Goliath Consulting

FEBRUARY 8, 2025

He owns several fast-food franchises, including Krispy Kreme and Papa Johns, where he also serves on the board of directors. Additionally, he launched Big Chicken, a fast-casual concept that combines his love for comfort food with high-quality ingredients. Operational Excellence Efficiency at scale drives profitability.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JULY 21, 2025

Cheese debuts a new arcade concept for adults who want to be kids Emerging Brands Big Way brings a fast-casual take on hot pot This 13-unit chain from Canada recently opened its first U.S. Only this one is fast casual. There are no immediate plans to franchise, said Christiana Luo, Big Way’s chief brand officer and co-founder.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JULY 22, 2025

22, 2025 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Legacy Brands operates about one-third of the Friendly's system. Legacy Brands International operates more than 30 Friendly’s on the East Coast, or about a third of the chain. Kohli started at Friendly’s as a waiter at age 15 and began operating locations in 2009. “I Sign up here.

Franchising

Restaurant Business

JUNE 27, 2025

But learning how to make his wife a great bagel ended up creating a business, Jeff’s Bagel Run, which now has 15 locations and is franchising. Wetherill took on about 50% ownership and they launched JBR Franchise Co., to franchise the bagel brand. I made a bagel for my wife, because she asked me to,” he said. She’s on time.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JULY 22, 2025

" Now the structure is in place to accelerate expansion outside California, without franchising. Premium Financing Explaining Crumbls franchise profitability The Bottom Line: The dessert chain has updated its franchise documents to show a median per-store net profit far better than was initially reported.

Loyalty Program

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine asked restaurant industry experts for their views on what trends and challenges owners and operators can expect to see in 2025. So much data is generated at every point within a restaurant, whether fast casual or fine dining. For the first part, click here and for the second part, click here.

2025

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 16, 2025

The agency has grown from a one-woman operation to a team of nine with clients across the U.S. So when we develop a brand’s marketing strategy, we take into consideration operational factors.” for franchise concepts. Kitchen Operations : More streamlined, sustainable, and focused on quality over quantity.

Marketing

Restaurant Business

JUNE 13, 2025

The fast-food franchisor is asking a federal court to sign off on its decision to terminate Paradigm Investment Group’s franchise agreement. Starbucks’ latest gambit to improve operations? Private-equity firm Savory Fund made a major investment in casual-dining chain Hawkers Asian Street Food. By Heather Lalley on Jun.

Operations

Restaurant Business

JUNE 6, 2025

But it wasn’t quite so bad for fast-casual concepts , which outpaced other categories with 9% growth in 2024, according to Technomic. Fast-casual chicken chains, including Dave’s Hot Chicken, saw double-digit sales growth, while fast-casual pizza continued to falter. Segment leader Chipotle Mexican Grill rose to No.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JUNE 11, 2025

The restaurants tend to be community hubs, “a part of life” in the cities and towns where they operate, O’Reilly said. A rendering of Perkins Griddle & Go fast-casual concept. Simultaneously, the company also created a fast-casual version of Perkins called Griddle & Go, another nod to younger, on-the-go customers.

Fast Casual

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

In a statement, the owner and operator of 39 domestic restaurants in the casual dining chain, says its expects to use the time and legal protections made available through the Chapter 11 restructuring process to allow the company to explore strategic alternatives in order to ensure the long-term viability of the brand. "The

2024

Restaurant Business

JUNE 17, 2025

Salad is rising as the next drive-thru concept The fast-casual Greenlane is plotting growth across Florida with investor and NFL star Rob Gronkowski working the drive-thru window. But Tampa-based Greenlane is among a growing number of fast-casual concepts making freshly prepared salads a drive-thru option. By Lisa Jennings on Jun.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JULY 21, 2025

Fitzpatrick is taking over for Carrie Walsh, who has operated as interim chief executive since the retirement of John Chidsey in December. The private-equity firm owns a controlling stake in Fitzpatrick’s former company Driven Brands, which owns auto repair franchises like Maaco, Meineke and other brands. system sales declined 3.8%

Loyalty Program

Restaurant Business

JULY 29, 2025

Our goal was to create made-to-order meals that won’t break the bank but keep the freshness and consistency we’re known for,” said Fred Slater, director of R&D and executive chef of the 102-unit fast casual. Now he's readying the three-unit concept for franchise growth, saying this is how younger diners want to eat.

Menu

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 10, 2024

What can operators do to address this problem? Investing in employee education can yield substantial returns for QSR owners and operators. Consider a large Mexican fast-casual chain that implemented a tuition coverage program for employees pursuing degrees in fields like agriculture, culinary arts, and hospitality.

Education

Restaurant Business

JUNE 18, 2025

The New Jersey-based fast-casual chain has been acquired by private-equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partners, the company announced Wednesday. Bubbakoo’s started franchising in 2015, and the chain has grown into 15 states, mostly on the East Coast and Midwest. By Lisa Jennings on Jun. By Lisa Jennings on Jun. Sign up here.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JUNE 6, 2025

Formerly with Yum Brands, Davenport worked with Pizza Hut for more than nine years, including as managing director for global franchise markets and managing director for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. As Mooyah’s president, he is tasked with leading the chain into its next stage of franchise growth. and Hardee’s.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JUNE 25, 2025

Nikka brings a wealth of experience in finance, strategy and operations that will prove invaluable as we create the blueprint to scale and grow Panera for the future.” Fast-casual Panera Bread has been going through significant change over the past two years, with multiple board and leadership changes. By Lisa Jennings on Jun.

