Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 9, 2025

After successfully opening a second location in Kernersville, NC, and planning for a third one, the fast-casual gourmet slider brand has started franchising and plans to grow strategically in the Southeast region. Most recently, he co-founded Sammy's Sliders with chef Sammy Gianopoulos.

Loyalty Program 251

Loyalty Program Franchise Franchising Fast Casual 251

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 31, 2024

Fast Food Flavor Report Fast food brands and restaurants are scratching their heads trying to figure out what flavors are a bonafide trend and which are just a fleeting fad. Expect to see functional plants like burdock, angelica, and osha root popping up more frequently, adding a fresh, innovative twist to dishes.

2025 450

2025 Beverage Fine Dining Guest Recovery 450

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 18, 2022

If you’re involved in any aspect of the Fast Casual category, you don’t need me to tell you that labor and distribution issues are real. From operations to customer service, you need to invest in your staff. Your staff and customers will make or break your business.

Fast Casual 493

Fast Casual Supplies Casual Franchise 493

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 18, 2020

Over the past several months we have seen customers modify their business models to accommodate restrictions and consumer preferences. Customers can simply pre-order online and pick up their goods. Expanding a traditional restaurant model to include new innovations requires focus and attention on daily business metrics.

Supplies 474

Supplies Innovation Food Supply Loyalty Program 474

EATER

OCTOBER 5, 2020

But such is the world of giant quick-service and fast-casual business : Find interesting, “trendy,” flavorful ideas from any culture, dilute them into their most mass-marketable forms, and reap monetary gain without acknowledging the sources. To light the way , a new wave of fast casuals is actively changing the status quo.

Fast Casual 360

Fast Casual Casual Food Order 2018 360

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 15, 2025

For Cody Pepper, CEO of Fast Fresh Brands, iit led him on a mission to make healthy eating accessible to everyone. This experience ignited a fire in him, leading him to leave a successful career in nonprofit and consulting to helm Fast Fresh, parent company of Bee Healthy Cafe and Nature's Table.

Fast Casual 221

Fast Casual Food Franchise Franchising 221

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 30, 2024

In a recent report shared by TouchBistro on the State of the Restaurant Industry for 2025, data provides key insights into a year marked by both significant hurdles and notable resilience for the restaurant franchising industry and quick-service restaurant (QSR) operators.

Loyalty Program 251

Loyalty Program Franchise Franchising 2025 251

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 30, 2025

In recent years, consumer behaviors have drastically changed to now preferring delivery services and an increased willingness to pay a premium for a seamless experience. The data revealed that 60 percent of consumers surveyed prefer human staff versus AI-managed customer support, despite the potential for increased service efficiency.

Fast Casual 251

Fast Casual Food Point of Sale Mobile Ordering 251

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Technology innovations offer the potential to bridge the gap between the need to keep their business running and deliver quality products and experiences to their guests. At full-service restaurants, servers are responsible for crucial tasks. For fast-casual or QSR brands, digital tableside ordering is equally beneficial.

Technology 563

Technology Loyalty Program Fast Casual Email Marketing 563

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 22, 2025

How Design Technology Improves Space and Guest Experience Every square foot counts when redesigning a fast-casual eatery or a fine dining venue. 3D design technology allows operators to optimize their space for operational efficiency and customer comfort. Every day a restaurant is closed means lost revenue and customers.

Design 221

Design Technology Fine Dining Fast Casual 221

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 11, 2022

In particular, supply chain disruptions and staffing shortages – whether due to resignations or illness – are forcing quick service and fast casual restaurants to adapt quickly to changing conditions. Increased Emphasis on Online Ordering. Former competitors are now part of the same umbrella company.

2022 520

2022 Marketing Fast Casual Mobile Ordering 520

Restaurant Business

APRIL 9, 2025

About 40% found that technology has improved customer satisfaction. Kiosks can also ease labor burdens if utilized as the primary tool for customer orders. A Technomic Ignite Consumer report found a significant increase in average checks at both quick service and fast casual establishments.

