Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike's Red Tacos, HigherMe experts discuss recruitment, retention

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Industry experts at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit emphasized that sustainable restaurant profitability and successful scaling depend on…

Little Caesars VP of franchise development talks brand growth, solid operations

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Podcast host Mandy Detwiler talks to Bryan Ketelhut, VP of franchise and business development for Little Caesars.

Bango: From a 300-square-foot acai shop to leading a 'Better for You' movement

On this episode of the Founderology — Built to Breakthrough podcast, I talk with Ryan Thorman, Founder and CEO of Bango and a contributor to the Founderology…

How Flying Dolly’s is cooling down the Gulf Coast

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Flying Dolly’s is a community-focused boutique creamery that pairs nostalgic, artisanal ice cream with authentic New Orleans-style snoballs, leveraging a…

McDonald's adds under $3 menu, $4 breakfast meal starting April 21

April 2, 2026

McDonald's will expand its McValue menu starting April 21, adding a tier of items priced under $3 and a new breakfast meal deal at participating U.S.

Synergy in a slice: Inside the dual-concept model driving Hungry Howie’s Texas expansion

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Entrepreneur Jay Dhaliwal is leveraging a high-traffic "one-stop-shop" model in Fort Worth by operating a lean Hungry Howie’s franchise within a co-branded gas…

Nestlé: Co-creating the future of breakfast

Building a global insight community for the largest food and beverage company in the world

Presented by Service Management Group

The due diligence gap: Five questions every franchise buyer should be asking

by Amanda Duplantis — President, FranNet

Buying a franchise is often described as "being in business for yourself, but not by yourself." It's an exciting prospect, trading the corporate ladder for an…

Team Communication for Restaurant Staff: A Better Alternative to Group Texts

Group texts aren't built for restaurant teams. Here's why food service businesses are switching to dedicated team communication apps, and what to look for.

Cicis Pizza takes No. 1 spot on Pizza Marketplace's 2026 Top 100 Movers & Shakers list

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Cicis Pizza took home the top honors as Pizza Marketplace's annual event in Las Vegas; Moto Pizza won a tech award from XRobotics and Pizza Nova's Domenic…

How to Choose a Team Chat App for Your Business

Choosing the right work chat app for your team requires asking the right questions. Let’s dive into how to decide which team chat is best for your needs.

The Team Communication Risk Report

Most restaurants don't think about their team communication risks until something goes wrong. This report shows you exactly what those risks are, and how to…

Presented by Zenzap

Hidden Profit Loss in Multi-Unit Restaurants

Multi-unit restaurant brands often lose profit not from major cost swings, but from small, inconsistent daily decisions across locations. This eBook reveals…

Presented by SynergySuite

Digital in the Drive-Thru: Designing Outdoor Experiences for QSR Brands

Digital menu boards at the drive-thru are no longer a luxury. In today’s competitive QSR landscape, they’ve become a requirement.

Presented by DSA Signage

How Juice It Up leads the modern beverage boom

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this podcast episode, Juice It Up CEO Susan Taylor discusses how the brand has maintained its leadership in the booming beverage franchise market by…

Fueling growth from 1 cup to 100+ locations

Brandon Knudsen, co-founder and CEO of Ziggi’s Coffee, shares critical advice on how he bootstrapped Ziggi's from a single coffee shop to more than 10…

The accidental franchisor: Eddie Flores Jr. kicks off Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit with candid look at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

March 17, 2026

Eddie Flores Jr. transitioned from real estate to become the franchisor of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, building a legacy based on the "aloha spirit" and family…

2025 tax season and OBBBA: What QSR operators need to know

by Tim Watt — Partner, Bennett Thrasher

Quick-service restaurant (QSR) operators must immediately update payroll systems and job classifications to handle the complex tracking and reporting…

The 4:30 am grind: How a cotton-field startup turned into an artisan pizza empire

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Joe Carlucci, founder and owner of Valentina's…

How 'low-hire, low-hire' puts QSR employee experience in the hot seat

by Michael Spataro — SVP, Alliances and Employee Value Solutions, Legion Technologies

To maintain true workforce stability and avoid stagnation in a "low-hire, low-fire" market, quick-service restaurants must prioritize the employee experience…