Panda Express celebrates Lunar New Year with specialty campaign

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Panda Express, a 2,200-unit family-owned American Chinese brand, has created a specialty game just in time for the Lunar New Year. Kevin Holmes, executive…

How Chick’nCone’s Instagrammable product wows franchisees

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Chick'nCone combines the best of both worlds: sweet and salty. The concept thrives on social media and has gained an instant following, making it an attractive…

Roll-Em-Up Taquitos on a franchising fast track

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Roll-Em-Up Taquitos has three stores open, but 11 deals for 80 units in the works. With regional expansion plans, the company might just be coming to a center…

Fast casual leaders share inspirational insight, labor shortage strategy

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Four fast casual leaders offered up insight on overcoming challenges, from dealing with COVID shutdowns to the ongoing labor shortage, at the Fast Casual…

Southern Classic Chicken’s recipe for success: Longevity, pricing and big focus on taste

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Southern Classic Chicken has a "cult-like" following in Louisiana. Managing Director Tom O'Keefe explains how the company's taste profile and longevity have…

Panera Bread execs: We're not afraid of taking risks

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Eduardo Luz, chief brand and concept officer, and Rob Sopkin, SVP, chief development officer, at Panera Bread, shared the keynote at the Fast Casual Executive…

Franchise experts offer insight, best practices for attaining success

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Four franchise industry leaders shared tips, insight and best practices for achieving success as a franchise and franchisee at the 2021 Restaurant Franchising…

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice a ‘frozen force’ with explosive growth

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

With 200 franchise agreements across 70 different groups, and an additional 182 units awarded across six area representative territories, Jeremiah's Italian…

Focus Brands International leader talks success in the post-COVID world

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Focus Brands International President Beto Guajardo shared his insight, as well as personal and professional lessons in business growth, during his keynote…

Self-order kiosk complements QSR’s ‘store of the future’

Since installation, more than a third of Red Rooster's customer orders are placed at self-order kiosks, which have improved customer convenience and store…

Savory Restaurant Fund leader talks creating loyal customers, raving fans

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Alonso Castañeda, VP of brand development and strategy for the Savory Restaurant Fund, shared how the portfolio of brands is harnessing social listening and…

Quelling QSRs' labor pains: Why things must radically change

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

In this second of a two-part series on the restaurant industry labor crisis, restaurateurs and industry experts pinpoint the answers all feel are urgently…

Walmart embracing fast casuals, local services as store-based tenants

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

With the departure of McDonald's and Subway operators from within its storefronts, Walmart aims to fill in-store leased space with "relevant" tenants, ranging…

Money talks: A look into what private equity looks for

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Unprecedented change across any business, like that of the last year, tends to also trigger a flood of interest from investors. Such is the case with the fast…

Has food become secondary to foodservice?

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Being a restaurant customer today involves many considerations beyond just the food itself. In fact, at least one group of forecasters said the food is…

Free webinar: How restaurants can use AI to become more agile

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

In a pandemic-stricken restaurant environment, staying nimble means staying in business. And for QSRs, AI and machine learning is proving to be one of the best…

'The 10-year prototype is dead,' plus other 2021 QSR predictions

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Restaurant vendors give their takes on how quick-service operation is changing and what that means for restaurant leaders.

McDonald's chicken strategy: Not just a sandwich, an entire platform

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

When McDonald's officially starts selling its Crispy Chicken Sandwich in late February, it's not only responding to the pleas of franchisees over the last year…

Taco Bell, A&W CEOs among those sharing 2020 lessons learned

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Granted, there's not much to love, let alone like about 2020 in the restaurant universe or elsewhere. But under the heading of pain so often bringing gain, we…

The virtues of virtual kitchens, plus a few myths revealed

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Restaurateurs are popping out virtual brands today like candy from a Pez dispenser, leaving more than a few misconceptions about these concepts in their wake.