Leadership

Lavu

JUNE 20, 2025

From AI-driven ordering systems to smart inventory tools and contactless dining experiences, today’s innovations are reshaping how restaurants operate, serve customers, and stay competitive. Several franchise restaurants are already using them. These innovations are reshaping how restaurants operate, communicate, and grow.

Technology

SpotOn

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

Now, as a copywriter at SpotOn, he helps restaurant owners and managers learn how to run a more profitable operation. Direct operating expenses. If you're a fast-casual place and only offer a couple of alcoholic beverages, then "alcohol" should be enough. This can also be referred to as operating costs.

License

Restaurant Business

JULY 25, 2025

Meanwhile, dine-in visits have increased in fast-casual and fast-food restaurants, while takeout and drive-in orders are down. Operators can capitalize on this trend by encouraging add-ons and unique beverages to compete with the growing number of specialty coffee and tea concepts. By Patricia Cobe on Jul.

Mobile Ordering

Restaurant Business

JUNE 12, 2025

Coco says its bots are faster than human delivery people and cost less for restaurants to use, though it did not say just how much operators can save. News technology delivery finance Joe Guszkowski is a senior editor with Restaurant Business covering technology and casual-dining chains. And customers don’t have to tip. Sign up here.

Delivery

Restaurant Business

JUNE 11, 2025

and Canada, Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven also operates and franchises Speedway and Stripes stores, as well as Laredo Taco Company and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits restaurants. The c-store chain is also selling any variety of Red Bull for three for $8, for a limited time. With more than 13,000 stores in the U.S.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JUNE 5, 2025

Bickelhaupt was a guest on the Menu Talk podcast by Restaurant Business last year, and he spoke about his former struggles with sobriety and operating the concept with his wife, who was also sommelier. He previously was arrested in Chicago after reportedly attacking his ex-wife. Members help make our journalism possible. Sign up here.

Fast Casual

Lavu

MAY 9, 2025

From real-time inventory tracking to mobile ordering and multi-location management, the right POS helps restaurants grow faster and operate more efficiently. Built for ambitious restaurateurs, Lavu combines powerful tools with user-friendly design to simplify operations and boost profitability. Thats where Lavu leads the way.

POS

Qu

MARCH 28, 2025

Restaurants are no longer merely adopting technology; they’re driving transformative changes that will redefine customer experiences and operational efficiency across industries. Imagine a world where many of the restaurant operations done manually today can become automated background actions, solving issues before theyre ever noticed.

Fast Casual

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 11, 2025

"As awful as it was, the pandemic pushed restaurants to completely rethink their operations in order to survive, and some of the changes they made during the pandemic have continued to be beneficial to those restaurants and industry at large." The pandemic made speed, accuracy, and seamless ordering non-negotiable.

Mobile Ordering

Restaurant Business

JULY 29, 2025

Now Sheehan operates Northern Spy, a restaurant in the Boston suburb of Canton, located in a copper rolling mill first opened by Paul Revere. Now he's readying the three-unit concept for franchise growth, saying this is how younger diners want to eat.

Leadership

Restaurant Business

JULY 25, 2025

David Wheeler, Bonchon Korean fried chicken chain Bonchon announced two new additions to its development team to double down on franchise expansion. McIntyre is a classically trained chef with deep experience in both menu development and operations. Other brands are winning with new, more sustainable business models.

Leadership

Restaurant Business

JUNE 5, 2025

On Thursday, the casual-dining chain promoted Lyle Tick, its president and chief concept officer, to the top job. His early moves have included simplifying the chain’s menu and operations and upgrading some core items, such as pizza. By Joe Guszkowski on Jun. traffic increase to start this year. Sign up here.

Leadership

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 24, 2025

Learn about the rapid growth of Ron''s Mac Bar and how the brand uses viral marketing and a business model that prioritizes efficiency and customer experience in this video from the team at UpFlip.

Serving

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 1, 2025

Among the insights: Inflation: Food inflation is a top concern for 52 percent of operators with labor costs ranking a close second. Savvy operators have realized that cross-training team members and leveraging technology reduces labor costs and enhances the overall guest experience — a win-win across the board.” markets.

Pricing

Restaurant Business

JULY 18, 2025

Photo: Shutterstock Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is shrinking its corporate workforce as it prepares to operate fewer of its own restaurants. . Photo: Shutterstock Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is shrinking its corporate workforce as it prepares to operate fewer of its own restaurants. By Joe Guszkowski on Jul. Sign up here.

Fast Casual

Restaurant Business

JULY 24, 2025

With just one report, the fast-casual burrito chain lost its sense of invincibility. Almost every publicly traded fast-casual chain, outside of previously struggling Noodles, faced some sort of sales slowdown. By Jonathan Maze on Jul. Photo: Shutterstock. Chipotle’s stock was down 12% this year as it was.

Operations

Restaurant Business

JULY 1, 2025

Crawford joined Melting Pot in March 2020 as EVP of operations. He will replace longtime leader Bob Johnston, who began working at Melting Pot as a dishwasher at 14 and later bought the concept with his brothers, growing it into a national franchise. He has held various franchise and operations leadership roles.

Leadership

Restaurant Business

JULY 11, 2025

Now Cheek is back at Newk’s, which is part of the FSC Franchise Co. Jason Reader is the new chief operating officer for Davidson Hospitality Group in Atlanta. Chris Cheek has returned to Newk’s Eatery as chief development officer. Cheek served in the role from 2014 to 2019, before moving to Modern Market. and Burger King.

Leadership

Restaurant Clicks

APRIL 16, 2025

Philip’s has been family owned and operated since its beginnings in 1983. It’s casual but always has a crowd. It was also featured in the Rocky franchise movie Creed, giving it some extra Philly cred. It’s only three minutes from the Benjamin Franklin Museum and other exciting attractions.

Sourcing