Top Fast Casual News

It’s official: Chipotle is getting into the better-burger business. An AP report confirmed Thursday that Chipotle will open Tasty Made later this year in Lancaster, Ohio. The news comes a few months after rumors swirled that Chipotle was looking to get into the burger business and had trademarked the name “Better Burger.” Earlier this month, […]

The Chickery, the Toronto-based better chicken chain with locations in Toronto and Washington, D.C., has signed on a new franchise partner for 15 units in Northern California. The partner group is deeply rooted in the restaurant industry, with years of experience as operating partners for other franchised concepts. The Chickery’s original location in Toronto was founded […]

Many a fast casual has been catapulted to success by doing one (or two) things really well. For Chipotle it was build-your-own burritos; Shake Shack perfected the nostalgic burger-shake combo; and sweetgreen cornered salads. But Southern California concept The Stand is casting a wider net. Instead of concentrating on a single item or cuisine, the […]

Chipotle just can’t seem to right the ship. Yesterday the fast-casual leader released its estimated Q2 earnings and the results fell below industry expert predictions. According to The Wall Street Journal, chief financial officer Jack Hartung told investors that while most loyal customers have returned, they are not visiting the stores as frequently as they […]

Miami-based restaurant group Sliderz MG is partnering with Boca Raton, Florida, venture capitalists Benzion Aboud and Joe Randazza in securing $21 million in funding for Sliderz UL national expansion. Sliderz MG will have an exclusive management contract to operate the new locations. “This partnership will increase our national footprint much faster than we could have […]

Captain D’s is continuing a strong sales momentum in 2016, closing out the second quarter of the year with its 19th consecutive quarter of positive growth, generating a 3.1 percent system-wide same store sales increase. The leading fast-casual seafood restaurant chain is also experiencing a surge of new franchise and corporate growth.   “Our talented […]

Suji’s Korean Grill, a new fast-casual restaurant serving modern Korean food, has opened for business in Omaha, Nebraska, at Aksarben Center located at 1303 South 72nd Street. The restaurant is the first in a proposed chain under the Suji’s brand, which already is introducing Americans to prepared Korean meals, entrees, and sauces under the Suji’s Korean […]

Just Salad, the New York City–based salad brand, is using the new augmented reality app “Pokémon Go” to lure its customers into its Manhattan locations starting today. “We’re always looking for new and natural ways to connect with our customers. When we started finding rare Pokémon in our stores, we sent our team out to […]

Andre McCain is opening his first restaurant, HalfSmoke, in early August 2016. The 100-seat, 4,000 square-foot restaurant is located at 651 Florida Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. and will be the first of its kind. McCain is combining high-end finishes and top-of-the-line equipment befitting a fine dining restaurant for his “fun” casual concept. This includes two […]

Billy Sims BBQ, a leading barbecue franchise with more than 50 restaurants in six states, opened its fourth restaurant in the Detroit area and its first in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The restaurants are located at 31042 Gratiot Avenue in Roseville, Michigan, and 1812 S. 4th St. Chickasha, Oklahoma.  Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Billy Sims BBQ is the nation’s fastest growing fast-casual barbecue […]

Chipotle Mexican Grill released “A Love Story,” an original, animated short film that follows the story of two young entrepreneurs, Ivan and Evie, and the escalating rivalry that leads them to build competing fast food empires. “We are changing the way people think about and eat fast food,” says Mark Shambura, director of brand marketing at […]

Pei Wei, the fast-casual restaurant known for its bold flavors and Asian-inspired menu, announced its new summer menu. The seasonal menu features four colorful salads, including three new recipes and one updated take on a guest favorite, along with Honey Sriracha Wings. The new menu items include: ·      Thai Steak & Mango Salad, which features […]

Known for its wide variety of salads prepared with local, organic, made-in-house ingredients, Mixt, formally known as Mixt Greens, is expanding its footprint with its latest opening at 240 Kearny Street in San Francisco on July 6. This marks the eighth location for Mixt, with six locations in downtown San Francisco and two in Los […]

Chipotle announced two big moves in its ongoing quest to regain customers after food-safety scares late last year stalled the fast casual’s explosive growth. This week, the Denver-based burrito chain announced a new loyalty rewards program, as well as the addition of chorizo in select restaurants. The new rewards program, called Chiptopia Summer Rewards, will […]

Families might enter the restaurant business together, but it is rare for a concept to stay in the hands of relatives for multiple generations. It’s perhaps even more rare for a near century-old full-service restaurant to metamorphosize into a franchise-ready fast-casual brand. Beating both odds, Florida-based Louis Pappas Fresh Greek is, three generations later, still […]

Newk’s Eatery, the fast-casual restaurant known for its culinary-driven menu and open kitchens, is expanding to Central Florida, with plans to bring 10 to 12 corporate-owned locations to the Orlando area over the next five years. Construction is underway on the first Orlando-area restaurant in the Waterford Oaks shopping center, owned by BluRock Development, at […]

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced that it is adding chorizo, a spicy chicken and pork sausage, as a new menu item in select cities beginning today. Chipotle will introduce chorizo in its restaurants in Columbus, Ohio; New York City (in Manhattan locations); Sacramento, California; and San Diego, as well as at one restaurant in Denver and its Dulles International Airport location in the Washington, D.C. area. The company expects […]

&pizza is reintroducing the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza and Cherry Bomb Craft Soda for a limited time beginning on July 4. The Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza is the celebration of an American staple. With a choice of crusts, traditional, Ancient Grains, or gluten-free, the pizza features an all-beef burger patty, Ricotta cheese, Thousand Island dressing, a shredded […]

Cleveland-based PizzaFire, led by renowned franchise authority Sean Brauser, is positioning itself for explosive growth in 2016 and 2017. PizzaFire has signed a four-store franchise agreement in the Houston market and will have 20 units open throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio by the end of 2016. For Ohio, the fast-casual pizza concept has already signed deals […]

Chipotle Mexican Grill unveiled its Chiptopia Summer Rewards, a three-month-long promotion that begins July 1. From July through September, customers participating in Chiptopia can earn free rewards simply by eating at Chipotle. Chiptopia is not a typical rewards program. Rewards are not based on the total amount a customer spends, or on accumulating points. Instead, Chiptopia […]