Your Pie Debuts Streamlined Business Model to Drive Southeast Growth
Your Pie, the fast‑casual pizza chain founded in 2008, announced a streamlined business model to fuel expansion across the Southeast. The plan targets metro Atlanta, the Chattanooga‑Knoxville‑Nashville corridor, and Columbia, SC, leveraging smaller footprints, simplified kitchens, and off‑premise dining. The strategy aligns with Census data showing the South added nearly 1.8 million residents between 2023‑2024. Executives say the model focuses on the right markets for sustainable growth.
Chipotle's Q1 Earnings: Tech, Sauce Innovation Drive Transaction Growth
Chipotle Mexican Grill posted $3.1 billion in Q1 2026 revenue, shifting focus back to transaction growth despite a 17 % drop in adjusted EPS to $0.24. The company credited four pillars—efficiency upgrades, new sauces, gamified loyalty and catering—to the rebound. High‑efficiency kitchen...
Diving Deeper: Looking Beyond Sales for Improved Restaurant Marketing
The upcoming Restaurant Marketing Workshop in Boston (June 2‑3) will feature a panel of industry leaders discussing how QSRs and fast‑casual brands can move beyond sales‑only metrics. Speakers from Dave’s Hot Chicken, Bikky Inc., and Condado Tacos will share a framework...
Starbucks' Shine Is Back: 3 Lessons From the Brian Niccol Playbook
Starbucks posted a 9% revenue increase to $9.5 billion, marking the first quarter in eight where both top‑line and bottom‑line grew together. Global comparable store sales rose 6.2% and U.S. transactions climbed 4%, the strongest performance in three years. CEO Brian...
Piada Italian Street Food Eyes National Expansion with Capital Raise
Piada Italian Street Food, a 62‑unit fast‑casual chain, is pursuing a capital raise to scale from a regional player to more than 1,000 U.S. locations. Backed by L Catterton since 2013 and working with Arlington Capital Advisors, the brand points to...
How The Red Chickz Brought True Nashville Soul to the West Coast
The Red Chickz, a West Coast Nashville‑style hot‑chicken chain, opened its first Los Angeles location in 2018. Co‑founder Shawn Lalehzarian, a former HMS Host executive who helped launch over 50 airport restaurants, traveled to Nashville to learn authentic recipes from...
Rising Costs, Falling Margins: Why Restaurants Must Deploy Workflows, Not Just Robots
Restaurant operators face soaring food costs (+34%) and labor expenses (+39%) since the pandemic, tightening margins across the sector. To combat labor shortages and meet guest expectations, many are turning to robotics for repetitive front‑of‑house and back‑of‑house tasks. Kura Sushi,...
Swig Inks 25-Unit Deal to Bring 'Dirty Soda' To South Florida
Swig, the Utah‑based dirty soda chain, signed a franchise agreement to open 25 locations across South Florida, targeting Port St. Lucie, Palm Beach and Stuart, with the first store expected by the end of 2026. The deal is led by multi‑unit...
Built to Breakthrough: The Power of One Vision
Kathleen Wood’s latest piece expands the "Built to Breakthrough" playbook, urging restaurant founders to replace generic vision statements with a "Power of One Vision" that defines whether they are building a scalable company or merely adding locations. She outlines three...
Killer Burger Growing Texas Footprint
Killer Burger, the Portland‑based fast‑casual chain famed for bold toppings, opened its first Houston restaurant at 1909 Taylor St., marking its third Texas location after two San Antonio sites. The outlet is operated by a local franchise group and is...
Açaí Republic Selects Square Platform to Support Franchise Growth
California‑based Açaí Republic has chosen Square’s commerce platform to power its franchise network. The brand will deploy Square for Franchises, Register and Terminal across its 36 existing locations in Arizona, California, Florida and Hawaii, plus eight planned stores. Square’s open...
More than a Post: Turning Influencers Into Content Engines for Your Restaurant
At the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit, a panel of restaurant CMOs argued that influencer marketing is evolving from a peripheral tactic to a core content engine. They cited a $5,000 influencer video that outperformed traditional Meta ads and highlighted...
