How to guarantee ROI on your outdoor dining space

by Steve Starr — Chief, starrdesign

As the pandemic progresses, the notion of outdoor dining spaces driving is more important than ever. One blogger shares everything he knows about customers…

Study: Consumers eager to dine out, support local restaurants

August 12, 2020

Fatigued by cooking at home, consumers are anxious to dine at their favorite restaurants, according to research commissioned by Oracle and fielded by Untold…

Wing Zone CEO on why sales are up 35%

Matt Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Wing Zone, discusses how the brand's in-demand, delivery-centric model has allowed for groundbreaking success, resulting…

Nekter CEO reveals strategy leading to increased sales amidst pandemic

Technology may seem like a luxury to most new business owners, but Nekter CEO Steve Schulze said the chain wouldn't be growing in the midst of the pandemic…

COVID-19 clips US Foods Q2 sales by 29.2%

August 6, 2020

U.S. Foods Holding Corp. net sales of $4.6 billion for the second quarter decreased 29.2% from the prior year's $6.4 billion, driven largely by the impact of…

'Failing' is not an option for Fields Good Chicken

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Fields Good Chicken is staying alive through the pandemic by shifting its operations model.

Starbucks swings to fiscal 3Q loss, but sees daylight

by David Jones — Editor, Networld Media Group

July 29, 2020

Starbucks Corp. swung to a fiscal third-quarter loss as the global coffee house continued to deal with the impact of COVID-19, although executives said the…

Raising Cane's CEO launches TV docuseries to help struggling restaurants

July 28, 2020

The show will feature 20 restaurants facing pandemic-related issues in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Miami, Baton Rouge, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas…

DoorDash, Bluevine launch PPP funding initiative to assist merchant partners

July 28, 2020

DoorDash has announced a partnership with fintech BlueVine to help struggling restaurants obtain funding through the federal government's Paycheck Protection…

Restaurant recovery efforts stall

July 28, 2020

COVID-19 case surges and the rollbacks in reopening plans have stalled the U.S. restaurant industry's recovery, according to The NPD Group. Major restaurant…

NRA: 'Second wave of closings hinders recovery efforts'

July 27, 2020

The National Restaurant Association wants all U.S. governors and mayors to know the restaurant industry has maintained an "unwavering commitment to customer…

Yelp: Pandemic permanently closes nearly 16K restaurants

July 27, 2020

Sixty percent of the more than 26,000 restaurants that were temporarily shuttered by the pandemic will not reopen, according to the Yelp Economic Average…

Panera exec reveals the strategy behind free coffee subscription

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

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

Chipotle sees Q2 digital surge to beat estimates amid COVID impact

July 22, 2020

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. said digital sales more than doubled during the second quarter, beating estimates despite taking an overall profit decline due to…

7 benefits of taking the Fast Casual Executive Summit virtual

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

The virtual version of the Fast Casual Executive Summit is Oct. 20-21. Registration is open and is free to the first 500 restaurant executives who sign up.

Noodles & Co requiring facemasks, sales returning to pre-COVID levels

July 21, 2020

Noodles & Co is requiring all employees and guests to wear face coverings inside all company-owned restaurants as of tomorrow unless seated.

SAJJ Mediterranean launches digital market

July 21, 2020

SAJJ Mediterranean is expanding its consumer touchpoints beyond brick-and-mortar locations, food trucks and catering services to include an online SAJJ Market.

3 ways healthy fast casuals can increase sales amid COVID-19

After months of eating pizza delivery or burger takeout, people are starting to get back on track with their healthy eating habits, and fast casuals can…

Qdoba to offer contactless payment with FreedomPay

July 21, 2020

Qdoba Mexican Eats entered a deal with FreedomPay to roll out contactless payment across its 730 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Study: Only 42% would dine out

July 21, 2020

Fewer than half (42%) of Americans said they are planning to dine out even as regulations restricting their rights loosen, according to Harris Interactive and…