Smoothie King sees solid growth despite pandemic

January 8, 2021

In a year that was a struggle for most restaurant brands, Smoothie King managed to grow, opening 263 stores globally, including 71 in the United States…

Flame Broiler debuts online ordering, redesigns serving ware

January 7, 2021

Korean fast casual Flame Broiler now offers customers online ordering and has been busy redesigning both serving bowls and updating its kimchi offering.

Capriotti's, Wing Zone execs give us the why behind the merger

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

January 5, 2021

Las Vegas-based Capriotti's Sandwich Shop has acquired Wing Zone, a fast casual brand based in Atlanta.

Schlotzsky’s testing 2 drive-thru formats

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Schlotzsky's has designed two drive-thru models to focus heavily on off-premise orders.

Solutions for Retail

Combine an evolving ecosystem of products with best-in-class service, project management, analytics, predictive logistics & next gen remote managed…

What is TransacTec and Why Do I Need It?

Don't let the promise of sophistication turn into complexity that distracts from your core business. Learn about Device as a Service with this eBook

CFS Brands acquires AyrKing

January 4, 2021

Oklahoma City-based CFS Brands has completed the acquisition of AyrKing, a food preparation equipment company. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Louisville…

Pepsi generating $100M in sales for Black-owned restaurants

January 4, 2021

In hopes of raising at least $100 million in sales for Black-owned restaurants over the next five years, PepsiCo has launched Dig In, a multi-year platform…

Why NYC's Sweet Chick rebranded to fast casual concept

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Sweet Chick, a full-service brand created seven years ago in Brooklyn by New York native, restaurateur and entrepreneur John Seymour, has a new name and has…

Investing in change keeps Taziki's in business

December 30, 2020

After an exceedingly difficult year for restaurants across the country, Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe is poised for growth thanks to investments in tech…

Slim Chickens inks deals for 150 locations in 2020

December 30, 2020

Slim Chickens, which now has 116 locations, spent 2020 inking multi-unit franchise agreements to eventually add 150 units to its portfolio.

Robotic coffee service machine replaces baristas

December 30, 2020

Patrons at Crown Coffee, a coffee bar in downtown Singapore, can now place orders and be served by an autonomous robot barista named Ella, according to a press…

How innovation drives this fast-growing salad concept

Jerry Eicke, director of Franchise Development for The Salad House, discusses how important influencer culture, technology and overall innovation have been to…

How restaurant chains can thrive, not just survive, with the right technology foundation

Seizing the opportunities and surmounting the challenges restaurants face will require nimble and cost-effective processes enabled by secure and resilient data…

Six technology trends to help restaurants rebound in 2021

As this era of unpredictability ensues, the ways in which restaurants work to overcome the pandemic continues to evolve, too. Here are six technology trends…

Chipotle not requiring employee COVID-19 vaccinations

December 28, 2020

Although Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol was strongly encouraging employees to be get COVID-19 vaccinations, it won't be a requirement.

FastCasual now accepting nominations for Excellence in Food Safety award

December 23, 2020

As part of the 2021 FastCasual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, FastCasual and Steritech, a provider of food safety assessments, will honor one brand with…

Rubio's exiting from bankruptcy

December 23, 2020

Rubio's Coastal Grill will exit from Chapter 11 by year's with its debt reduced by more than $35 million, now that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District…

5 ways the vaccine may change restaurant operations

Brody Sweeney, the founder of Camile Thai Kitchen in the UK, predicts how the vaccine will change operations in 2021.

Ziggi's franchise fulfills Colorado native's longtime dream

December 22, 2020

Taffy Nichols, of Erie, Colorado is fulfilling her longtime dream to run her own franchise.