70 years old and 'restarting': Shakey’s Pizza VP outlines fresh strategy for expansion

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, chats with Sonia Barajas-Najera, vice president of…

BOOK IT! is back at Pizza Hut for limited time

June 9, 2026

Pizza Hut has announced the launch of Hut Originals, a summer platform centered on the brand's history, food and fans, according to a press release.

Inside the tech stack: How Mattenga’s Pizzeria mastered SEO, 8-second reordering

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this podcast episode, Mattenga’s Pizzeria co-owner Enga Stanfield explains how partnering with owner.com and leveraging technology helped her independent…

Presented by Owner.com

De-risking the map: Why traditional site selection is failing modern restaurants

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Whether you're looking to scale your footprint, optimize existing markets or get a clearer picture of where your target customers are spending their time…

Built to Breakthrough: Creating CULTs of engagement

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

As the ultimate foundation of business greatness, a strong culture built on clarity, unity, leadership and team commitment serves as an un-duplicable…

1st Texas White Castle breaks ground, set to open in late 2026

June 5, 2026

White Castle has broken ground on its first restaurant in Texas, located at Grandscape in The Colony. The grand opening for the new location is expected in…

Krystal adopts operator-first playbook under restructured SPB leadership

June 5, 2026

Six months into his tenure, SPB Hospitality CEO G.J. Hart is sharpening the company's focus around an operator-first strategy that repositions QSR chain…

Onboarding at root of QSRs' turnover problem; here’s how to fix it

by Matt Umholtz — President & CRO, AllianceHCM

To combat the quick-service industry's costly 150% turnover rate, operators must replace clunky paperwork with a frictionless, digital onboarding process that…

Little Caesars partners with Amazon on Prime Day deal

June 3, 2026

Little Caesars is partnering with Amazon to give Prime members access to a $5 Classic or Cheese Pizza from June 15-26. The dates encompass Amazon's upcoming…

How best friends are building their pizza and brew empire

Joey Freis and Mitchell Millar bought a pizzeria at 21. Now they lead nine restaurants and are getting ready to scale Best Pizza & Brew towards its next…

McDonald's unveils 'Next'-gen plans for growth, productivity as competition increases

June 2, 2026

McDonald's is launching a new strategic initiative dubbed McDonald's > Next to drive its next phase of growth and counter a changing competitive landscape…

Navigating the tightest restaurant real estate market in 20 years

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Ebere Anokute, head of retail research for CBRE, during the ICSC real estate conference in Las Vegas, reveals the shifting dynamics of restaurant real estate…

Built to Breakthrough: Make your brand stand out by being outstanding

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

This installment of the Built to Breakthrough series explains that building a clear, consistent brand with a strong unique strategic position (USP) is…

Learn how Popmenu is reinventing restaurant marketing and menu technology

Popmenu can help bring your restaurant into the 21st century.

Presented by Popmenu

Part 2: Cool technology at the NRA Show 2026

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Editor Mandy Wolf Detwiler spent time in the tech pavilion at the NRA Show checking out the modern tech and wares the show had to offer.

Checkers & Rally's reopens Kenner, Louisiana restaurant

May 29, 2026

Checkers & Rally's has re-opened a restaurant in Kenner, Louisiana at 3102 Loyola Drive. It's owned and operated by franchisee Rakesh Kalotra and the…

What the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show Told Us About the Future of Restaurants

The 2026 National Restaurant Association Show made one thing clear: operators are no longer asking whether kitchen automation works. They are asking how fast…

Tim Hortons to build 80 units, renovate 400 in Canada

May 26, 2026

Tim Hortons restaurant owners and the corporate brand are investing $400 million Canadian dollars (US $289,498,000) into expanding and modernizing the coffee…

The Power of One System: Systematize your standards to scale

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To transition from a chaotic, founder-dependent business to a scalable enterprise, leaders must define, document and continuously improve a unified operating…

How CORE provides financial lifeline for food, beverage workers in crisis

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

This episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast features CORE’s Jill Chapman, who explains how the growing non-profit provides critical financial assistance to…

Presented by CORE