Take-out 192

Take-out Technology Fast Casual Inventory 192

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 29, 2021

. “We are seeing sign-on bonuses at fast food and fast casual locations, something never seen before in the industry. This has overarching impact on the ability of full service, most drastically affected by the pandemic to ever recover.” People were in between jobs or suddenly out of work. .”

Fast Casual 553

Fast Casual Hiring Online Ordering Front of House 553

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. Private-equity firm Savory Fund made a major investment in casual-dining chain Hawkers Asian Street Food. million last year, that’s more than double the next closest chain.

Operations 218

Operations Leadership 2025 Fast Casual 218

Restaurant Business

JUNE 11, 2025

And, like the rest of family dining, they have been losing customers. When we spoke to younger customers, we found that Perkins is just not as relevant,” said Ascent CEO James O’Reilly, who joined the company in 2023. It still features the chain’s signature bakery case, where customers can buy pies, cookies and other treats.

Fast Casual 180

Fast Casual Front of House Back of House Leadership 180

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 2, 2024

With products now cleared for consumer sale in both the United States and Singapore, the cultivated meat industry is moving from proof of concept and early-stage R&D to a focus on demonstrating scalability, sustainable unit economics, and consumer and customer demand.

2024 493

2024 Fast Casual Food Safety Insurance 493

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 1, 2020

As the novel coronavirus outbreak leads to state-mandated dining room closures, many food service franchisors are struggling to maintain business. CEO Michael Haith discusses the innovative strategies Teriyaki Madness is utilizing to deal with the current health crisis.

Technology 472

Technology Healthcare Social Media Mobile Ordering 472

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 30, 2023

Yet, threats to limited-service and full-service restaurants are still lurking behind the scenes. Full-service restaurants, for instance, are particularly subject to the effects of inflation—as consumers appear to shift some spending to limited-service establishments and QSRs to save food costs.

Technology 474

Technology Fast Casual Waste 2023 474

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 6, 2024

The experience agency, who designed new restaurant prototypes for clients such as Burger King, Panda Express and Panera Bread, surveyed consumers to gain a better understanding of the current customer journey and what guests value most about the restaurant experience, particularly at casual dining and fast casual restaurants.

Customer Experience 493

Customer Experience Fast Casual 2024 Dine-in 493

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 13, 2024

Some brands’ apps even track mobile-order customers’ location to help ensure their food is fresh, whether it’s a burger or a salad. Through geofencing, the apps can tell when a customer is close, alerting restaurant teams to have the order ready in time – neither too early nor too late. The top reasons?

Pricing 493

Pricing Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Service 493

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

This new year is a perfect time to begin shaping a long-term vision and identifying opportunities for growing your restaurant or food services business over the next ten years. The sheer market size of Gen Z and their discretionary spending dollars should make restaurants and food services businesses sit up and take notice.

Marketing 523

Marketing Social Media Fast Casual Influencer 523

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Restaurants will adopt mobile-first hardware architectures and API-connected software platforms that can be unified at every digital touchpoint, from order taking at POS or self-service, to food prep in smart kitchens, to service in-house, and finally delivery to in-restaurant tables or the customer’s front door.

Mobile Ordering 539

Mobile Ordering Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 539

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 31, 2025

The research found that businesses worldwide – particularly restaurants – intend to experiment more in 2025, especially with customer retention programs like loyalty, as they face the triple challenge of sustained high inflation, shrinking consumer wallets and the need to raise prices across the board.

Marketing 221

Marketing Loyalty Program 2024 2025 221

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 14, 2021

According to the National Restaurant Association’s State of the Industry report, 68 percent of customers say they are more likely to purchase takeout or delivery of food than they were before the pandemic. From there, restaurants can build processes and inject innovation into this framework. Growth of New Business Models.

2022 508

2022 Employee Relations Outdoor Fast Casual 508

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 13, 2021

Much has already been written about these changes, but our analysts suggest that the stickiness of these behaviors is a good indicator that a different kind of customer will arise out of the post-pandemic ashes. Staying nimble will allow operators to respond with value-oriented menus to meet their customers where they are.

