How Cracker Barrel is reaching Gen Y, Z consumers through fast casual concept

Mike Chissler, chief operating officer of Holler & Dash, pulls back the curtain on Holler & Dash — Cracker Barrel's fast casual concept serving southern style…

Why Smiling Moose is betting on full-service concept

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Smiling Moose Rocky Mountain Deli — based in Colorado with 16 units in seven states — unveiled a prototype last month in Denver for a casual dining version of…

Fatburger debuts Impossible Burger at all US locations

February 21, 2018

Fatburger is now serving the Impossible Burgers in all its U.S. locations, according to a company press release.

7 shortcuts to higher profits via menu board optimization

Effective menu board design follows a structured, analytical approach that is much more than a graphic exercise.

Shake Shack aims to double units, surpass $700M in revenue by 2020

February 16, 2018

The last quarter of 2017 was good to Shake Shack, according to the company's earnings call this afternoon. Total revenue increased 31.2 percent to $96.…

How 1 couple's love story was the catalyst to a thriving pizza business

Natalie and Drew French came up with the idea to launch their fast casual pizza brand —Your Pie — while honeymooning in Italy.

Will the Senate push back menu-labeling law again?

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

The U.S. House passage this week of the so-called "Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act" (H.R. 772) is either an attempt to water down previous menu-labeling…

Chipotle announces bonuses, new training programs, expanded parental leave for employees

February 7, 2018

Possibly taking its cue from Starbucks, which announced last week that it was giving its employees raises and more time off as a result of the Tax Cuts and…

Chipotle's CFO: Lower income tax rate will save $40-$50 million in 2018

February 6, 2018

Chipotle Mexican Grill reported today that its revenue increased 7.3 percent to $1.1 billion during its fourth quarter for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017. CFO…

Former Buffalo Wild Wings CEO joins board of Digi International

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

February 6, 2018

The $2.9 billion acquisition of Buffalo Wild Wings by Arby's Restaurant Group is now complete, which puts Arby's CEO Paul Brown in the top position of the…

5 tips for finding the best location for your brand

Fast casual franchisees should consider a few specific components when determining the perfect spot for their next storefronts:

Smashburger's taps Arrowstream to manage supply chain

January 29, 2018

Smashburger has partnered with ArrowStream, a supply chain provider that leverages data science to improve the way supply chains perform, according to a…

Canada opens chef-driven food hall

January 29, 2018

Assembly — a chef-driven food hall — opened today in Toronto, housing 17 restaurant concepts from some of the city's top chefs, according to a company press…

Dickey's launches mobile app

January 25, 2018

Dickey's has launched a mobile app, featuring online ordering for pick-up or delivery and a new loyalty rewards program.   "We are living in an on-demand…

BRIX Holdings names new VP of operations

January 25, 2018

Dallas-based BRIX Holdings has promoted Yvette Martinez, longtime operations executive of Souper Salad, as its VP of Operations for all BRIX brands, which…

Starbucks sharing tax cuts with employees

January 25, 2018

Starbucks Coffee Company is sharing its U.S. tax cuts with its employees, announcing Wednesday that they will receive higher wages, more time off and stock…

11 ways to implement predictive scheduling without killing your bottom line

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Not complying with predictive scheduling mandates can quickly add up to significant penalties.

800 Degrees Pizzeria puts former Focus Brands exec in CMO seat

January 19, 2018

Los Angeles-based 800 Degrees Pizzeria has named Thomas Bartsch as its chief marketing officer. Bartsch most recently served as CMO and global marketing vice…

Former MOD pizza exec now Voodoo Doughnut CEO

January 18, 2018

Voodoo Doughnut has named restaurant veteran Chris Schultz as its CEO, hiring him away from MOD Pizza, where he served as senior vice president of operations…

3 tips to minimize the effects of minimum wage increases

There are three fundamental ways to keep costs low, despite rising wages: improve workforce productivity, reduce waste, fraud and abuse and increase menu…