Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café to open first North Carolina location

August 5, 2026

Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café will debut in North Carolina with a Cary restaurant, expanding the Houston-based fast casual brand's presence in the Southeast.

How Urban Bird Hot Chicken turned a bad lease into a fast-growing brand

Brandon and Chantel Gawthorp built 32 Wingstop franchises across three states over 20 years, then let it all go to bet on themselves. They opened the first…

Second Cup names former Wingstop executive Joe Walker CEO

August 4, 2026

Joe Walker, Courtesy of Second Cup Coffee Company, Inc Toronto-based Second Cup Coffee Co. has named former Wingstop executive Joe Walker as its CEO.

5 menu localization myths that could hurt your restaurant brand

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

August 4, 2026

Michael Magerl, Joel Bulger, John Iannucci and Sarah Rooney are the panelists for "From Trend to Table: Operationalizing Regional Promotions in a Multi-Unit…

JEFF’S BAGEL RUN PLANS 10 LOCATIONS ACROSS EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA

Jeff’s Bagel Run, the fast-growing bagel brand known for making its bagels from scratch in every shop throughout the day, has awarded a 10-unit franchise…

How FiiZ Drinks is turning a viral beverage trend into a scalable brand

Plus, Instant CEO Tal Clark reveals new data on restaurant worker financial stress and why faster access to earned wages could be the next retention advantage

Presented by Instant Financial

Shipley Donuts grows footprint with 9-shop franchise deals in Q2

July 31, 2026

Shipley Donuts expanded its national presence during the first half of 2026, signing franchise agreements for nine shops, entering three new markets and…

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…

JEFF’S BAGEL RUN EXPANDS TO MYRTLE BEACH WITH THREE-STORE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT

Jeff’s Bagel Run, the rapidly growing bagel brand known for its scratch-made hot bagels, freshly whipped spreads and craft coffees and beverages, today…

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.