As someone who has always been proud of the opportunities our industry has provided to women and minorities, I have been disappointed by the small number of women I have seen at industry conference

Last October, I attended an industry conference and saw Panera’s founder Ron Shaich moderate a panel of great industry leaders.

I am often asked what I think are the hottest or best fast-casual concepts. I think it’s important to tackle that question from the consumer perspective first.

Continued Commodity Pressures

Seven years ago, at the height of the Atkins craze, our sales were down especially at breakfast. Our amazing artisan breakfast pastries and breads stayed on the shelves.

While I have covered many aspects of operations and the fast-casual segment in past columns, the election season has prompted me to think about the big picture and our ind

In past columns, I have expressed both my disdain for most discounting at fast-casual restaurants and my general pessimism regarding the state of the U.S. economy.

The battle to hire and keep the best people starts with the first time you have contact with prospective employees.