Minnie Bird opens 3rd location

May 1, 2026

Minnie Bird, a fast-casual chicken concept co-founded by Sean Thomas, the grandson of Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, has tripled its Chicago-area footprint over…

FAT Brands opens Fatburger, Buffalo's Express, Hot Dog on a Stick unit

April 30, 2026

FAT Brands has opened a a tri-branded unit in Manteca, California, containing a Fatburger, Buffalo's Express and Hot Dog on a Stick. It is located in a travel…

Chipotle's Q1 earnings: Tech, sauce innovation drive transaction growth

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

The company's return to positive transaction growth was due to a focus on four pillars -- efficiency, innovative sauces attracting new guests, gamification and…

Starbucks' shine is back: 3 lessons from the Brian Niccol playbook

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Simplifying metrics, focusing on incrementality and protecting turnover rates are part of the Starbucks turnaround plan.

How The Red Chickz brought true Nashville soul to the West Coast

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Podcast host Mandy Detwiler talks to Shawn Lalehzarian, co-founder of the West Coast Nashville hot chicken brand The Red Chickz about the brand's aesthetic…

Piada Italian Street Food eyes national expansion with capital raise

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

The 62-unit brand is pursuing a strategic capital raise to fuel a massive national scale-up. The goal? Transforming from a regional powerhouse into a national…

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…

Killer Burger growing Texas footprint

April 27, 2026

Killer Burger, a Portland-based chain known for unconventional toppings, will open its first Houston location, continuing a rapid expansion across the Lone…

More than a post: Turning influencers into content engines for your restaurant

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

At the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit, marketing experts discussed the evolution of influencer marketing from a secondary tactic into a core…

Moe’s jumps on snacking trend to drive late-night traffic

April 24, 2026

Moe's Southwest Grill has introduced the Burrito Dipper, its first snack-sized menu item, as part of a broader push into late-night service.

Chicken Salad Chick posts record Q1 2026 growth

April 22, 2026

Chicken Salad Chick reported solid record results for the first quarter of 2026, thanks to franchise development and market expansion.

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.

Rethinking Peak Performance in the Digital Restaurant Era

Traditional performance metrics such as ticket time and drive-thru speed measure efficiency but fail to capture the full guest experience. Many organizations…

Presented by Service Management Group

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…

Pokeworks bowls up record Q1, expands pipeline and menu

April 20, 2026

Irvine, California-based Pokeworks reported its strongest first-quarter performance since its 2015 launch, resulting from openings, development deals and menu…

Jersey Mike’s 'confidentially' files for IPO with $1B target

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

April 20, 2026

Jersey Mike's Subs is aiming for a spot among the nation's most valuable restaurant chains as it moves forward with plans for an initial public offering.

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…

Stoner's Pizza Joint offers 42.0% off pizzas on April 20

April 17, 2026

Stoner's Pizza Joint will offer a 42.0% discount on all regular-priced pizzas for one day only on April 20, according to a press release.

One Stop Nutrition Taps SynergySuite and CBS NorthStar to Fuel AI-Driven Growth Across Franchise Network

One Stop Nutrition selects SynergySuite and CBS NorthStar to power AI-driven growth across its franchise network, unifying POS and back-of-house operations to…