Taim Mediterranean Kitchen eyes East Coast growth through franchising

May 1, 2026

Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, part of the Craveworthy Brands portfolio, is expanding across the East and Northeast through franchising.

Mo’ Bettahs debuts in Arizona as the brand’s expansion accelerates

April 28, 2026

Mo' Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food has expanded into Arizona, with its first location to open next week at 5378 S. Powers Road in Gilbert.

Nick the Greek opens second Reno location, plans to reach 100 units by mid-2026

April 23, 2026

Nick the Greek has opened its second location in Reno, 10310 N. McCarran Blvd., as part of an expansion plan to reach 100 restaurant openings by mid-2026. The…

Pokeworks bowls up record Q1, expands pipeline and menu

April 20, 2026

Irvine, California-based Pokeworks reported its strongest first-quarter performance since its 2015 launch, resulting from openings, development deals and menu…

WaBa Grill eyes $1M AUV, unveils 2026 plans

April 20, 2026

WaBa Grill is on track to exceed $1 million in average unit volumes and reported 10% same-store sales growth early this year, according to a company press…

Teriyaki Madness ups protein game with Two-By-Two Bowl

April 10, 2026

Denver-based Teriyaki Madness has boosted the protein presence on its menu by adding the Two-By-Two Bowl, a limited-time offering that builds on the…

Fluffy Fluffy Cafe launching US growth plans

April 8, 2026

Toronto-based franchisor Fuwa Labs LLC has partnered with Boston-based Franchisor Advisory Partners to expand Fluffy Fluffy Café's Japanese soufflé fast-casual…

NAYA to open 17 restaurants in 2026

March 27, 2026

Lebanese fast-casual brand NAYA plans to open 17 new locations this year.

How going digital helped Hawaiian Bros increase catering revenue

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Hawaiian Bros Island Grill turned to Lunchbox's digital catering platform to meet the growing demand for group orders. The move also allowed the Hawaiian…

Wonder pilots Indian cuisine concept

March 26, 2026

Wonder has added Indian cuisine brand Dabba to its mealtime platform with a pilot launch at four Philadelphia-area locations.

Rice Mediterranean Kitchen opens 10th location in Coconut Grove

March 24, 2026

Rice Mediterranean Kitchen launched its 10th South Florida location at 3015 Grand Ave. in Coconut Grove, Florida. The restaurant began operations in February…

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…

20 Fast Casual Brands to Watch in 2025

We are honored to introduce the 2025 class of “20 Brands to Watch,” and predict they will continue to help elevate the fast casual industry.

Presented by Oracle

Unlocking Memorable Restaurant Experiences by Enhancing Brand Consistency

Customers expect standardized experiences and when those expectations are not met, it can cause confusion, misinterpretation of company values, loss of trust…

The Halal Guys opening Ohio franchise

March 18, 2021

New York City-based The Halal Guys has signed a deal to open its first locations in Ohio and more than double its presence in the Midwest. The Smart Choice…

Discover commits $5M to support Black-owned restaurants

July 6, 2020

Discover Financial Services has committed $5 million to provide assistance to Black-owned restaurants in the U.S. in the form of $25,000 grants for…

Revel Systems becomes preferred POS provider for The Halal Guys

May 28, 2020

Revel Systems announced an agreement to become the preferred point-of-sale system by The Halal Guys at more than 80 of its franchise locations.

Greek from Greece lands first franchise deal

March 12, 2020

Greek from Greece Bakery-Cafe has finalized a deal with Dimitri Gouliaberis to open its first franchise location this summer at a site near Drexel University…

Four Corners Property Trust acquires 2 South Carolina Chick-fil-A, Chipotle locations

March 4, 2020

Real estate investment trust Four Corners Property Trust has acquired a Chick-Fil-A outlet, as well as a Chipotle location in South Carolina, for a combined…

Dillas Quesadillas founder on the value of following 'Jennifer' while feeding the 'Gator'

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Dillas Quesadillas founder, Kyle Gordon, comes off as the kind of laid-back guy you'd have a beer with. But don't let looks deceive:This one-time college kid…