La Madeleine: Bonjour, El Paso

April 2, 2014

La Madeleine Country French Café is opening a new location tomorrow at the Fountains at Farah in El Paso. Situated in a 4,500-square-foot, end-cap location at…

Fatburger opens first gas station location

April 1, 2014

Fatburger is opening its newest location in Livermore, Calif., marking the chain's first unit inside a gas station.

Mama Fu's opening first takeout, delivery and catering-focused location

March 31, 2014

Mama Fu's Asian House, an Austin, Texas-based restaurant franchise, will open the first of its new, smaller prototype on April 7 to serve the Arboretum area in…

Robeks CMO explains strategy on 'next-generation' concept

The chain hopes its new design, menu and marketing strategy will help it continue its 27 months of same-store sales increases.

Indian concept opens in Chicago Loop

March 27, 2014

The Indian fast casual brand, Naansense, has opened at 171 N. Wells St., in Chicago's Loop, where Chefs Hiran Patel and Sahil Singh are serving their favorite…

Villa Enterprises takes over food court ops at Virginia outlets

March 26, 2014

Villa Enterprises announced it is assuming the management, operations and brand placement in the food court at Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets in Leesburg, Va.

Smashburger adds to nontraditional portfolio

March 26, 2014

Smashburger has added partnerships for new airport locations in Dallas, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., in addition to its first casino location in Durant, Okla.

Woody's Bar-B-Q launches express model

March 18, 2014

The fast casual vision that initially began buzzing around the brains of co-founders Woody Mills and Yolanda Mills-Mawman in 2007, recently became a full-blown…

Boston Market opens first mall location

March 10, 2014

Boston Market is hoping to provide more access to its comfort food by opening its first food court location this week, according to a company press release.

Research shows strong connection between restaurant ambiance and consumer appeal

February 28, 2014

New research from Technomic's Consumer Brand Metrics tool outlines how restaurant ambiance can affect consumers' value perceptions.

Latin American fast casual launches new design

February 27, 2014

Pollo Campero has launched a new global brand platform and modern restaurant design debuting in Guatemala and El Salvador with plans for remodels and new…

Fatburger opens co-branded drive-thru unit in LA

February 26, 2014

Fatburger has announced the opening of its newest drive-thru location with its sister brand, Buffalo's Express, on Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles. The…

VooDoo BBQ testing new prototype

February 24, 2014

VooDoo BBQ & Grill opened its 17th location on Feb. 9 in Hollywood, Fla. In March, the company plans to open additional locations — one in Boca Raton…

Cobranding Part 1: Will it work for fast casuals?

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

While developing the right partnership can be tricky, cobranding is a great way to add an additional revenue stream.

Smoothie King rocks new design in Florida

February 13, 2014

Smoothie King Franchises unveiled its new store design with the opening of two locations in South Florida. The stores, located at the Dolphin Mall, located at…

Fine-dining chefs getting 'Funky' with fast casual concept

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Father-and-son Chefs Bryan and Bradley Ogden step out of their comfort zone to open fast casual chicken concept.

Phil Friedman named CEO of Salsarita's; launching growth plan

February 6, 2014

After acquiring Salsarita's in 2011, Phil Friedman is stepping up as its CEO to launch major expansion efforts, according to a company press release. Friedman…

Why Bruegger's launched a new design, menu

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Along with the new physical design, the chain has updated its logo, point-of-purchase materials, to-go packaging and is now in the process of updating the…

Togo's hosts grand re-opening for two California locations

January 23, 2014

Togo's Eateries Inc. announced its former restaurant of 25 years has been relocated within the same Paseo Plaza Real shopping center at 6971 El Camino Real in…

Yumz debuts express model

January 22, 2014

Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt today announced the launch of Yumz Express, a kiosk-sized version of a full-size Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt store. The new model is…