Wetzel’s Pretzels opens Massachusetts location

October 19, 2026

Wetzel's Pretzels has opened a new bakery inside a Walmart Supercenter in Worcester, Massachusetts, marking its fourth location in the state and further…

Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery open co-branded location

October 12, 2026

Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery, both owned by OHG Brands, have opened a new co-branded location in Clarksville, Tennessee, continuing the…

Beyond the remodel: Subway's Blueprint signals a new era of restaurant design

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

As brands rethink their restaurant designs and layouts, smaller footprints and increased access to digital ordering reflect a push for greater convenience and…

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…

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…

TCBY, Mrs. Fields franchisee plans 15 new Southeast locations

September 16, 2026

Famous Brands International is expanding the footprint of TCBY and Mrs. Fields across the Southeast through an expanded development agreement with longtime…

The Invisible Injury: Maybe It’s Time to Fix the Most Dangerous Job in Restaurants - By Bruce Friedman

Restaurant kitchens quietly treat burns as normal. Bruce Friedman breaks down the data behind the fry station's injury rate, its cost to operators, and how…

Before Zaxby’s and Cane’s, there was Guthrie’s: Now, the pioneer is scaling.

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Guthrie’s, the pioneering 1965 brand that originated the quick-service chicken finger category, is leveraging its streamlined menu, highly guarded proprietary…

How Church’s Texas Chicken uses real estate discipline to drive franchise growth

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Church’s Texas Chicken is bucking the fast-food trend of large, expensive experiential builds by pivoting to a "simplify and amplify" strategy, utilizing…

Tord Olav Dønnum on the future of autonomous foodservice

by Richard Slawsky — Editor, Connect Media

Tord Olav Dønnum discusses how robotics, automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping foodservice operations and how autonomous kitchens can help…

The 'people-first' philosophy that turned a broke delivery driver into Domino’s largest U.S. franchisee

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Former delivery driver Brian Bailey scaled his Domino’s franchise from a single New Mexico location into a massive 160-store empire by maintaining a strict…

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…

Chaos to Consistency: The 2026 Guide to Building Bulletproof Restaurant Operations

Miso Robotics is transforming commercial kitchens with AI-powered automation that increases speed, consistency, and profitability. Through intelligent robotics…

Presented by Miso Robotics

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard heats up 2026 with $60K drive-thru incentive program

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is launching an aggressive 2026 incentive program offering up to $60,000 in direct cash support to franchisees who open…

Kitchens are not ready for Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday exposes how QSR kitchens break under extreme demand, with fry stations becoming bottlenecks as orders surge. The article argues automation…

4 ways to freshen up your QSR

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

QSR operators can freshen their brand by moving away from muted design trends toward vibrant, brand-aligned colors, upgrading flooring with luxury vinyl and…

Beyond the slider: White Castle maps out future with tech-forward 'Castle of Tomorrow' prototype

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

White Castle has a sleek new prototype called the 'Castle of Tomorrow.' With a focus on tech, the prototype is set to bring White Castle into the future with a…

White Castle unveils 'Castle of Tomorrow' prototype

October 20, 2025

White Castle has debuted its "Castle of Tomorrow" in Columbus, Ohio. The brand worked with central Ohio-based WD Partners to reimagine the customer experience…

From Pilot to National Presence in 5 Years with CloudKitchens

Hawaiian Bros has grown from a single pilot to a national brand—thanks to a strategic partnership with CloudKitchens. Known for its fresh, craveable Plate…

Presented by CloudKitchens

Tackling Property Damage in Quick-Service Restaurants

While their operational model is optimized for speed and efficiency, QSRs face a significant yet often overlooked challenge: property damage caused by customer…