3 restaurant growth deals, and what the new SBA rules change about each

A capital provider walks through three anonymized deals: A partner buyout, a franchisee whose tax return shows a loss and a ground-up build to show what SOP 5…

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill launches 'Lime Lover' Loyalty program

October 13, 2026

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill has launched "Lime Lover," a customer loyalty program operating under the brand's "Lime Loves You Back" campaign to reward guests…

Toast expands AI tools for labor management, marketing

October 13, 2026

Boston-based tech platformToast has introduced AI-powered labor management tools and expanded its digital marketing capabilities. The tech and upgrades are…

FastCasual extends deadline for 2027 'Brands to Watch' nominations

October 12, 2026

FastCasual has extended the deadline to nominate restaurant concepts for its eighth annual "Fast Casual Brands to Watch in 2027" report. Restaurant operators…

Chicken Salad Chick adds Pennsylvania, West Virginia locations

October 12, 2026

Chicken Salad Chick is expanding its Northeast footprint with development agreements in New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Starbucks puts the brakes on Chipotle takeover rumors

Count me among those who aren't the least bit shocked to learn that the Starbucks-Chipotle acquisition talk was nothing more than a rumor.

Smaller menus may not be the growth hack restaurants thought they were

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

As restaurants continue to balance operational simplicity with the need to give guests reasons to visit, the menu-size debate is unlikely to disappear. The…

Dave’s Hot Chicken hits 500 restaurants, adds 100 units in 6 months

October 9, 2026

Dave's Hot Chicken opened its 500th restaurant Thursday in Phoenix, marking a milestone for the fast-casual chain that has added about 100 locations since…

Deliverect and Yext Partner to Keep Restaurant Data Accurate Across Every Digital Surface, Including AI Search

The integration connects live operational data from Deliverect directly to the Yext Knowledge Graph, eliminating manual updates across search engines, maps…

Tiki Taco adds 7th Kansas City location

October 7, 2026

Tiki Taco is expanding its Kansas City footprint next week with a location in the city's Crossroads Arts District, marking the fast casual brand's seventh open…

The foundation for Rooted: 7 ingredients, simplicity and trust

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Rooted founder Lily Rivkin Friend built a fast-casual concept around simplicity and trust. Its seven-ingredient rule keeps food and operations streamlined…

Biscuit Belly CEO reveals practical survival kit for founders

What does it take for an emerging restaurant brand to scale without losing its identity? On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh…

Presented by Mountaire Farms

I’m donut ? launches first-ever delivery service in New York City

October 6, 2026

Tokyo-based I'm donut ? has launched its first-ever delivery service, allowing New York City customers to order donuts and drinks from the brand's Times Square…

Bloomin’ leadership lessons with Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

Outback Steakhouse co-Founder Tim Gannon shares how with only $37, a ripped-up $1 million check and two great partners, a legendary brand was built and the…

COBS Bread Partners with Deliverect to Simplify Digital Ordering Across North America

Canada's leading fresh-bread franchise chain deploys Deliverect to give every bakery a unified connection between third-party ordering and in-store operations

True Food Kitchen files for Chapter 11, closes 12 restaurants

October 5, 2026

Phoenix-based True Food Kitchen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 4 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas as it…

FCES keynote: To go far, go together

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Connect Food

Chicken Salad Chick’s story shows that scaling successfully isn’t necessarily about moving faster or constantly reinventing the brand. It’s about knowing what…

Chipotle opens 1,500th Chipotlane in Florida

October 5, 2026

Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its 1,500th Chipotlane Sept. 29 at 16680 SR 64 East in Bradenton, Florida.

Swig to enter Pacific Northwest with 11-unit deal

October 2, 2026

Swig will enter the Pacific Northwest with an 11-unit franchise agreement with Sean Collins, Jared Collins and Ramey Mills. The franchisees plan to open their…

7 ways diners are cutting the check — from skipping drinks to choosing carryout

October 1, 2026

U.S. restaurant-goers are spending an average of $100 per week on dining out, an increase from earlier this year, but still down $15 compared to June 2025, as…