Fast Casual Executive Summit

Join top restaurant leaders at the 20th annual Fast Casual Executive Summit to tackle industry challenges, explore hot trends, and gain actionable insights - all while building valuable connections. #FCSummit will be held on Oct. 5-7 in Austin. Sign up ➡️ fastcasualsummit.com/registe…

📈🍽️💼 Q3 comparable sales increased 3%, driven by customer traffic, as CEO Charlie Morrison outlined the restaurant chain's strategy to grow transactions. fastcasual.com/articles/jers…

🌮👔📈 Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican has appointed Adam Klaers as chief operating officer and promoted Julie Boyster to chief brand officer. fastcasual.com/news/cafe-rio…

👔💰 Sweetgreen has introduced its Head Coach Incentive plan, allowing top-performing restaurant managers to potentially earn over $200,000 annually through salary, sales-based bonuses and company equity. fastcasual.com/news/sweetgre…

💰🥤 Savvy Sliders has launched a new value menu with items starting at $1.99, including a daily afternoon promotion featuring custard shakes. fastcasual.com/news/savvy-sl…

📱🍽️🚀 Tahini's is turning social media into a franchise growth strategy, with CMO Aly Hamam sharing how the 76-unit chain connects video content to sales and supports new operators. fastcasual.com/articles/forg…

🍩📍📈 Shipley Donuts expanded its national footprint in Q3, signing franchise agreements for new locations across the Midwest, Southeast and Texas while celebrating its 90th anniversary. fastcasual.com/news/shipley-…

🍽️📍📈 Restaurant industry updates include a major brand's returning menu item, Mendocino Farms expanding into another Colorado city, and growth initiatives from Luna Grill and The Big Greek Café. fastcasual.com/articles/week…

☕💻📈 Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is consolidating POS, ordering, payments, loyalty, labor and inventory into one platform as the franchise expands into new markets and formats. fastcasual.com/news/bad-ass-…

🍗📍📈 Urban Bird Hot Chicken expanded its Texas footprint in Q3, signing new franchise development agreements and launching programs to support restaurant operations and future growth. fastcasual.com/news/urban-bi…

📊👥 A Toast survey of 702 restaurant workers found that while raises and benefits are improving, pay, scheduling and management remain key factors influencing employee retention. fastcasual.com/blogs/5-thing…

🥤💰📈 Customized sodas can help restaurant operators drive traffic and boost profitability through simple recipes, strategic pricing and beverages designed to encourage repeat purchases. fastcasual.com/blogs/dirty-s…

🥗✨ Sweetgreen has refreshed its housemade beverage lineup, introducing two new flavors and updating the recipes of two existing drinks fastcasual.com/news/sweetgre…

🧀🎙️🚀 Dillas Quesadillas co-founder Maggie Gordon joins Built to Breakthrough to discuss growing the brand from one Texas restaurant in 2013 to 11 locations across Texas and Louisiana. fastcasual.com/podcasts/the-…

🍽️📊💰 Rising costs continue to challenge restaurant operators, with 85% citing food expenses as their top concern while median menu item prices increased 5% to $9.99 over the past year. fastcasual.com/blogs/report-…

🍗🎉📈 Dave's Hot Chicken opened its 500th restaurant Thursday in Phoenix, marking a milestone for the fast-casual chain that has added about 100 locations since reaching 400 units earlier this year. fastcasual.com/news/daves-ho…

🍽️🤝🌐 Deliverect has partnered with Yext to automatically synchronize live restaurant data across digital search channels, connecting its network of more than 80,000 locations in over 70 countries. fastcasual.com/news/delivere…

🥤📍🚀 Juice It Up! has opened a new location in Santa Fe Springs, California, expanding its Southern California footprint. fastcasual.com/news/juice-it…

🚀📈 Fork Hospitality co-founders Matt Bailey and John Brennan are aiming to open 50 locations within five years. fastcasual.com/articles/sunf…

🍔🏈🤝 Star Burger has partnered with University of Miami Athletics to become the official burger of the Miami Hurricanes for the 2026–2027 season, marking its first collegiate partnership. fastcasual.com/news/star-bur…

👔📈 Dillas Quesadillas has promoted Michael Mabry to chief operating officer, overseeing operations, marketing and franchise sales as the 11-unit brand aims to reach 50 locations by 2028. fastcasual.com/news/dillas-q…