How Latitude Food Group CEO James O’Reilly is scaling &pizza, Tijuana Flats

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

As CEO of Latitude Food Group, industry veteran James O'Reilly is leveraging a centralized backend support model and rigorous operational discipline to…

Hawaiian Bros signs 8-unit Louisville-area development deal

July 28, 2026

Hawaiian Bros Island Grill is expanding in Kentucky with an eight-unit development agreement targeted for the greater Louisville market. A local franchisee…

Gong cha signs 50-unit Texas development deal

July 28, 2026

Gong cha Americas has signed an exclusive area development agreement with franchise operator Bakers Acres & Cattle Company to open 50 locations across…

Buffalo’s Express opens 1st standalone restaurant, expands beyond Fatburger co-brand model

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

FAT Brands' Jake Berchtold explains how the former co-located Buffalo's Express opened its first stand-alone restaurant in Washington State.

Birdcall signs 5-unit franchise deal for Indianapolis

July 24, 2026

Denver-based Birdcall has signed a franchise agreement to open five restaurants in the Indianapolis area, marking the first step in the chicken chain's Midwest…

Your Pie drives 2026 growth with data analytics, menu innovation

July 23, 2026

Fast casual pizza brand Your Pie is continuing its 2026 expansion and menu development following major technology upgrades last year. The Ischia…

Beyond Juicery + Eatery opens third Georgia location

July 23, 2026

Beyond Juicery + Eatery will open its third Georgia restaurant July 25 at 4060 Peachtree Road NE in Brookhaven. The location is owned and operated by…

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…

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…

Smalls Sliders celebrates first Ohio opening

July 17, 2026

Smalls Sliders is opening its first location in Ohio. The location, in South Point, Ohio, will be led by local operators and brothers Beckett and Sam Gue and…

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.

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…

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…

Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings opens Maryland restaurant

July 13, 2026

Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings has opened a location at Olde Forte Village, located at 970 E. Swan Creek Road, in Fort Washington, Maryland, providing a new…

The Melt's airport debut takes flight at SFO

July 10, 2026

The Melt has opened its first airport restaurant at San Francisco International Airport's Harvey Milk Terminal 1.

Qdoba inks deals for over 100 franchised restaurants

July 10, 2026

Qdoba is expanding its franchise footprint with new development agreements that will open over 100 restaurants across the Southeast and West.