U-Swirl acquires Aspen Leaf and Yogurtini fro-yo chains

January 14, 2013

U-Swirl Inc., parent to U-SWIRL International Inc., the owner and franchisor of U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt cafés, has acquired specific assets of Aspen Leaf Yogurt…

Brazilian concept leaving mark on U.S.

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

A Giraffas executive describes the chain's strategy for taking on America.

Fast casual pizza concept signs 5-unit deal

January 11, 2013

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, a build-your-own, fast casual pizza concept created by the founders of Wetzel's Pretzels, Elise and Rick Wetzel, has signed an…

Burger 21 hitting growth spurt

January 11, 2013

Burger 21, a new fast casual concept founded by the owners of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., recently announced that in 2012, it signed franchise…

Latest openings of Bennigan's feature new design

January 11, 2013

Bennigan's Franchising Company opened two new units in December featuring the brands' recent remodel additions, including a bar and an outside patio.

City Wok taking off in Denver airport

January 10, 2013

City Wok, a made-to-oder Chinese concept, has chosen Denver International Airport as the location for its second airport unit. It opens March 1 next to…

Why 'health casual' is gaining traction overseas

The demand for a tasty, health-conscious concept is very high in the Middle East.

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries opens first N.J. franchise

January 8, 2013

Master Development agent Mukesh Banker and franchisee Dhruman Shah have brought Boardwalks and Fresh Burger Fries to New Jersey. The new location marks the…

Barberitos hopes to sign 50th unit by year's end

January 8, 2013

Barberitos Franchising Inc. opened its newest location in Yulee, Fla., ending 2012 with 43 stores signed. Currently, there are 30 stores open for business. A…

Fatburger enters Pakistani market

January 4, 2013

In a move toward extending its footprint overseas, Fatburger has opened the doors to its first Pakistani location, in Karachi, the largest city in the country.

VooDoo's first 99 customers earn free BBQ

January 4, 2013

New Orleans-based VoodDoo BBQ opens its first South Florida location on Jan. 13 and is giving free barbecue for a year to its first 99 customers. Doors to the…

Bennigan's adding Texas unit

January 3, 2013

Bennigan's Franchising Company announced today that a new location has opened in Fort Worth, Texas. Located at 4646 S.W. Loop 820, at the intersection of I-2…

Starbucks expands Asian footprint

January 3, 2013

Vietnam is the latest country to offer its citizens Starbucks Coffee. The company opens its first store next month in Ho Chi Minh City, operated by Hong Kong…

Tax agreement paves way for steady franchise growth

January 2, 2013

The International Franchise Association today applauded passage of H.R. 8, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, a bipartisan agreement to avert the…

Founder of Pancheros talks business

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Finding high-quality real estate is key to the chain's expansion goals.

Bruegger's Bagels focused on three markets for growth

December 27, 2012

Bruegger's Bagels has announced plans for aggressive expansion in Nashville, Tenn.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Huntsville, Ala.

Seafood concept operator plans 'dozens' of NY locations

December 26, 2012

A limited-service seafood concept called Boneheads is planning to open "dozens" of units in the New York market. According to the New York Daily News, the…

New book describes hardships of running a Western concept in China

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Former master franchisee of Auntie Anne's Pretzels writes about the obstacles he faced that "will make anyone in business laugh, cringe and think twice about…

New concept intros flame-grilled sausage, dogs to fast casual space

December 21, 2012

Firewurst, a new restaurant introducing flame-grilled sausages and dogs to the fast casual market, opens today in Cary, N.C.

Chinese consumers warming up to coffee trend

December 21, 2012

New research from Mintel unveils an increase in café culture in the China market, which has provided an impetus for coffee retails to plan expansions there.