Kansas City-area Panera locations testing booze

November 2, 2020

Five Kansas City-area Panera Bread locations added beer and wine to the menu last month, according to a company press release from Pan American Group, a…

Luckin facing steep fine

September 22, 2020

Chinese-based Luckin Coffee, a pioneer in self-service coffee machines in addition to being a coffee shop chain, is one of 43 companies facing a $9 million…

Coca-Cola European Partners invests in self-pour technology provider

September 11, 2020

CCEP Ventures, the investment arm of Coca-Cola European Partners, has acquired a 25% stake in Innovative Tap Solutions doing business as PourMyBeer – the…

It's Fall: Starbucks told me so

August 12, 2020

Pumpkin Spice season is officially here, according to Starbucks, which has already made its fall flavors available in grocery stores.

JDE Peet's reports lift in at-home sales, decrease at cafes

August 10, 2020

Global coffee company JDE Peet's reported a 12% boost in profits and a 2.9% drop in sales for the first half of 2020, with at-home business expanding at the…

Panera exec reveals the strategy behind free coffee subscription

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Panera's free coffee subscription has been a catalyst driving growth and revenue, said Eduardo Luz, chief brand and concept officer.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf gets 'Smashed'

July 22, 2020

Smashburger is serving a line of milkshakes created by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Sunday to celebrate National Coffee Milkshake Day. A single-day promo…

Elevation Burger debuts vegan milkshake

July 16, 2020

All U.S.-based Elevation Burger locations are now offering a vegan milkshake made of vanilla oat milk ice cream and unsweetened almond milk.

Panera coffee is 'free for the summer'

June 24, 2020

Panera's coffee is free for the summer; anyone signed up for the MyPanera+Coffee subscription now has access to unlimited premium hot coffee, hot tea and iced…

Peet's Coffee reopening 17 locations

June 17, 2020

After reopening nearly 50 locations in May, Peet’s Coffee has added 17 more units to the list of its operating cafes. This wave includes locations in are…

Social media backlash leads to Starbucks reversing ban on Black Lives Matter apparel

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

June 12, 2020

After enduring a social media backlash Thursday, Starbucks has not only reversed its policy on banning employees from wearing apparel in support of Black Lives…

Starbucks closing 400 stores

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Over the next 18 months, Starbucks will increase convenience-led formats in company-operated locations with drive-thru and curbside pickup options, as well as…

Starbucks transforming US stores

Understanding that the customer experience will never be the same even when COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror, Starbucks is doubling down on its digital…

Scooter's Coffee taps ParTech's Brink POS for franchise

May 21, 2020

Scooter's Coffee, a 22-year-old franchise, is deploying ParTech Inc.'s Brink POS system for its franchise system.

Starbucks releases summer LTOs

May 21, 2020

Starbucks, which has reopened over 85% of its company-operated stores across the U.S., is introducing a summer-inspired food and drink menu in the U.S. and…

Can Starbucks get some rent money?

May 14, 2020

Starbucks Corp. is asking for a break in rent from landlords of its nearly 9,000 U.S. company-owned stores, according to Eater, which reported that the chain…

Improving Margins with Advanced Reporting

Data is a difference-maker if, of course, it’s used effectively.

Starbucks opens UK stores Thursday with precautions

May 12, 2020

Starbucks said its U.K. stores will begin phased reopening of drive-thru locations there starting May 14, as well as "a handful" of takeaway-only stores…

Juice It Up adds to immunity-boosting lineup

May 5, 2020

To round out its lineup of functional products, Juice It Up has brought back two antioxidant powerhouses, the Superfruit Sunrise Smoothie and the Mighty-C…

Eating up profits: The high cost of restaurant POS downtime, and the surprising difference SD-Branch can make

One tenth of 1 percent. It might not seem like much, but it adds up. And when that one tenth of one percent is POS downtime, it adds up to a lot: A lot of…