Playa Bowls gears up for 400th opening

May 12, 2026

Playa Bowls, headquartered in Belmar, New Jersey, is preparing to mark a major milestone this week with the opening of its 400th location at 1900 Pacific Ave.…

Fuku continues South Florida expansion with planned West Palm Beach opening

May 12, 2026

Fuku is opening its second South Florida restaurant at 407 S. Rosemary Ave., in West Palm Beach. Additional details, including an opening date, are forthcoming.

Smoothie King launches limited-edition Pickle Smoothie

May 12, 2026

Smoothie King is leaning into the brine.

Jeff’s Bagel Run Awards 20 New Franchise Locations as 2026 Expansion Accelerates

Jeff’s Bagel Run, the rapidly growing scratch-made bagel concept known for baking hot bagels throughout the day, has awarded 20 new franchise locations…

Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls intros food truck

May 11, 2026

Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls, a brick-and-mortar lobster chain, opened its first food truck. Based in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the truck will travel to events…

Toast’s IQ Grow offers marketing assistance to restaurant operators

May 7, 2026

Toast Inc., based in Boston, has introduced Toast IQ Grow, designed to help restaurant operators expand their digital presence and grow their brands online.

Fusian updates brand identity after 16 years

May 7, 2026

Ohio-based Fusian has introduced a refreshed brand identity, its first update since the sushi fast-casual restaurant opened in 2010. The update reinforces the…

Urban Egg cracks into second Kansas City-area location

May 6, 2026

Urban Egg, a daytime restaurant chain headquartered in Colorado Springs, opened its second Kansas City-area unit on May 4.

Swig signs 10-unit franchise deal for Colorado expansion

May 6, 2026

Swig has signed a 10-unit franchise agreement with father-and-son operators Alex and Alan Knox to bring the dirty soda concept to Colorado, continuing the…

Smoothie King CEO launches dual-lane chicken concept in Dallas

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Smoothie King's CEO is offering crispy and light chicken options through his fast-casual Flock & Fresh brand in Dallas.

Huey Magoo’s serves up its smaller, lower-cost drive-thru prototype

May 5, 2026

Huey Magoo's is rolling out a smaller, free-standing drive-thru prototype with the goal of reducing franchisee development costs by up to 40%. The model…

Caribou Coffee rolls out value menu amid industrywide affordability push

May 4, 2026

Caribou Coffee is preparing to launch its Everyday Value Menu across all locations on May 8, offering a selection of coffee and food items priced as low as $2.

Mahana Fresh debuts GLP-1-friendly menu

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

May 1, 2026

Fast-casual health brand Mahana Fresh has introduced a GLP-1-friendly menu designed for customers using weight-loss and diabetes medications. The menu rolled…

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.

Apex Expands Smart Food Locker Line with Modular, Scalable ‘Array’ Series

Flexible Design Fits Virtually Any Restaurant Layout; More Capacity Can Be Added at Any Time

Presented by Apex Order Pickup Solutions

Crisp & Green takes root in Omaha, plans to grow more restaurants

April 30, 2026

Crisp & Green has opened its second Omaha location in five years at 16902 Wright Plaza. The first Omaha location, at 225 N. 80th St., debuted in 2021.

Shipley Do-Nuts reports a sweet start to 2026

April 29, 2026

Doughnut-and-kolache brand Shipley Do-Nuts reported a strong first quarter, driven by menu innovation, leadership additions and continued expansion.

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream scoops up strong Q1 figures

April 29, 2026

Handel's Homemade Ice Cream reported a strong start to the year, driven by market entries and franchise development.

How The Red Chickz brought true Nashville soul to the West Coast

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Podcast host Mandy Detwiler talks to Shawn Lalehzarian, co-founder of the West Coast Nashville hot chicken brand The Red Chickz about the brand's aesthetic…

Freddy’s boosts development team to drive growth

April 28, 2026

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has expanded its development team, hiring Rafik Farouk as vice president of business development and Jackie Lobdell…