East Coast Wings & Grill signs multiunit deal for Philadelphia

January 16, 2013

East Coast Wings & Grill, a North Carolina-based concept, plans to expand into Philadelphia with several new locations throughout the next five years.

Chipotle plans nationwide rollout of catering service

January 16, 2013

Chipotle Mexican Grill will launch its catering service in Colorado on Jan. 21. Chipotle catering allows groups of 20 to 200 to customize their individual meal…

Zoës Kitchen signs supply chain co-op

January 15, 2013

Zoës Kitchen has partnered with SpenDifference for strategic supply chain support.

U-Swirl acquires Aspen Leaf and Yogurtini fro-yo chains

January 14, 2013

U-Swirl Inc., parent to U-SWIRL International Inc., the owner and franchisor of U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt cafés, has acquired specific assets of Aspen Leaf Yogurt…

Jamba Juice introduces new store design, drive-thrus

January 14, 2013

Jamba Juice Company hasannounced the launch of a store format and design initiative that will transform the store layout and design across the entire concept…

Zaxby's reports data security breach

January 14, 2013

Zaxby's Franchising Inc. has announced that certain licensed locations have identified suspicious files on their systems that may have resulted in unauthorized…

Brazilian concept leaving mark on U.S.

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

A Giraffas executive describes the chain's strategy for taking on America.

Study: Restaurants avoiding menu price increases

January 11, 2013

Chain restaurants, tasked with navigating both value-hungry customers and rising commodity prices, are showing little interest in significant menu price…

Starbucks resuable cups: A redemption story

The Seattle-based coffee chain has introduced reusable cups, but it may be a challenge to get customers to remember to bring the cups back into the store.

Sbarro introduces 'skinny' pizza, plans freestanding units

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

January 10, 2013

Sbarro has introduced a new, 270-calorie "Skinny Slice" offering. The trademarked Skinny Slice features roasted red and green bell peppers, Portobello…

Former SVP of Morton's buys Go Roma

January 10, 2013

Ron DiNella, former senior vice president and chief financial officer of Morton's restaurants, has acquired Go Roma, a chain of six Italian restaurants based…

Mintel: Four foodservice trends will stand out this year

January 9, 2013

Intelligence firm Mintel predicts there will be four trends in particular that will have the biggest impact on the restaurant industry in this year.

NRA names VP of government affairs

January 9, 2013

The National Restaurant Association has named Matt Walker as its new vice president of Government Affairs. He will lead the NRA's advocacy strategy in the U.S.

Why 'health casual' is gaining traction overseas

The demand for a tasty, health-conscious concept is very high in the Middle East.

Former Burger King CEO launches restaurant operations tech company

January 9, 2013

Burger King’s former CEO John Chidsey has helped launch Red Book Connect, a cloud-based technology platform to help restaurant operators run their businesses…

Registration open for Women's Foodservice Forum

January 7, 2013

Registration is now open for the Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) 2013 Leadership Development Conference. The event will be held April 14-17 at the Orlando…

The Big Salad founder: 'We're more than just salad'

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

The chain's success is the result of focusing on three core areas — brand image, financial systems and hiring practices.

Snapfinger earns highest level of PCI compliance

December 31, 2012

ControlCase, provider of compliance, information security and risk management solutions, has certified restaurant food ordering and payment application…

Barberitos treating teachers to free meal

December 28, 2012

A Barberitos location in Watkinsville, Ga., is offering a free meal on Jan. 2 to any Oconee County teacher with an ID badge.

Report: Consumers likely to share complaints about restaurant cleanliness

December 28, 2012

SCA's third annual 2012 Tork Report reveals that 92 percent of U.S. consumers said they will complain about an unfavorable dining-out experience. Of those…