Restaurant leaders share insight on top challenges, how to succeed

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

A panel talk at Networld Media Group's Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit focused on restaurant leadership development and experts shared insight on…

BurgerFi focused on landing investors

August 27, 2021

BurgerFi International Inc., which was Fast Casuals' brand of the Year for 2021 in the Top 100 Movers and Shakers list has tapped ICR, a strategic…

RFIS 2021 is in the books!

August 25, 2021

We came, we gathered, we partied, we learned. And we'll be back for RFIS 2022 in Nashville.

Hey, fast casuals: It's time to get back out there!

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

It's almost time for the fast casual industry's family reunion. The Fast Casual Executive Summit kicks off on Oct. 3 in Charlotte.

Sweetgreen scooping up Spyce

August 24, 2021

Los Angeles-based Sweetgreen is acquiring Spyce, a Boston-based restaurant company that created Infinite Kitchen, an automated culinary tool designed to…

Afghan-born founders of Iniburger donating sales to aid Afghanistan crisis

August 24, 2021

IniBurger, a San Francisco Bay area concept founded last year, is donating August and September proceeds to the International Rescue Committee of Northern…

Roll-Em-Up Taquitos announces 5-unit California deal

August 24, 2021

Roll-Em-Up Taquitos has announced a five-location deal in Orange County, California.

NRA calls for replenishment of Restaurant Revitalization Fund

August 24, 2021

The National Restaurant Association is calling on Congress to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, due to concerns over the Delta variant affecting…

Waba Grill reports highest sales in company history

August 24, 2021

Sales are soaring at WaBa Grill, a healthy rice bowl chain based in Southern California. In fact, Q2 2021 was the top-performing sales quarter in the brand's…

What Qdoba CEO learned from COVID-19 pivot

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Qdoba CEO Keith Guilbault reveals the strategy behind the brand's pandemic pivot, including setting up a COVID response team, focusing on first-party digital…

Dutch Bros Coffee files IPO

August 23, 2021

Dutch Bros Inc., which has nearly 500 locations in 11 states, is going public, according to a company press release. Although the number of shares and their…

Google still top restaurant search tool, false reviews remain challenging

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Managing Editor, Pizza Today

Google users utilize the 'near me' feature when searching for nearby restaurants. But consumers are also using other sites to find dining places and false…

Are mask, vaccination rules too harsh on restaurants?

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Restaurant operators are starting to feel a sense of deja vu as cities around the country re-instate mask mandates in an effort to protect consumers from the…

Restaurant spending up in second quarter

August 20, 2021

Consumer spending at U.S. restaurants was up 32% in the second quarter compared to the same quarter last year, and for a pre-pandemic view, flat compared to…

Digital Record Keeping for Restaurants – Employee Vaccination History May Be Required

In Canada, more and more companies and local governments are implementing required vaccination status for their employees. As an employer, it is your duty to…

Zaxby's taps UGA quarterback as brand spokesperson

August 19, 2021

Georgia-based Zaxby's has inked a deal with University of Georgia quarterback J.T. Daniels to serve as a brand ambassador for the 2021-2022 season. "We're…

Nationwide restaurant foot traffic up 52% since start of 2021

August 19, 2021

Foot traffic and in-store visits in food and beverage establishments is up 52% since the start of 2021, according to the data from Zenreach.

Starbucks opens 10th Farmer Support Center

August 19, 2021

Starbucks Coffee Company has opened its first Farmer Support Center in Brazil. The opening marks the company's 10th global center to support local coffee…

What the restaurant industry can learn from Amazon

by James Shea

James Shea, director of content strategy at Zuppler, explains why restaurant and foodservice operators should take a long hard look at Amazon's model and how…

Original ChopShop's Q2 sales skyrocket

August 17, 2021

It's been a cool summer for Arizona-based Original ChopShop, which reported last week that Q2 same-store sales were up 51% compared to 2020 and 39% compared to…