How Scooter's Coffee expanding supply chain to support 1,000 stores

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Scooter's Coffee invests in its supply chain as the company's number of stores approaches 1,000.

Juice It Up reports 13% systemwide sales growth through midyear

July 22, 2026

Juice It Up reported 13% year-over-year systemwide sales growth through the first half of 2026, driven by higher customer traffic, menu innovation and…

What the data says about restaurant catering today

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

As corporate catering transforms into a critical growth engine for the restaurant industry, top brands will share their battle-tested, data-driven playbooks…

Toastique Founder Brianna Keefe details growth from single toast bar to national franchise

Toastique founder Brianna Keefe opened her first location at 24 with no investors, a personal guarantee, and a vision for a concept that didn't yet exist. In…

City Barbeque opens 2nd Tennessee location in Murfreesboro

July 21, 2026

City Barbeque has expanded its Tennessee presence with the opening of a second restaurant in the state. The Dublin, Ohio-based barbecue chain launched its…

The 'Slutty' Empire: How Pinky Cole turned vegan burgers into a national brand

Slutty Vegan founder and CEO Pinky Cole Hayes joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to share her journey from television producer to…

Rock N' Roll Sushi opens 1st Virginia restaurant

July 20, 2026

Rock N' Roll Sushi has entered Virginia with the opening of its first restaurant at 11458 Belvedere Lane in Midlothian. The restaurant opened on July 20 at The…

Build your leadership team: The team that reports directly to you

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

True organizational growth and scalability require distinguishing between mere managers and genuine leaders.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop launches summer menu, rewards offers

July 17, 2026

Fuzzy's Taco Shop has launched its Fuzzy's Beach Club summer campaign, featuring limited-time menu items, rewards offers, branded merchandise and a National…

bb.q Chicken partners with Stray Kids member Felix on new menu item

July 17, 2026

Fort Lee, New Jersey-based bb.q Chicken has introduced Feel Crunch Chicken, an entree developed in partnership with Felix, a member of global K-pop group Stray…

Gen Z, millennial franchisees want purpose, flexibility, tech — not just a second career

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Gong cha, Chicken Salad Chick, PrimoHoagies and Yougurtland execs reveal why franchising has become a popular career choice for millennials and Gen Z.

How Mendocino Farms is winning the 'Sandwich Wars'

Mendocino Farms CMO Alicia Mowder joins Fast Casual Nation to break down how the fast-casual chain hit its 100th location while staying true to chef-driven…

Presented by LoopAI

Nick the Greek surpasses 100 restaurants, reports double-digit sales growth in first half of 2026

July 16, 2026

Nick the Greek surpassed 100 restaurants during the first half of 2026, fueled by eight openings, 18.2% year-over-year same-store sales growth and a 14.8…

The 1:1 Personalization Playbook: Using AI to send every guest their own offer

In this session, Hang CEO Matt Smolin, whose platform powers millions of AI-personalized offers a month for restaurant brands, and Rev Ciancio, CMO of Salad…

Presented by Hang

Dodo Pizza’s playbook for international success

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this Pizza Marketplace podcast, executives from Dodo Brands discuss how the company uses its proprietary technology platform and a balance of global…

Rock N' Roll Sushi expands Tennessee presence with Knoxville-area opening

July 15, 2026

Mobile, Alabama-based Rock N' Roll Sushi will open its 12th Tennessee location July 22 at 10837 Hardin Valley Road in the Knoxville-area community of Hardin…

Chicken Salad Chick enters Minnesota with Apple Valley opening

July 15, 2026

Chicken Salad Chick will open a restaurant on July 28 at 14658 Cedar Ave., in Apple Valley in Minnesota, it's 24th state after debuting in Utah last month.

Super Chix hatches North Carolina expansion

July 14, 2026

Super Chix has opened its first restaurant in the Raleigh, North Carolina, metro area. Franchisees Asim Javaid, Saqiba Asim, Moazzam Bajwa and Rafia Moazzam…

Scooter’s Coffee breaks ground on $40M Nebraska distribution center

July 14, 2026

Scooter's Coffee has broken ground on a 154,400-square-foot cold-storage distribution center in Papillion, Nebraska. The $40 million facility at 11656 S. 158th…

Savory CEO to detail ‘Savory System’ growth strategy at Fast Casual Executive Summit

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Shauna Smith, Savory co-founder, and CEO Clay Dover, will share insight on the company’s “Savory System,” which is a roadmap on building a management…