop franchise deals in Q2

July 31, 2026

Shipley Donuts expanded its national presence during the first half of 2026, signing franchise agreements for nine shops, entering three new markets and…

How Latitude Food Group CEO James O’Reilly is scaling &pizza, Tijuana Flats

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

As CEO of Latitude Food Group, industry veteran James O'Reilly is leveraging a centralized backend support model and rigorous operational discipline to…

Restaurant catering doesn't need more tech. It needs better tech

Catering companies have plenty of tech options. The key is selecting the right ones for maximum efficiency.

Café Rio debuts LTO Utah Burrito as turnaround continues

July 30, 2026

Café Rio has introduced the limited-time Utah Burrito as part of its broader turnaround effort. The state-inspired menu item debuted July 24, Utah's Pioneer…

PJ's Coffee among 1st tenants at former CVS

July 29, 2026

PJ's Coffee is one of the first tenants to open at a redeveloped former CVS Pharmacy in Baton Rouge this August. Wingstop, Marco's Pizza and Donuts and Burgers…

Why Taco Cabana is expanding its franchise beyond the Lone Star State

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler chats with Taco Cabana's director of franchise sales and development, John Ramsay…

Hawaiian Bros signs 8-unit Louisville-area development deal

July 28, 2026

Hawaiian Bros Island Grill is expanding in Kentucky with an eight-unit development agreement targeted for the greater Louisville market. A local franchisee…

Gong cha signs 50-unit Texas development deal

July 28, 2026

Gong cha Americas has signed an exclusive area development agreement with franchise operator Bakers Acres & Cattle Company to open 50 locations across…

Buffalo’s Express opens 1st standalone restaurant, expands beyond Fatburger co-brand model

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

FAT Brands' Jake Berchtold explains how the former co-located Buffalo's Express opened its first stand-alone restaurant in Washington State.

HTeaO reports Q2 growth with 10 openings, LTO launches, community initiatives

July 27, 2026

Fort Worth, Texas-based HTeaO closed out the second quarter of 2026 with 10 store openings, limited-time beverage launches and ongoing community support…

Birdcall signs 5-unit franchise deal for Indianapolis

July 24, 2026

Denver-based Birdcall has signed a franchise agreement to open five restaurants in the Indianapolis area, marking the first step in the chicken chain's Midwest…

Your Pie drives 2026 growth with data analytics, menu innovation

July 23, 2026

Fast casual pizza brand Your Pie is continuing its 2026 expansion and menu development following major technology upgrades last year. The Ischia…

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…