Top Fast Casual News

California Tortilla is bringing the flavors of the Mediterranean stateside with the Mediterranean Bowl, a new menu option that’s available starting today for a limited time only. The Mediterranean Bowl features customer’s choice of grilled mesquite chicken or farm-fresh veggies, on a bed of romaine lettuce, pearl couscous, Israeli salad (tomato and cucumber), and hummus. It’s topped […]

Cousins Subs announced that it is implementing a large-scale rebranding initiative as part of its overall growth strategy. After 44 years in the sub-shop industry, Cousins Subs is rolling out a streamlined look and feel across all locations as it seeks to expand its footprint throughout the Midwest.This will be accomplished through a new in-store […]

Freebirds World Burrito, an Austin-based fast casual, is excited to announce the opening of its first Tennessee location in Nashville at 3800 Hillsboro Road in Green Hills. The restaurant, known for its fresh, made-to-order burritos, tacos, nachos, bowls, and salads and commitment to high-quality ingredients, will open its doors in Nashville late this summer. The […]

When Anamika Khanna cofounded Kasa Indian Eatery in San Francisco in 2008, she wanted to start a revolution: She wanted Americans to fall in love with Indian cuisine. But long before entering the fast-casual scene, Khanna held a deep passion for food. Growing up in a poorer neighborhood in London, Khanna loved to cook. “I […]

Aurify Brands, the New York–based hospitality company and developer of original, fast-casual concepts, is excited to announce the latest expansion of The Little Beet. On Wednesday, May 11, the healthful, ingredient-driven restaurant will open its fourth Manhattan location in the NoMad neighborhood at 1140 Broadway between 26th and 27th Streets. The seasonal protein and vegetable […]

Snap Kitchen, the one-stop healthy meal shop, is setting out to ignite a "Revolution in Not Cooking" with the launch of its new brand identity and advertising campaign. Rolling out across its 43 locations in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the new initiative reflects the company's vision of a world where healthy eating is […]

Fast-casual innovator Luna Grill is unveiling the latest iteration of its design and interior style with their first-ever Los Angeles County location in La Cañada Flintridge and two newest restaurants in San Diego County. The new spots will mark the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th restaurants for Luna Grill, currently offering fast casual Mediterranean fare with […]

When Chaia opened its doors in Georgetown last November, the seasonal, Mexican fast casual fit in so well it might have given the impression of simply poofing into existence. After all, Chaia shared the same neighborhood as the original Sweetgreen, as well as other rising stars like Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery and Chipotle’s ShopHouse […]

The Goddess and Grocer opens in Chicago’s bustling Andersonville neighborhood on May 14 at 5318 N. Clark Street. The Andersonville location menu includes Goddess’s signature salad bar, prepared foods, freshly made soups and salads, coffee, pastries, desserts, and more. A portion of May 14th proceeds to benefit the Andersonville’s Howard Brown Health Center, which is […]

For Fast Casual 2.0 Marination, the long-term vision has less to do with number of locations opened and more to do with community connection and education. It makes sense given that founders Roz Edison and Kamala Saxton were schoolteachers before starting their Korean-Hawaiian fusion concept in a food truck in 2009. Now the Marination family […]

This summer, Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches will open its first shop outside of Washington on Battery Street in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District. Set to make its debut September 2016, city dwellers can stop into the environmentally friendly shop for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. To commemorate the move, cofounders Ben Friedman […]

Inspired by the street food vendors of the Middle East, Farid Salloum, the chef and owner of Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen in South Baltimore, is opening a new concept in R. House this fall. ARBA’s authenticity is derived from its fusion of Old World and new-age Mediterranean foods. Meaning “four” in Arabic, ARBA’s focused menu will […]

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, the Southeast Asian restaurant created by Chipotle Mexican Grill, opened its newest restaurant in Los Angeles’ bustling Beverly Grove neighborhood on April 28. “ShopHouse brings the authentic and fresh flavors of Southeast Asia in a quick and convenient format to our customers, as we continue to expand our footprint in Los […]

Just Salad, the eco-friendly salad brand with 28 locations in New York, Chicago, Hong Kong, and Dubai, opened their second Chicago location at 120 W. Adams Street on Thursday, April 21. Just Salad will have five Chicago locations by the end of the year. “We saw over 500 Just Salad fans on Thursday,” says Just […]

Chipotle Mexican Grill reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, including comparable restaurant sales that decreased 29.7 percent over the first quarter of 2015. The chain’s first-ever quarterly loss comes after norovirus and E. coli outbreaks hit several stores across the country and significantly affected customer traffic. “As our sales are on a […]

Überrito announced the opening of its fourth Houston, Texas, location as part of a continued rebranding campaign that includes an expanded menu, new interior design concepts, and markets beyond Houston. The new restaurant, located at 7705 Westheimer Road, will kick off grand opening festivities on Cinco de Mayo, Thursday, May 5 with tastings, $5 burritos […]

When it comes to fast-casual pizza, the playing field is especially crowded. As brands try to gain market share by distinguishing themselves from the pack, one new concept has a special differentiator encoded in its DNA. Pizza Romana, which opened in the La Brea neighborhood of Los Angeles last summer, might be a fast casual, […]

Emeryville Public Market’s newest resident, Shiba Ramen, is bringing authentic, traditional Japanese ramen in a fast-casual setting to the Bay Area. The brainchild of two Harvard-trained Ph.D. chemists and husband and wife team, Jake Freed and Hiroko Nakamura, Shiba Ramen serves more than 250 bowls of scientifically flavorful ramen every day in its 400 square […]