No Clicks Given: How to Get AI to Recommend Your Restaurant
The restaurant discovery landscape has shifted to AI‑generated answers, pushing traditional SEO links out of view. Google now delivers a concise paragraph that recommends eateries, creating a zero‑click environment. This change has birthed Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which focuses on...
How 1 Fast Casual Founder Aims to Build AI Bridge Between Wearables, Wellness
Summits Technologies has launched StarAI, an AI platform that translates wearable fitness data into personalized fast‑casual meals prepared in a 350‑square‑foot ghost kitchen in Venice Beach. The kitchen operates limited hours, offering dishes priced $13‑$30, and plans to boost output...
Rethinking Peak Performance in the Digital Restaurant Era
The white paper released on April 21, 2026 highlights how the surge in digital ordering, delivery aggregation, and personalized menu modifiers has turned traditional peak‑hour operations into a multi‑dimensional challenge for restaurants. Front‑line teams now juggle speed, accuracy, personalization, and...
Jersey Mike’s 'Confidentially' Files for IPO with $1B Target
Jersey Mike’s Subs has confidentially filed an S‑1 to pursue an initial public offering, targeting a $1 billion raise at a minimum $12 billion valuation. Backed by majority‑owner Blackstone, the company could debut as early as Q3 2026, positioning it among the top...
4 Places Where Your Catering Program Is Leaking Revenue
Catering can be a high‑margin growth engine for restaurants, but many programs lose money because they treat orders as one‑off transactions. Kelly Grogan outlines four revenue‑leak points—team alignment, customer follow‑up, product suitability, and partner reliability—and shows how a culture of...
Bread Zeppelin Challenges Panera with 'Salad Stuffer' Trade-In Offer
Dallas‑based Bread Zeppelin launched a limited‑time trade‑in promotion, giving a free Zeppelin sandwich to anyone who shows a Panera receipt for its new “Salad Stuffer.” The offer runs April 16‑22 at participating locations and highlights the fast‑casual sector’s growing appetite...
Starbucks Launches Beta ChatGPT Integration for Personalized Beverage Discovery
Starbucks has rolled out a beta version of its mobile app inside ChatGPT, allowing customers to discover drinks by describing their mood or uploading a photo. The AI‑driven tool translates abstract feelings like “warm and cozy” into curated beverage recommendations,...
ConverseNow, Deliverect Partner to Integrate Voice AI Into Restaurant Management
ConverseNow and Deliverett have forged a strategic partnership to embed ConverseNow’s generative Voice AI directly into Deliverect’s restaurant order‑management ecosystem. The integration funnels phone and drive‑thru orders alongside third‑party delivery and digital orders, aiming to cut friction, boost order accuracy...
Be Featured: Help Us Build the Ultimate Resource for Prospective Franchise Operators
The franchise industry is launching a new data‑centric initiative called “Fresh Off the Grill: New Franchise Opportunities for 2026.” It invites restaurant brands to submit detailed financial performance, technology stacks, and support infrastructure data for inclusion in a comprehensive report aimed...
The 177% Lift: How Condado Tacos Used Mystery, Gamification to Redefine the LTO
Condado Tacos turned a standard margarita promotion into a mystery‑flavored, gamified limited‑time offer called the *Mystery Marg*. Guests guessed the flavor via the brand’s app, generating nearly 2,000 entries and a year‑long free‑taco prize for five winners. The campaign delivered...
Toast Launches Integrated Drive-Thru Platform for Quick-Service Restaurant Chains
Toast introduced Toast Drive‑Thru, an integrated platform that unifies point‑of‑sale, digital menu boards, kitchen display and AI voice‑ordering for quick‑service restaurants. Targeting over 140,000 U.S. drive‑thru lanes, the solution streamlines order capture and reduces hardware fragmentation. Early adopters report faster...
Slice Factory Launches Wood-Fired Mexican Street Concept Leñasada
Slice Factory, the Chicago pizza franchise, launched Leñasada, a wood‑fired Mexican street‑food concept, inside its 8800 Grand Ave location. The 2,200‑sq‑ft co‑branded space offers tacos, burritos, quesadillas and bowls featuring wood‑fired proteins such as asada, chicken, al pastor and shrimp....
