&pizza CEO doubles down on franchising efforts, increasing growth

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

&pizza CEO Mike Burns discusses how the brand lost its identity, found it again and began franchising.

Haven Hot Chicken founders find room for Nashville hot chicken brand

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Haven Hot Chicken has gone from four stores to nine in just 10 months. Learn how the Connecticut-based brand is growing from its co-founders in our latest…

Beyond the burrito: How Taco John's 'People First' approach drives success

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Taco John's emphasizes a "Putting People First" philosophy to combat employee turnover by investing in its corporate leadership, supporting franchisees and…

How Via 313 Pizzeria Doubled Down on Guest Recovery and Operational Excellence With Ovation

Via 313 Pizzeria, a fast-growing Detroit-style pizza brand with 20+ locations, needed deeper insights into guest sentiment and a faster way to recover unhappy…

Presented by Ovation Up, Inc.

Guest retention key to restaurant profitability

April 7, 2025

Traditional methods for identifying issues affecting retention, such as delayed surveys with low response rates, potentially biased table visits, and…

Maximizing Guest Retention

Unfortunately, when it comes to identifying issues that affect guest retention, traditional survey methods in restaurants often fall short. So how can…

Presented by Ovation Up, Inc.

Ovation, Craveworthy Brands discuss guest feedback, cashing in on guest recovery

April 4, 2025

Ten lost customers. That's nearly $30,000 walking out the door, according to Zack Oates, founder of guest feedback program Ovation.

Mountain Mike's Pizza takes top honors at Pizza Marketplace's Top 100 Movers & Shakers 2025 event

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Mountain Mike's Pizza took home the top honor at Pizza Marketplace's top brand of 2025. Cicis Pizza won a special award from Xrobotics, and David McKillips was…

How to improve workplace safety for restaurant workers

by Yasmine Mustafa — CEO & Co-Founder, ROAR

Workplace safety should be as important as the food going out to customers.

How to master the art of guest recovery

March 19, 2025

Every dropped plate, every lukewarm dish, every forgotten reservation — it stings. You pour your heart into your restaurant, and when things go wrong, it feels…

Ovation, Paytronix team for post-transaction feedback, hospitality data insights

March 17, 2025

Guest engagement platform Paytronix has teamed up with guest experience platform Ovation to provide brands with deeper analysis and insights from customer…

Jollibee North America president says company is ready for next-level growth

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

At the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit in Myrtle Beach, Maribeth dela Cruz, president North America for QSR chicken brand Jollibee, said the brand…

Wisconsin's root beer baroness: How Deanne Wells' A&W Restaurants thrive in small towns

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Deanne Wells has six A&W units in smalls towns in Wisconsin. She's paving the way for small-town franchisees to live and work in their respective communities.

Revolutionizing Kiosk Maintenance: Setting the Standard for Being Successful in the Kiosk Industry!

Discover market disrupting leadership driving the kiosk service and support industry, equip your business with the critical armor for service success, and…

Lion's Choice CEO offers secrets to brand's success

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Lion's Choice CEO Fred Burmer offers secrets to the brand's operations and cooking up delicious roast beef sandwiches.

5 key steps to getting started as a franchisee

by George Tinsley Sr. — Co-founder, vice president, and managing partner of Tinsley Family Concessions, Inc., Tinsley Family Concessions, Inc.

Succeeding as a restaurant franchisee requires careful planning, including location selection, thorough training, hands-on management, resilience and strong…

Krystal building on legacy with new prototype

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Krystal is building on its legacy by remodeling six restaurants in Georgia with the brand's new prototype designed to bring in new and returning customers.

Stoner's Pizza Joint CEO talks economy, that kitschy name

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Stoner's Pizza Joint CEO John Stetson talks to podcast host Mandy Detwiler about weathering the economy, competing in a saturated market and that eponymous…

Clutch Coffee co-founder offers secrets to competing in saturated market

Restaurant Operator Podcast host Mandy Detwiler learns secrets to competing in a saturated coffee market with Darren Spicer, co-founder of Clutch Coffee.

Convenience, consistency, connection: Keys to restaurant profit revealed

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Restaurant operators will learn how to improve profits through the guest experience at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Myrtle Beach, South…