KPOT taps Deliverect to manage 3rd-party delivery orders across 140 locations

September 21, 2026

KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot has partnered with restaurant technology company Deliverect to handle third-party delivery order aggregation and menu management…

Chicken Salad Chick continues Florida expansion with Sarasota debut

September 21, 2026

Chicken Salad Chick will open a restaurant in Sarasota, Florida, on Sept. 29 as part of its continued expansion across the state.

Bread Head plans 4th Southern California location

September 21, 2026

Bread Head will open its fourth Southern California location in December 2026 at Topanga Village in Woodland Hills, California, less than 2½ years after the…

Meet the 6 brands taking the stage at the 2026 Perfect Pitch

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Bronx Burger Co., Dizzy Bird, PLOMO Quesadillas, Griller Bros, Redhead Burger and Tiki Bagel will compete in the 2026 competition.

Zaxbys signs 2 franchise agreements to expand in Mississippi

September 18, 2026

Zaxbys has signed two franchise agreements with brothers Alan and Eddie Gant to bring the Atlanta-based chicken chain to Winona and Kosciusko, Mississippi.

The restaurant of tomorrow takes center stage at #QSRNext 2026

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Connect Food

#QSRNext 2026 will bring together restaurant executives and industry leaders to explore the forces reshaping quick service, including AI, drive-thru…

The Gyro Project making Hell’s Kitchen debut

September 17, 2026

The Gyro Project will open its 10th location on Oct. 15 at 600 9th Ave., in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, marking its seventh unit in New York City.

Accuracy is the New Loyalty

Order accuracy directly impacts restaurant profitability, customer trust and repeat business. In this webinar, Star Micronics explored where costly errors…

Presented by Star Micronics America

How Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ maintains food quality across shrinking footprints

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

September 16, 2026

Crave Founder Samantha Rincione is putting more emphasis on smaller footprints, lower operating costs and takeout and delivery.

Mo’ Bettahs to open 2nd Oklahoma City location

September 16, 2026

Mo' Bettahs will open a restaurant at 14020 N. Rockwell Ave., in Oklahoma City on Sept. 18. The location will be the Bountiful, Utah-based brand's second in…

Blaze Pizza celebrates 15th birthday

September 15, 2026

Blaze Pizza is marking its 15th anniversary with a one-day pizza deal for members of its Blaze Rewards loyalty program, the company announced in a news release.

How Nekter's CTO is using AI to turn more guests into regulars

Nékter Juice Bar CTO Jon Asher joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how AI is reshaping guest personalization, loyalty…

Shake Shack tops loyalty study as burger chains battle for repeat customers

September 15, 2026

Shake Shack has the most loyal customer base among the nation's top burger chains, according to a study, from advertising platform Simpli.fi, offering fast…

GoTo Foods names Lucy Brady Jamba president, reshuffles additional portfolio roles

September 15, 2026

GoTo Foods has appointed Lucy Brady as president of Jamba and shifted leadership roles across its portfolio. The Atlanta-based company also named Nathan…

UFG adds 105 locations, signs 148 franchisee deals in 1H

September 15, 2026

United Franchise Group reported robust growth during the first half of 2026, adding 105 locations, signing 148 individual franchisee agreements and executing…

Restaurant traffic moderates in late August, fast-casual chains still outperform

September 14, 2026

Sweetgreen posted the strongest fast-casual performance among major chains, with visits 5.9% above its typical weekly average. Chopt visits fell 9.6% below…

How Sankranti built its own fast-casual Indian food playbook

Srinivasa “Nimms” Nimmagadda and his team spent years developing a fast-casual Indian food concept playbook through Sankranti Indian Kitchen. Now the company…

Top 30 Movers & Shakers in Catering 2026

This annual initiative shines a spotlight on the visionary leaders, innovators, and brands redefining off-premises dining. From pioneering game-changing…

Presented by MONKEY Catering Platform

The Big Greek Cafe partners with Deliverect, Thanx to streamline digital ordering

September 11, 2026

Fast-casual concept Big Greek Cafe is revamping its tech infrastructure, selecting digital restaurant platforms Deliverect and Thanx to unify ordering, direct…

Nominations are open: Is your fast casual brand one to watch in 2027?

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Nominations close Oct. 5, 2026.