2021 488

2021 Consumer Goods Fast Casual Loyalty Program 488

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 11, 2023

As restaurants work overtime to deal with soaring costs, ongoing labor shortages and growing economic uncertainty, many are pushing the limits of what used to be their competitive space to extend their brand and get in front of new potential customers. And why not? Why the immense rise?

Customer Service 474

Customer Service Fast Casual Sustainability Customer Experience 474

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 8, 2024

QSRs Shift Focus from Slow-Paced Dining to Swift, Transactional Experiences Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) are reimagining their dining spaces to prioritize speed, convenience, and personalization over traditional, slow-paced dining experiences. An issue that may arise from this in 2024 is data privacy.

2024 539

2024 Loyalty Program Cash Management Customer Experience 539

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. Thompson Street managing partner Bob Dunn described the 130-unit Bubbakoo’s as an “innovative and compelling brand that resonate with a broad and growing customer base.”

Fast Casual 158

Fast Casual Leadership Franchise Franchising 158

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

In a world reshaped by the pandemic, evolving labor markets, and shifts in consumer behaviors, restaurant owners are increasingly turning to technological innovations. Quick-Service Restaurants In the world of quick-service restaurants (QSRs), speed and efficiency have always been the hallmarks of success.

Fast Casual 294

Fast Casual Fine Dining Customer Service Customer Experience 294

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

Demand for restaurant services is often dictated by the economic health of a region. But there are also some areas where innovation is needed. This might mean weaving elements of fast-casual dining into your design. Service Expansion. Growing your restaurant business means being ready for a shifting market.

Fast Casual 395

Fast Casual Equipment Small Business Mobile Ordering 395

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 26, 2023

Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in particular thrived during the pandemic, largely due to drive through capabilities and technological innovation. Restaurants depending on this demographic need to retain these customers to keep the traffic coming in and keep their top lines growing. What are ways they can bring more people in?

2023 474

2023 Employee Relations Franchise Franchising 474

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2022

The technology space is still the “wild west” in the spirits realm, and it is likely that technology will continue to innovate, and inevitably consolidate, the playing field. Expand Customer Loyalty : This year, many restaurants didn’t necessarily see a drop in topline sales, but instead suffered drops in visit frequency.

2023 493

2023 Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Experience 493

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 30, 2021

We couldn’t think of anyone better than Tebow and his foundation to fulfill our dream of faithful community service.” Founded in 2006, Just Salad is the fast-casual restaurant industry’s leading proponent of zero-waste practices. ” Just Salad Completes Financing Round.

Franchise 508

Franchise Franchising Fast Casual Point of Sale 508

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 17, 2020

Execution will play a pivotal role in building customer trust and ensuring today's diners remain loyal." Both sides agreed that a negative take-out experience – ranging from a reduced menu to poor service – was a deal-breaker. Restaurants vs. delivery services. Can't touch this.

2020 493

2020 Mobile Ordering Loyalty Program Food Safety 493

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2022

As mentioned before, this expands the need for loyalty programs, and also demands an agile technology stack that can go where customers are, as well as bring customers in. The objective for restaurants is to create more engagement and stay top of mind with customers, including when they’re not hungry.

2023 419

2023 Loyalty Program Fast Casual Customer Experience 419

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2020

With restaurant dining rooms closing unexpectedly and inconsistently from market to market, the industry realized the ability to communicate frequently and rapidly to their customers is critical. The traditional media channels that brands have relied on, such as TV and radio, suddenly weren’t reaching their customers.

2020 450

2020 Online Ordering Customer Experience Point of Sale 450

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 15, 2020

Limited-service brands continue doing much better regarding sales growth year over year. Quick service has reached nine consecutive weeks of strong positive comp sales growth. Pace of recovery for fast casual brands has slowed down considerably, although results continue to be much better than for full-service restaurants.

2020 487

2020 Mobile Ordering Point of Sale Food Supply 487