HTeaO names former Freddy's executive Brian Wise as CEO

August 5, 2026

Iced tea franchise HTeaO has named Brian Wise as its chief executive officer as the company prepares for further national expansion.

Savvy Sliders, Fat Boy's Pizza announce co-branded Florida locations

August 5, 2026

Savvy Sliders and Fat Boy's Pizza will open co-branded restaurants in Florida later this year, marking the state debut for Louisiana-based Fat Boy's Pizza…

Rōti Modern Mediterranean launches franchise incentive program with first-year royalty waiver

August 5, 2026

Rōti Modern Mediterranean is offering financial incentives to franchisees as it looks to accelerate development across the U.S.

Salad and Go unexpectedly closes all locations

August 5, 2026

Two weeks after launching a menu upgrade featuring recipe enhancements to signature salads, refreshed ingredient combinations and upgraded flavor profiles…

Chipotle pulls jalapenos from some restaurants amid salmonella outbreak investigation

August 4, 2026

After a weeks of worrying about lettuce being contaminated, customers may now need to avoid jalapenos.

How Urban Bird Hot Chicken turned a bad lease into a fast-growing brand

Brandon and Chantel Gawthorp built 32 Wingstop franchises across three states over 20 years, then let it all go to bet on themselves. They opened the first…

5 menu localization myths that could hurt your restaurant brand

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

August 4, 2026

Michael Magerl, Joel Bulger, John Iannucci and Sarah Rooney are the panelists for "From Trend to Table: Operationalizing Regional Promotions in a Multi-Unit…

Savory Fund invests in Zao Asian Grill, targets national growth

August 4, 2026

Savory Fund co-founder Shauna Smith and CEO Clay Dover are keynoting the Fast Casual Executive Summit, Oct. 4-6, where attendees can learn more about the deal.

Traffic counts show signs of recovery post Cyclospora

August 3, 2026

Restaurant chains that experienced sharp declines in foot traffic following the recent Cyclospora outbreak are beginning to recover, although some brands…

3 leaders every Founder must hire to scale

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To successfully scale a company and transition from an overwhelmed operator to a confident CEO, founders must stop trying to manage everything themselves and…

How FiiZ Drinks is turning a viral beverage trend into a scalable brand

Plus, Instant CEO Tal Clark reveals new data on restaurant worker financial stress and why faster access to earned wages could be the next retention advantage

Presented by Instant Financial

Shipley Donuts grows footprint with 9-shop franchise deals in Q2

July 31, 2026

Shipley Donuts expanded its national presence during the first half of 2026, signing franchise agreements for nine shops, entering three new markets and…

How Latitude Food Group CEO James O’Reilly is scaling &pizza, Tijuana Flats

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

As CEO of Latitude Food Group, industry veteran James O'Reilly is leveraging a centralized backend support model and rigorous operational discipline to…

Restaurant catering doesn't need more tech. It needs better tech

Catering companies have plenty of tech options. The key is selecting the right ones for maximum efficiency.

3 things fast casual operators can steal from Starbucks' turnaround quarter

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

The company's latest earnings call shows how targeted store upgrades, daypart-focused operations and smarter loyalty perks helped fuel growth — and why the…

Fast Casual Hall of Fame honoring Geoff Alexander, Mark Brezinski, Darden Coors at Executive Summit

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

The 2026 Fast Casual Hall of Fame will recognize three restaurant executives whose leadership has shaped innovation, technology adoption and growth across the…

CaterZen, Star Micronics integrate workflow tools to reduce catering errors

July 29, 2026

Nashville, Tennessee-based CaterZen Catering Software has partnered with Star Micronics to help restaurant operators integrate kitchen display and labeling…

Why Taco Cabana is expanding its franchise beyond the Lone Star State

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler chats with Taco Cabana's director of franchise sales and development, John Ramsay…

How to deliver fast casual quality at 'QSR speeds'

by Bradley Cooper — Editor, Connect Media

Customers expect QSR speeds with fast casual quality. A panel at the Fast Casual Executive Summit will share how restaurants can keep up.

Buffalo’s Express opens 1st standalone restaurant, expands beyond Fatburger co-brand model

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

FAT Brands' Jake Berchtold explains how the former co-located Buffalo's Express opened its first stand-alone restaurant in Washington State.