Samurai Sam's opens in El Salvador

November 19, 2006

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill opened two franchised locations in the capital city of San Salvador.   Samurai Sam's is a fast-casual Asian…

Au Bon Pain to open 200 units

November 15, 2006

BOSTON — Au Bon Pain said it will add 200 units to the chain through expansion into Kuwait and Thailand.   The company has signed master franchise agreements…

Democrats take the House

There's a slew of restaurant-related issues that will be impacted by the 2006 election.

Indian Bread Co. owner earns prestigious entrepreneur award

October 24, 2006

India Post News Service: When Nandini Mukherjee opened a fast-casual Indian café in Manhattan, called Indian Bread Co. serving a variety of sandwiches and…

Starbucks buys out Beijing and Tianjin shareholders

October 23, 2006

BEIJING — Starbucks Corporation announced that it has acquired from H&Q Asia Pacific and other shareholders equity ownership of High Grown Investment…

Canadian fast casual launches Web contest

October 9, 2006

CALGARY, Canada — Joey's Only, a Canada-based seafood fast casual, is launching its first national online consumer contest. The macro Web site, where…

Fast-casual restaurant uses self-service kiosks to attract tourists

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Bytes, an England fast casual, sets itself apart from the 200 restaurants in this tourist trap.    

Restaurant operators are not prepared for a terrorist attack, experts say

Five years after 9/11, restaurants may be one of the country's most vulnerable targets.

McCurry Restaurant ordered to lose the "Mc" for trademark purposes

September 6, 2006

The Star: A Malaysian restaurant operator is feeling the heat for using the McDonald's "Mc" trademark for its business. The High Court has ordered McCurry…

Strange News: Hitler-themed restaurant receives few objections

August 23, 2006

Associated Press: When a restaurant called Hitler's Cross opened four days ago in a Bombay suburb, the city's small Jewish community was outraged, but there…

Camille's inks international agreements

June 14, 2006

TULSA, Okla. — Camille's Sidewalk Café has entered into a master franchise agreement to develop restaurants in Puerto Rico, South America, Caribbean Basin and…

European fast casual moves to the U.S.

June 13, 2006

WASHINGTON — Vapiano is a German-based fast-casual concept and it is moving to the United States. Specializing in Italian food with a European flair, the…

2006 restaurant show wraps up

The 2006 National Restaurant Hotel & Motel Show offered big-time speakers and trendsetting technologies. Even if you attended, you probably didn't see…

The state of the London coffeehouse

Traditional cafés stave off Starbucks. In fact, Starbucks may have actually helped the once-dying London coffeehouse.

Restaurant industry continues growth

March 30, 2006

WASHINGTON D.C. — The outlook for the restaurant industry remained solid in February, as the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of…

BBC interviews QSRweb.com and FastCasual.com

March 29, 2006

After McDonald's closed more than a dozen stores in London, the BBC interviewed QSRweb.com and Fast Casual Magazine editor Fred Minnick. He discussed…

Starbucks ready-to-drink coffee beverage relaunches in Japan

March 28, 2006

SEATTLE & TOKYO — Starbucks Coffee Company and Suntory Ltd., one of the leading Japanese producers and distributors of food and beverages, announced the…

NRA Show to feature 200 international exhibitors

March 26, 2006

CHICAGO — The 2006 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel & Motel Show, held May 20-23 in Chicago, is a global marketplace where products from…

Starbucks introduces Rwanda coffee

March 15, 2006

SEATTLE—Starbucks Coffee Company introduced Rwanda Blue Bourbon coffee, its first ever from Rwanda and the 10th coffee in its Black Apron Exclusives line-up.…

Middle Eastern investors own Caribou Coffee and Church's Chicken

March 12, 2006

Washington Post: Middle Eastern investment in the United States is once again picking up steam, showing big gains since the tense period following the Sept.