Top Fast Casual News

PizzaRev, a new Los Angeles-based fast-casual artisanal pizza concept from music industry moguls Irv Zuckerman and Rodney Eckerman, is on track to expand across Los Angeles County in the coming months. The duo quietly opened PizzaRev Northridge in early April as an incubator “test kitchen” for the brand, and has watched the concept become a fast […]

Asian Box announces plans for two additional locations in the Bay Area in California, debuting in Mountain View this fall and Burlingame in early 2013. The fast-casual restaurant opened in spring 2012, bringing an authentic and fresh approach to the Asian street stall experience to Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village. Under the direction of […]

Fuddruckers, home of the "World's Greatest Hamburgers," announced the opening of the newest Puerto Rico location in Carolina.  Under the direction of franchisee Max Olivera of Puerto Rico-based Caribbean Investment Group, Corp., the restaurant serves as a relocation of the Fuddruckers previously located at Los Colobos Shopping Center. It also represents a dual-concept space for the franchisee with […]

There’s a new kid on the 3600 block of Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh! Hello Bistro, the latest Eat’n Park Hospitality Group restaurant, will celebrate the grand opening of its first location in Oakland on June 28. With a tagline of “Burgers. Salads. Together…” the restaurant offers the best of Eat’n Park in an urban, casual, […]

Old Carolina Barbecue Company (oldcarolina.com), a fast casual concept founded in 2006 by the owners of Ichor Restaurant Group, has signed its first area development agreement with Hospitality Partners, Incorporated. HPI committed to opening five Old Carolina units in the east side of Cleveland over the next three years.  "You have to love the food […]

Fast-casual chains strengthened their gains on the overall restaurant industry, with the top 150 fast-casual chains growing 8.4 percent to $21.5 billion in 2011, a faster rate than in 2010 (6.6 percent). In comparison, 2011 sales growth for the Top 500 U.S. chains was 3.5 percent. Total fast-casual units among the Fast Casual Top 150 increased […]

DTT Surveillance announced today a corporate partnership with Boston-based Fresh City. Fresh City, a fast casual eatery, operates 16 units throughout various parts of the Northeast, with plans to expand restaurant locations throughout the next year.  As a preferred partner, DTT will be providing Fresh City locations with surveillance technology, loss prevention audits, and a […]

Corner Bakery Cafe has signed an agreement with Yum & Chill Restaurant Group to bring 30 locations to Florida and New Jersey over the next five to seven years. Plans call for 20 cafes in New Jersey and 10 cafes in the Tampa/St. Petersburg market. The new restaurants will help boost the local economy in those states by […]

Bon Appétit Management Company today announced that its new SODO Kitchen at Starbucks Center is open to the public for breakfast and lunch.   Located on the third floor of Starbucks corporate headquarters at 2401 Utah Ave. S. in Seattle, SODO Kitchen, represents a long-awaited new dining option for locals in the city’s South of […]

Fazoli’s has debuted its first unit in a travel plaza, marking an additional venue for the popular premium Italian quick-service restaurant chain. Franchisee Par Mar Stores, a division of Par Mar Oil Co., has agreed to open two more Fazoli’s at other travel plazas in West Virginia and Ohio within the next two years. The […]

Yoshinoya America, Inc. announces the launch of Asiana Grill Yoshinoya, where customers experience a blast of exotic Asian flavors put together the way they like it. The new restaurant concept of fast-casual dining centers on the customer, who combines a rich selection of menu styles, sauces, proteins, and sides to create the perfect blend of Asian flavors. The Asiana Grill […]

After a year and a half of rebranding efforts and menu tweaks, the executive team leading Daphne’s California Greek is ready to franchise across the country. The 56-unit fast-casual concept, formally known as Daphne’s Greek Café, should succeed nationally because it satisfies consumers’ cravings for modern fast-casual brands and health-inspired food, says CEO Bill Trefethen. […]

Rod Silva, founder of Muscle Maker Grill, a chain of fast-casual eateries that serves “great food with your health in mind,” announces plans to grow the franchise system from 50 units to 100 units. The projected growth is attributed to an increasing number of current franchisees purchasing additional restaurants, and the chain’s efforts to expand […]

Pizza Fusion, a socially responsible restaurant chain, announced it will open a new restaurant in the Las Vegas area this spring. The new 1,800-square-foot Pizza Fusion will be located at 10345 South Eastern Avenue in Henderson, Nevada, in the Eastern Commons Shopping Center next to Trader Joe’s. Pizza Fusion offers dine-in, take out, delivery, and […]

Recognized for the first time, Zaxby’s has been ranked No. 7 in the Top 10 Excellent Large Fast-Food Chains with 500 or more U.S. units in the recently published Quick-Track study conducted by Sandelman & Associates in 2011. Ranked alongside chains like Starbucks and Panera Bread, 51 percent of Zaxby’s guests rated their overall experience […]

The custom sushi shop How Do You Roll? opened its 10th location today in Marina del Rey, California. The first of its kind, the fast-casual restaurant leads the sushi rebellion and has no plans to slow down. “We’re proud that we’ve achieved this milestone and can’t wait to continue,” says Yuen Yung, chief executive. “Our […]