The Big Dilla: How Maggie Gordon, co-founder of Dilla’s Quesadillas, built a new brand category

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

On this episode of “Built to Breakthrough,” I talk with Maggie Gordon, co-Founder of Dillas Quesadillas. Since opening in Plano, Texas, in 2013, Maggie and her…

Flippy Can Now See in 3D: Miso Robotics Debuts Next Generation Robot Vision Live at LA Tech Week

Leveraging Miso’s unique collaboration with NVIDIA, Flippy’s new 3D vision reacts to its environment in real time and enables visual training for the famous…

State of the Industry: Fast Casual 2026 and Beyond

Explore growth forecasts, operator profitability and pricing pressures, leading brands, menu and LTO trends, and consumer demand for value and innovation—all…

Presented by Datassential, Inc.

Restaurant food costs face uneven pressure in 2027 as inflation accelerates

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

Rising gasoline prices are adding to inflationary pressures, while ArrowStream forecasts sharply different commodity costs across restaurant segments, with…

Chester’s Chicken launches Express model for smaller-footprint locations

October 8, 2026

Chester's Chicken has introduced Chester's Express, a new grab-and-go format designed to help operators with limited kitchen space serve the brand's signature…

Uber’s ezCater deal puts catering growth, margins and customer loyalty in focus

by Richard Slawsky — Editor, Connect Media

Uber's agreement to buy ezCater could put workplace catering in front of a much larger audience. For restaurant operators, however, the announcement raises a…

McDonald’s sued over AI-powered menu pricing system

October 6, 2026

McDonald's is facing a proposed nationwide class-action lawsuit alleging the fast-food giant violated U.S. antitrust law by using an AI-powered system to…

Five Ways Multi-Unit Operators Can Cut Kitchen Equipment Costs

by Vijay Sood — Executive Vice President of Corporate Accounts, TriMark USA

As restaurant margins tighten, operators are looking for every opportunity to control costs. Food and labor get the most scrutiny – and for good reason, since…

Bloomin’ leadership lessons with Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

Outback Steakhouse co-Founder Tim Gannon shares how with only $37, a ripped-up $1 million check and two great partners, a legendary brand was built and the…

FCES keynote: To go far, go together

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

Chicken Salad Chick’s story shows that scaling successfully isn’t necessarily about moving faster or constantly reinventing the brand. It’s about knowing what…

Budget-conscious diners turn to QSRs as spending shifts

October 1, 2026

A new Popmenu study found 67% of U.S. consumers are spending less at restaurants than they did last year, while 60% are dining out less frequently. Average…

Is Chick-fil-A outgrowing the mall format it helped pioneer?

October 1, 2026

Chick-fil-A built its early success in mall food courts, but a string of longtime mall closures suggests the chain's restaurant strategy is evolving. According…

FAT Brands rebranding as OHG

September 30, 2026

FAT Brands is now called OHG (Original. Honest. Good.) following its acquisition by FBG Bid Co., in June 2026, marking a fresh start after the multi-brand…

Life, leadership and restaurants: ‘Ted Lasso’ strikes again

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

* Please note, this post does contain spoilers for the Ted Lasso episode, "Mae Rides the Bus."

In-N-Out tops restaurant brands in ChangeUp’s 2026 Experience Report

September 29, 2026

In-N-Out has been named the top restaurant brand for customer experience for the second consecutive year in ChangeUp's 2026 Experience Report, with Texas…

5 site selection lessons Dairy Queen uses to drive smarter QSR growth

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Dairy Queen’s Tara Fried Vigil shared why using AI-driven data, boots-on-the-ground research and a realistic look at municipal timelines should shape a QSR’s…

Square integrates Apple Business to boost restaurant visibility on Apple Maps

September 24, 2026

Square has launched a new integration with Apple Business, allowing restaurant operators and other local businesses to manage their presence across Apple Maps…

Perfect Pitch winner TAP joins 9 brands in 2026 'Fast Casual Frontrunners'

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

There are plenty of restaurant brands trying to be the next big thing, but discovering those that could actually shape where fast casual goes next is a…

Major Wendy’s franchisee Meritage Hospitality files for Chapter 11

September 23, 2026

Meritage Hospitality Group, one of the nation's largest Wendy's franchise operators, has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it seeks to…

McDonald's commits $8.5B to restaurant modernization

September 23, 2026

McDonald's has unveiled its McDonald's > NEXT strategy, first announced in June, outlining new growth and productivity targets aimed at increasing customer…