Fuku CEO chats about real estate decisions that can make or break a brand

On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler talk with Claudia Lezcano, CEO of Fuku, about how the David Chang chicken brand is…

Mendocino Farms expands presence in Texas

September 29, 2026

Mendocino Farms expanded its presence in Texas on Tuesday with the opening of its third Austin restaurant, located at 1100 S. Lamar Blvd., Suite 1125.

Mokas Coffee & Eatery opens 1st franchise-owned location

September 29, 2026

Mokas Coffee & Eatery will open its first franchise-owned location Sept. 30 in Olathe, Kansas.

Starbird bringing 15 locations to Pacific Northwest

September 23, 2026

Fast casual chicken concept Starbird Chicken is expanding into Washington state through a franchise agreement with Mehta Investment Group that will bring 1…

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…

Smalls Sliders makes college-campus debut with 2 openings

September 17, 2026

Sandy Springs, Georgia-based Smalls Sliders will make its college-campus debut with openings at the University of Central Florida in September and the…

Slutty Vegan plans 3rd Ohio opening

September 17, 2026

Plant-based burger fast-casual chain Slutty Vegan has signed a franchise agreement with Soul Republic Hospitality Group to open a restaurant in Cincinnati…

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…

Qdoba signs 17-unit development agreement in San Diego County

September 11, 2026

Qdoba Mexican Eats has signed a development agreement with Hyperion Brands to open 17 restaurants across San Diego County, California.

WOWorks unleashes tiered franchise incentives, co-branding discounts to drive growth

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

September 10, 2026

WOWorks, the parent company behind Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos and Zoup Eatery, has launched a…

Sweetgreen to open 1st Jacksonville, Florida, location

September 9, 2026

Sweetgreen is expanding into northeast Florida with the upcoming opening of its first Jacksonville location at 4624 Town Crossing Drive. The 2,560-square-foot…

Why Chain’s ‘pop cuisine’ concept is testing food hall format

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

The American pop-cuisine food brand is launching its newest dining format to determine the viability of different, experiential locations.

Flying Biscuit Cafe franchisee to open 4th Raleigh location

September 3, 2026

Flying Biscuit Cafe franchisee Tahir Rafiq will open his fourth location in Raleigh, North Carolina, during the first quarter of 2027. The 6609 Falls of Neuse…

HB Protein Smoothies hires Tyler Doolittle to lead real estate, openings

September 2, 2026

HB Protein Smoothies, a Fransmart-backed franchise, has hired Tyler Doolittle as director of real estate and openings. Doolittle will work with franchise…

Chipotle opens 1st Asia location in Seoul

September 2, 2026

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has opened its first restaurant in Asia, a location in Seoul, South Korea, through a joint partnership with Sangmidang Holdings…

How restaurant real estate is being rewritten — and what operators need to know

On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Daniel Ceniceros, Founder & CEO of Connect Media, to unpack how…

Why Gwyneth Paltrow-backed Goop Kitchen is adding dine-in to $6.7M delivery empire

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

The company opened its first dine-in restaurant this month at One Paseo in Del Mar, California, a 92-seat flagship that marks a new chapter for a brand that…

Restaurant resales fall in 2026; turnkey, franchise deals surge

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

High interest rates and construction costs are reshaping the restaurant resale market, driving buyers toward equipped second-generation spaces and proven…

How Teriyaki Madness flips franchise growth by vetting real estate before the deal is signed

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Franchise Development Real Estate Manager Jake Lowell breaks down how the fast-casual chain cut opening timelines to 18 months and secured over 80 leases in 1…

Baker Katz secures 5 leases for Einstein Bros

August 21, 2026

The fast-casual chain is adding over 9,500 square feet as it continues expanding across the Houston market.