FastCasual — page 2

BLENDED Smoothie & Juice Bar will open its third store and second franchise location Oct.

Adam KlaersCourtesy of Cafe RioCafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican has appointed Adam Klaers as chief operating officer and promoted Julie Boyster to chief brand officer.

Early bird rates for the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit end Friday, Oct.

A slow weekend on the wires still brought a major-brand menu return, a new Colorado city for Mendocino Farms and growth moves from Luna Grill and The Big Greek Café.

Shipley Donuts grew its national footprint in the third quarter, signing franchise agreements for new locations in the Midwest, Southeast and Texas while celebrating its 90th anniversary.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii streamlines tech with one platform.

Sweetgreen has named John Karangis executive chef and senior vice president of culinary.

Chicken Salad Chick CFO discusses AI site selection and growth plans

Dirty soda brand Swig has signed a 14-unit franchise agreement with multi-unit franchisees Heather Berry and Brock Stokes, marking its expansion into the Southwest.

Mike's Red Tacos signs 36-unit development deal for Florida expansion

Functional beverages create new opportunities for juice and smoothie bars

Toast's survey of 702 restaurant workers revealed that raises and better benefits are landing, but pay, scheduling and managers still decide who stays.

Urban Bird Hot Chicken expanded its Texas footprint and signed franchise development agreements during the third quarter while introducing new programs to support restaurant operations and growth.

Pollo Campero has appointed Julio Sánchez CEO of its U.S. business, Campero USA Corp., effective immediately.

New York City-based Harlem Shake signed a master franchise agreement with Franchise India and FranIndia to develop 75 units across multiple markets in India.

Sweetgreen refreshed its housemade beverage lineup with two new flavors and updated recipes for two existing drinks.

Fast casuals can profit from dirty soda trend with simple recipes and pricing.

Fast casual sector grows 1.4% in 2027, outpacing overall restaurant growth.

Zaxbys has signed two franchise agreements with brothers Alan and Eddie Gant to bring the Atlanta-based chicken chain to Winona and Kosciusko, Mississippi.

Mike MacLennan, co-founder and co-CEO of Arc, a voice AI platform that helps restaurant operators measure and optimize the drive-thru, explains how to upsell at the drive-thru.

Shake Shack has the most loyal customer base among the nation's top burger chains, according to a study, from advertising platform Simpli.fi, offering fast casual operators a data-backed look at what it takes to keep guests coming back.

Test Link CONTINUE TO SITE » or wait 15 seconds Fast Casual Nation Nekter CTO reveals how to get more guests using AI to enhance customer experience Nékter Juice Bar CTO Jon Asher joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barr

United Franchise Group reported robust growth during the first half of 2026, adding 105 locations, signing 148 individual franchisee agreements and executing seven development agreements representing 19 future locations across its portfolio.

Sweetgreen posted the strongest fast-casual performance among major chains, with visits 5.9% above its typical weekly average.