Sweetgreen names Cindy Olsen chief strategy officer

May 28, 2026

Sweetgreen, Inc. has appointed Cindy Olsen to the newly created position of senior vice president and chief strategy officer, effective immediately.

Cousins Subs promotes Maja Gettrust to VP of marketing

May 27, 2026

Cousins Subs promoted industry veteran Maja Gettrust to vice president of Marketing. She will oversee brand strategy, creative development, media, loyalty…

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.

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…

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…

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.

6 Signs Your Restaurant Team Communication Is Out of Control

If any of these signs sound familiar, it’s worth seriously rethinking how your team communication is set up.

Shipley Do-Nuts reports a sweet start to 2026

April 29, 2026

Doughnut-and-kolache brand Shipley Do-Nuts reported a strong first quarter, driven by menu innovation, leadership additions and continued expansion.

Freddy’s boosts development team to drive growth

April 28, 2026

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has expanded its development team, hiring Rafik Farouk as vice president of business development and Jackie Lobdell…

Built to Breakthrough: The power of one vision

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

The Power of One Vision provides restaurant Founders with a strategic framework to transition from "stuck in the middle" to scalable growth by shifting their…

Taco John’s hires Ian Poole as VP of development to fuel growth

April 24, 2026

Taco John's has named industry veteran Ian Poole vice president of development. Poole will focus on franchisee support, onboarding, real estate and…

Dog Haus unleashes operator-driven franchise model

April 22, 2026

Dog Haus is overhauling its franchise model to give front-line operators a larger role in ownership, leadership and decision-making.

Kayla Edidin named COO of Red Door Brands

April 21, 2026

Kayla Edidin has been named chief operating officer of Red Door Brands, a franchise company that owns and operates brands including McAlister's Deli, Little…

The Complete Guide to Team Communication for Restaurant Franchise Owners

Running a restaurant franchise on texts and group chats is messier and riskier than you'd think. Here is a complete guide to improving and organizing team…

7 strategies for creating high-performing culture, building a winning team

by Jim Knight — Founder & CEO, Knight Speaker

Building a high-performing culture isn't an accident — it's an intentional leadership strategy that prioritizes purpose, trust and empowerment to transform a…

Best Team Chat Apps for Multi-Location Restaurants in 2026

Managing team communication across multiple restaurant locations is challenging, and cannot be done properly on text threads and huge group chats. Compare the…

GoTo Foods beefs up leadership team with digital, developmental additions

April 15, 2026

GoTo Foods has added two executives to its team, naming Biplav Misra as chief digital officer and Tatiana Lambert as chief development officer.

Built to Breakthrough Playbook: How to go from stuck to scale

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To help founders overcome the "Stuck Zone" where business complexity stalls momentum, this playbook introduces the Power of One System and its Six Factors of…

John Montgomery returns as MAD Greens CEO amid menu overhaul

April 13, 2026

Salad Collective has rehired John Montgomery as CEO of MAD Greens, bringing back the former president as it revamps its menu.

Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike's Red Tacos, HigherMe experts discuss recruitment, retention

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Industry experts at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit emphasized that sustainable restaurant profitability and successful scaling depend on…