Beharry Group brings Great Greek Mediterranean Grill to Caribbean

May 22, 2026

International conglomerate Beharry Group of Georgetown, Guyana, has signed a master franchise agreement with The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill to develop and…

Inside Pokeworks’ real estate strategy: From hoodless kitchens to suburban expansion

In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Peter Yang, co-founder and head of Development at Pokeworks, to…

Smashburger builds executive bench with CMO hire

May 21, 2026

Smashburger has hired Kate Savelli as chief marketing officer. The move comes as the company continues to build nationwide momentum.

The success formula that took Everbowl from 1 to 400 locations

I sat down with Jeff Fenster, who built five eight- to nine-figure companies, exited three, and grew Everbowl to more than 100 open locations with almost 40…

Habit Burger debuts in Humboldt County with Eureka opening

May 20, 2026

Habit Burger & Grill, part of Yum! Brands' portfolio, has expanded into Humboldt County, California, with the opening of a Eureka restaurant.

Penn Station rebrands, updates menu as franchise expansion accelerates

May 20, 2026

Fast-casual sandwich chain Penn Station East Coast Subs has rebranded as Penn Station Sandwiches as part of a broader growth strategy focused on franchise…

Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks enters Washington DC with multi-unit franchise deal

May 19, 2026

Big Dave's Cheesesteaks, a fast-casual concept known for its authentic West Philly flavors, has signed its first franchise agreement in Washington, D.C. The…

Chicken Salad Chick signs 25-unit development deal in New York

May 18, 2026

Atlanta-based Chicken Salad Chick has signed a 25-unit franchise agreement for Upstate New York — Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and the Upper Hudson…

2026 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers

Welcome to the 2026 edition of the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Each year, this report serves as a pulse check for the industry, celebrating the…

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Love & Honey enters Florida with 20-unit development deal

May 14, 2026

Philadelphia-based fast-casual chicken chain Love & Honey is expanding into Florida through a 20-unit development agreement. The restaurants mark the…

Mellow Mushroom VP shares secrets to long-term franchise success

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace podcast, Mellow Mushroom VP of Franchise Development Jamie Cecil discusses the brand's 50-year history of "unicorn…

&pizza marks 1st international expansion with 10-store India deal

May 12, 2026

Latitude Food Group, the franchisor and operator of Washington, D.C.-based &pizza, has signed a master franchise agreement with The 90s Venture to bring…

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.…

How the Best Franchise Groups Get Franchise Communication Right

The bigger your franchise gets, the harder team communication becomes to manage. This guide covers what every franchise operator needs to know about keeping…

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…

What Every Multi-Location Business Needs to Know About Team Communication

Here's what every multi-location business needs to know about getting team communication right at scale.

How R&R Brands scaled from a single brand to a multi-brand platform

I sat down with Scott Taylor, Founder and CEO of R&R Brands, a visionary and an industry icon whose fingerprints are on some of the most important…

Why most fast casual Italian concepts fail —And how Piada is beating the odds

Is fast casual Italian finally having its breakthrough moment? In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Matt…

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…