2 CEOs throw down in wing-eating contest

Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, challenged Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison to an atomic wing eating contest, where the losing CEO agreed to make a…

Bonchon supporting 'Stop Asian Violence' campaign with T-shirts

April 16, 2021

South Korea-based Bonchon has created a "Stop Asian Violence" fundraising campaign in response to the increasing number of attacks against the Asian-American…

Walmart embracing fast casuals, local services as store-based tenants

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

With the departure of McDonald's and Subway operators from within its storefronts, Walmart aims to fill in-store leased space with "relevant" tenants, ranging…

Smoothie Factory Juice Bar debuting drive-thru

April 15, 2021

The Smoothie Factory Juice Bar, which features all-natural, ice-filtered and pressed fresh whole fruit and vegetable smoothies, is expanding its footprint in…

The 2021 Dining Report

People are already in a new normal, and restaurants should expect to join them - and stay there. This is the exclusive report that shows you how.

Dining in 2021: How It Started, How It's Going. What's Next.

The pandemic has no doubt taken its toll on restaurants, but while thousands are struggling, others are reporting gains.

By the numbers: Advice for new restaurateurs

by Marlo Fogelman

Marlo Fogelman, an attorney and founder and CEO of Marlo Marketing, shares her thoughts on where the restaurant industry is now, and what new restaurateurs…

QSRs' new Holy Grail: 1st-party data

by Dennis Becker — Ceo, Mobivity

Changes are afoot on the fast food marketing landscape in both traditional media and -- starting in 2022 -- on the digital playing field. The question is, has…

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s “Guac on the Rock” supporting local restaurants

April 9, 2021

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is launching a "Guac on the Rock" promotion that will reimburse restaurant customers up to $1,000,000 when they purchase guacamole…

Gimbal and NextNav Level Up Location Services to Meet Consumer Expectations

Gimbal and NextNav have partnered to elevate the capabilities of location services for consumers. The partnership makes a new, vertical dimension - the Z-axis…

Muscle Maker advances private placement strategy

April 7, 2021

Muscle Maker Inc. has made a deal for a private placement with a single investor to buy up to 1.25 million shares of stock and approximately 2.87 million…

How to unblock your restaurant’s loyalty “blind spot”

Learn how your organization can gain visibility into the purchasing preferences of 100% of your diners without the friction of an opt-in process.

DoorDash, Mastercard team up on expanded cardholder benefits

April 2, 2021

Delivery service, DoorDash is partnering with Mastercard to offer World and World Elite Mastercard cardholders complimentary DashPass benefits, according to a…

Chipotle asks: Burritos or bitcoin?

March 30, 2021

Chipotle Mexican Grill is giving $100,000 in free burritos and $100,000 in bitcoin to celebrate National Burrito Day on April 1. This occasion makes Chipotle…

Smashburger reveals new logo

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

March 29, 2021

Denver-based Smashburger has debuted a new logo to emphasize its vision of being "the best burger brand," President Carl Bachmann told FastCasual.

2021 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers Awards Ceremony

Join us as we announce this year's Fast Casual Top 100 Movers and Shakers.

Presented by FastCasual.com

CORE urging customers to eat out to raise money for restaurant employees

March 23, 2021

Children of Restaurant Employees, a national non-profit organization offering financial help to industry employees with children, is urging customers to order…

Why QSR loyalty marketing misses 95% of diners and what to do about it

You know great loyalty programs can pay off for QSRs. But what many operators don't know is how many customers even the greatest loyalty initiatives miss. This…

Smokey Bones, virtual brands name marketing lead

March 18, 2021

Smokey Bones — which operates the casual dining restaurant of the same name as well as two virtual kitchen brands — The Wing Experience and The Burger…

How COVID-19 forced The Halal Guys to change marketing tactics

Ahmed Abouelenein, CEO of The Halal Guys, discusses how the New York-based chain's marketing tactics differ from pre-pandemic days.