Smashburger builds executive bench with CMO hire

May 21, 2026

Smashburger has hired Kate Savelli as chief marketing officer. The move comes as the company continues to build nationwide momentum.

Habit Burger debuts in Humboldt County with Eureka opening

May 20, 2026

Habit Burger & Grill, part of Yum! Brands' portfolio, has expanded into Humboldt County, California, with the opening of a Eureka restaurant.

What Every Multi-Location Business Needs to Know About Team Communication

Here's what every multi-location business needs to know about getting team communication right at scale.

Shake Shack names Michelle Hook chief financial officer

May 7, 2026

Shake Shack Inc. has named former Portillo’s and Domino’s executive Michelle Hook as its CFO to lead financial operations and support the brand's 1,500-unit…

6 Signs Your Restaurant Team Communication Is Out of Control

If any of these signs sound familiar, it’s worth seriously rethinking how your team communication is set up.

The Power of One leadership team: Building a Founder’s leadership team for success

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

May 4, 2026

To scale a business successfully, a founder must transition from being the organization’s primary bottleneck to building a high-level Power of One leadership…

How One Restaurant Fixed Its Team Communication Chaos (And What Every Operator Can Learn From It)

Most restaurants are losing data, burning out staff, and starting from scratch every time someone leaves. Here's how one multi-location BBQ restaurant fixed…

Freddy’s boosts development team to drive growth

April 28, 2026

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has expanded its development team, hiring Rafik Farouk as vice president of business development and Jackie Lobdell…

Taco John’s hires Ian Poole as VP of development to fuel growth

April 24, 2026

Taco John's has named industry veteran Ian Poole vice president of development. Poole will focus on franchisee support, onboarding, real estate and…

Kayla Edidin named COO of Red Door Brands

April 21, 2026

Kayla Edidin has been named chief operating officer of Red Door Brands, a franchise company that owns and operates brands including McAlister's Deli, Little…

The Complete Guide to Team Communication for Restaurant Franchise Owners

Running a restaurant franchise on texts and group chats is messier and riskier than you'd think. Here is a complete guide to improving and organizing team…

7 strategies for creating high-performing culture, building a winning team

by Jim Knight — Founder & CEO, Knight Speaker

Building a high-performing culture isn't an accident — it's an intentional leadership strategy that prioritizes purpose, trust and empowerment to transform a…

Best Team Chat Apps for Multi-Location Restaurants in 2026

Managing team communication across multiple restaurant locations is challenging, and cannot be done properly on text threads and huge group chats. Compare the…

GoTo Foods beefs up leadership team with digital, developmental additions

April 15, 2026

GoTo Foods has added two executives to its team, naming Biplav Misra as chief digital officer and Tatiana Lambert as chief development officer.

John Montgomery returns as MAD Greens CEO amid menu overhaul

April 13, 2026

Salad Collective has rehired John Montgomery as CEO of MAD Greens, bringing back the former president as it revamps its menu.

Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike's Red Tacos, HigherMe experts discuss recruitment, retention

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Industry experts at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit emphasized that sustainable restaurant profitability and successful scaling depend on…

Yum Brands appoints former Marriott International CFO to Board

April 6, 2026

Yum Brands Inc. has appointed of Kathleen "Leeny" K. Oberg to its Board of Directors. Oberg, the former chief financial officer and executive vice president of…

Ziggi’s Coffee pours it on with Spicer, Hamm hires

April 3, 2026

Ziggi's Coffee, headquartered in Longmont, Colorado, has hired restaurant veterans Darren Spicer and Betsy Hamm to help fuel the brand's ongoing expansion.

Starbucks revamps partner incentives: 3 lessons for the fast casual industry

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

The initiative, part of the company’s "Back to Starbucks" transformation, introduces quarterly bonuses, expanded digital tipping, and a transition to weekly…

Michael Dixon joins Zaxbys as chief financial officer

March 31, 2026

Zaxbys has appointed Michael Dixon as chief financial officer.