Chipotle Relaunches Loyalty Program to Capture Younger, Rewards-Driven Diners
Chipotle Mexican Grill has relaunched its loyalty program as “Rewards on Repeat,” targeting younger, rewards‑driven diners. The revamped scheme, now live in the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec), expands benefits for its 21 million members, including a one‑year point expiration, monthly...
Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike's Red Tacos, HigherMe Experts Discuss Recruitment, Retention
At the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit in San Diego, a panel of franchise leaders from Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike’s Red Tacos, and Edible Brands discussed how people, not technology, drive profitability. They emphasized rapid candidate communication—responding within 24 hours—to win...
Meet the Top 30 Movers & Shakers: Restaurant Marketing
FastCasual.com’s publisher Cherryh Cansler announced the 2026 Restaurant Marketing Top 30 Movers & Shakers, to be honored at a Boston workshop June 2‑3. The honorees span chains from Wing Shack to Velvet Taco and showcase how data‑driven loyalty engines, AI‑powered insights, and...
Little Caesars VP of Franchise Development Talks Brand Growth, Solid Operations
Little Caesars’ vice president of franchise and business development, Bryan Ketelhut, discussed the brand’s growth strategy on the Pizza Marketplace Podcast. He highlighted the company’s long‑standing focus on value, quality and convenience, anchored by the Hot‑N‑Ready model launched more than...
Resilient but Restless: Fast Casuals Outpace Industry as 2026 Competition Heats Up
Fast‑casual restaurants outperformed other dining segments in 2025, posting a 3% traffic gain in the U.S. and a 0.8% global increase despite inflation and cautious consumer spending. Growth stemmed mainly from brand expansion and higher‑quality menu offerings, while average visits...
Bango: From a 300-Square-Foot Acai Shop to Leading a 'Better for You' Movement
Ryan Thorman turned a 300‑square‑foot açaí shop into Bango, a "better‑for‑you" food franchise now operating ten locations with two more under construction. The company is shifting to a franchise model that’s gaining traction along the East Coast. Thorman attributes the breakthrough...
Gregorys Coffee Partners with Craveworthy to Perk Interest in Franchises
Gregorys Coffee has teamed with Craveworthy Brands to launch a franchise drive for its specialty coffee concept. The partnership will host a series of open‑house events from April 7 to April 9 in Washington, D.C., Old Bridge and Paramus, New Jersey,...
Playa Bowls Launches 1st Canadian Location
Playa Bowls, the superfruit bowl chain based in New Jersey, opened its first Canadian restaurant in downtown Toronto on April 6, 2026. The 1,700‑square‑foot store is located in The Well mixed‑use development at 486 Front St. West, under a master...
Turn up the Volume: How to Use Storytelling to Build an Unstoppable Company Culture
Jim Knight argues that storytelling is the missing ingredient for turning a good company into an unforgettable one. By framing values, vision, and lessons as narratives, leaders can make culture emotionally resonant and up to 22 times more memorable than raw...
Starbucks Revamps Partner Incentives: 3 Lessons for the Fast Casual Industry
Starbucks is rolling out a new partner incentive program that adds quarterly micro‑bonuses, expands digital tipping, and shifts hourly staff to weekly pay. Baristas can earn up to $1,200 a year by meeting sales and service targets, while digital tip...
Shake Shack Launches Digital Overhaul to Fuel 1,500-Unit Expansion
Shake Shack announced Project Catalyst, a multiyear digital overhaul aimed at supporting a 1,500‑unit expansion. The initiative partners with commerce platform Qu to replace POS and kitchen displays with edge‑computing technology, while embedding AI‑driven operational insights across its restaurants. A...
Prince St. Pizza Partners with Dave’s Hot Chicken Franchisee for National Expansion
Prince St. Pizza has teamed up with Lawrence Kourie, the founder and largest franchisee of Dave’s Hot Chicken, to launch a national expansion of its Sicilian‑style square pies. Kourie will use his multi‑state operations and disciplined franchising approach to open...
FastCasual Opens Nominations for 2026 'Perfect Pitch'
FastCasual has opened nominations for its 12th‑annual Perfect Pitch competition, inviting emerging fast‑casual brands to pitch for a national spotlight. Entrants have until June 8, 2026 to apply, and the live showdown will run Oct. 4‑6 at the Fast Casual Executive Summit in...
