McAlister's opens 13th Virginia location

July 20, 2017

McAlister's has opened its first Northern Virginia location in seven years in Fairfax, bringing the concept's total to 13 in the state, according to a press…

Fazoli's opens first Sioux Falls location

July 20, 2017

Brian and Heidi Hagan, of SD Faz I LLC., will open Fazoli's newest location in Sioux Falls, according to a press release.

Locali chooses Fransmart to accelerate franchising

July 19, 2017

Locali is partnering Fransmart to take its franchised natural food concept, with an organic-based deli menu, nationwide, according to a press release.

BurgerFi adds a Florida location

July 19, 2017

BurgerFi launched its Boynton Beach, Florida unit on July 17, according to a press release.

Wingstop taps Scott McLeod as senior VP of operations

July 18, 2017

Wingstop has hired Scott McLeod as senior vice president of operations and he will oversee Wingstop's domestic corporate and franchise operations and training…

Charlotte Tropical Smoothie Cafe opens its doors

July 17, 2017

Tropical Smoothie Café opened its newest unit in Charlotte this week and kicked off its grand opening celebration July 17., according to a press release. The…

Honest Mary's under development in Austin

July 17, 2017

Honest Mary's, named after the wife of owner Nelson Monteith, will open in Austin, Texas later this summer, according to an Eater article.

Top execs discuss perks and pitfalls of private vs public ownership

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Panera Bread CEO Ron Shaich's decision earlier this year to sell the brand to JAB Holdings for $7.5 billion has spurred some to ask, "Just how much impact does…

Bobby's Burger Palace begins global expansion

July 14, 2017

Bobby's Burger Palace has launched its global licensing program, allowing expansion through new partners and new markets, according to a press release.

Potbelly Sandwich Shops announces 5 additional units

July 13, 2017

Potbelly Sandwich will continue its partnership with franchisees David Duke and Jay Clark and open five more units in the Richmond and Charlottesville areas…

Mamoun's Falafel signs 6-unit franchise deal in Georgia

July 13, 2017

Middle Eastern fast casual concept Mamoun's Falafel has announced a six-unit franchise deal in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, according to a press release.

Four Food Group acquires majority stake in Mo'Bettahs

July 13, 2017

Mo'Bettahs, a six-unit Hawaiian-style concept, has inked an all-cash acquisition deal with Four Food Groups, according to a press release. As of July 1 FFG now…

Legacy Hall serving fast casual fare in upscale food court vibe

by Matthew Harper — Intern, Networld Media Group

A group of fast casual concepts, including a brewery and a restaurant specializing in wine, are opening this fall in one building in Plano, Texas. Legacy Hall…

Panera franchisee Pan American Group acquires 34 locations

July 12, 2017

Pan American Group, a subsidiary of Flynn Restaurant Group LP, is now the second-largest Panera franchisee after acquiring 34 locations in Missouri and Kansas…

By Chloe co-founder opens Italian fast casual concept

July 12, 2017

ESquared Creative Director and By Chloe co-Founder Samantha Wasser is partnering with former cookie company chef Ali LaRaia to create a Italian fast casual…

Anti-Trump rapper opens ThinkFoodLab in DC

July 12, 2017

Jose Andres, the chef who battled President Trump in court and then rapped about his immigration policies in April, opened ThinkFoodLab on July 11 in…

Video: How Crushed Red's thriving dinner day-part drives site selection

Powell Kalish, the concept's chief development officer, sat down with FastCasual's Cherryh Cansler to describe how he chooses sites for the pizza and salad…

Starbucks releases 2 summer beverages

July 12, 2017

Starbucks Reserve coffee bars in the U.S. and Canada are serving two Nitro Cold Brew beverages this summer: Starbucks Nitro Cascara Cloud and Starbucks Nitro…

Everything's bigger in ... China?

July 12, 2017

China's restaurant industry is    one of the nation's main economic growth drivers, according to a report released by Meituan-Dianping, a foodservice-focused…

Panera stockholders confirm sale in special meeting

July 11, 2017

Panera stockholders sealed the deal regarding its acquisition by JAB Holdings in a special meeting today, according to a press release.