Huddle House-Perkins hustling toward pandemic-era marketing moves

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Hustle - noun: meaning busy movement and activity. Many restaurant brands have embraced the term "hustle" over the past year to navigate the pandemic-era…

Zoup's broth available in 9K retail locations

September 17, 2020

Zoup Good, Really Good Broth — created by Eric Ersher, who founded fast casual chain Zoup Eatery — has added 2,000 retail partners, placing its broth in more…

Keeping Your Restaurant Nimble in a Crisis with Back-of-House Technology

Successfully navigating a restaurant through the unpredictable current of a global pandemic demands more than just obvious tactics.

Torchy's Tacos selling sauce at Whole Foods

September 16, 2020

Fans of Austin-based Torchy's Tacos may now purchase the brand's Green Chile Queso and Diablo Sauce from 40 Whole Foods locations in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma…

The next contestant on the Perfect Pitch is...

Meet the five up-and-coming fast casual brands vying to win the 2020 Perfect Pitch during the virtual Fast Casual Executive Summit Oct. 20-21.

Penn Station reveals rebrand, redesign

September 14, 2020

Penn Station East Coast Subs is updating its 35-year-old brand with the rollout of PS 2020 — a restaurant redesign and new menu.

Coca-Cola European Partners invests in self-pour technology provider

September 11, 2020

CCEP Ventures, the investment arm of Coca-Cola European Partners, has acquired a 25% stake in Innovative Tap Solutions doing business as PourMyBeer – the…

UNLV offering degree in fast casual management

September 11, 2020

Aspiring restaurateurs looking for a formal education in the fast casual industry will soon be able to turn to UNLV's Harrah College of Hospitality. Thanks to…

Muscle Maker Grill raising funds to expand via ghost kitchens

September 11, 2020

Hoping to raise capital to expand its non-traditional location growth initiatives on military bases, universities and ghost kitchens, Muscle Maker Inc. has…

Starbucks dares to go strawless

September 10, 2020

As part of its commitment to eliminate plastic straws from its stores, Starbucks has made its strawless lids the standard for iced beverages in…

Foodworks launches contact-free dining solutions for businesses

September 9, 2020

As businesses across the nation gradually welcome workers back to the office, a Chicago-based restaurant incubator, Foodworks, has launched a contact-free…

Chipotle donates $125K to sustainable farming scholarship

September 9, 2020

Chipotle Mexican Grill has donated $125,000 to the Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation's scholarship program for young farmers and future sustainable…

Sweetgreen launches curated menu options

September 9, 2020

Sweetgreen has launched Collections, a menu format on its digital platforms featuring curated categories to meet guests' specific needs — whether they want…

How Urban Plates negotiated for more outdoor space

John Zagara, the co-founder of Urban Plates, reveals how he secured more space from his landlords to expand patios at 10 of his locations amid COVID-19.

Everbowl inks 20-unit franchise deal

September 8, 2020

Everbowl is opening 20 units in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and California thanks to a franchise partnership with WAGS Capital, a boutique investment firm…

Famous Dave's launching dual-branded restaurant

September 4, 2020

Famous Dave's and franchisee Dave Crimmins are working together to open a restaurant in Colorado Springs to serve food from Famous Dave's as well as Texas…

Costa Coffee considers laying off 1,650

September 4, 2020

Costa Coffee, the U.K. based coffee house chain that has its own coffee vending machine known as Costa Express, will eliminate as many as 1,650 on account of…

Dickey's selling direct-to-consumer butchered meats, pre-cooked sides

September 4, 2020

Dickey's Barbecue Pit is giving fans access to restaurant-quality cuts of meat, premium pre-cooked sides and desserts, unveiling a line-up of retail products…

Fast Casual Top 100 brands share these 3 traits

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

For the past 14 years, FastCasual has recognized the industry's leading brands in its annual Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers report. Sweetgreen, a…

Reinforce Social Distancing Measures with Occupancy Counting Technology

Leverage AI-powered video analytics to help automate the counting of people entering and exiting a restaurant. Results display on cloud-based dashboards so you…