'Don't Go Viral without This System:' Keynote to Reveal Growth Framework at Restaurant Marketing Workshop
The Restaurant Marketing Workshop returns to Boston June 2‑3, 2026, featuring a keynote by Salad House CMO David “Rev” Ciancio titled “Don’t Go Viral Without This System.” Ciancio will reveal the growth frameworks that brands like Dave’s Hot Chicken use to convert...
Shake Shack Breaks Into Top 50 US Restaurants by Consumer Spending
Shake Shack has entered the top 50 U.S. restaurant brands by consumer spending, according to Circana’s 2026 Definitive U.S. Restaurant Ranking Report. To qualify, a chain must exceed $1.41 billion in annual spend, a threshold Shake Shack just surpassed. The top...
How to Build a Thriving Company Culture that Inspires and Engages
The article explains how intentional company culture fuels productivity, talent attraction, and brand reputation. It cites research showing happy employees can be up to 13% more productive and outlines practical steps—like open communication, recognition, team‑building, inspiring workspaces, and work‑life balance—to...
Savor FM Launches Global Syndication Network for Foodservice Podcasters
Savor FM has launched Federated Savor, a global syndication network that aggregates foodservice podcasts and digital media creators onto a single platform. The network instantly taps a combined audience of more than 500,000 subscribers across YouTube and podcast services, offering...
How Going Digital Helped Hawaiian Bros Increase Catering Revenue
Hawaiian Bros Island Grill turned post‑pandemic catering demand into a double‑digit revenue boost by adopting Lunchbox Technologies' digital ordering platform. The flat‑fee solution replaced commission‑based models, allowing the fast‑casual chain to scale group orders through its own channels. A redesigned,...
The Protein Pivot: How Customizable Fast Casuals Win without Reinventing the Menu
Fast‑casual operators are responding to a surge in protein‑focused dining by emphasizing customizable, build‑your‑own concepts rather than launching entirely new menu lines. Guests increasingly seek meals that match personal macro goals, keto or paleo regimes, and expect flexibility without sacrificing...
The Team Communication Risk Report
Zenzap released the Team Communication Risk Report, highlighting security blind spots when businesses rely on personal chat apps. The report outlines common threats such as harassment liability, GDPR violations, and former employees retaining access to group chats, and ranks each...
Digital in the Drive-Thru: Designing Outdoor Experiences for QSR Brands
The drive‑thru remains the dominant sales channel for quick‑service restaurants, accounting for over 70% of revenue before COVID‑19 and growing since the pandemic. Consumer expectations now prioritize speed, order accuracy, and a responsive experience. Digital signage is emerging as a...
How Juice It Up Leads the Modern Beverage Boom
Juice It Up CEO Susan Taylor told the Restaurant Operator Podcast that the brand’s focus on nutrition‑forward, customizable drinks has kept it at the forefront of the fast‑growing beverage franchise market. The company, which has sold cold‑pressed juices, smoothies, açaí bowls and...
How to Knock Down Blocks, Power up Your Pivot Points
Kathleen Wood outlines practical methods for founders to overcome four common blocks—control, trust, belief, and receiving—that hinder scaling at the pivotal moment when a business is too big to be small and too small to be big. She recommends documenting...
Bonchon Hires Blas Escarcega as Chief Development Officer
Bonchon, the Dallas‑based Korean fried chicken chain, has hired industry veteran Blas Escarcega as chief development officer to drive its U.S. expansion. Escarcega brings over 20 years of franchise development and real‑estate expertise and will oversee market planning, site selection,...
How San Pedro Fish Market Built a $30M Legacy
San Pedro Fish Market, a 70‑year‑old California seafood institution, turned a forced 2022 eviction into a $30 million revenue surge by relocating to a parking‑lot operation and later a container‑based kitchen. CEO Michael Ungaro leveraged digital storytelling, launching the reality series “Kings...
Fueling Growth From 1 Cup to 100+ Locations
Ziggi’s Coffee co‑founder Brandon Knudsen recounts how he grew the brand from a single shop to over 100 locations across 22 states. After a failed licensing experiment, he stress‑tested the franchise model himself before selling it, proving that solid systems...