FastCasual

Hawaiian Bros Island Grill continued its growth trajectory during the first half of 2026, signing development deals with experienced franchisees to support expansion in Kentucky, Las Vegas and San Antonio, Texas. The Kansas City, Missouri-based plate lunch brand also opened nine locations across six states. The company expects to maintain that pace, averaging more than one new restaurant per month, through the remainder of the year.

A new Schoox survey reveals a gap between what frontline restaurant employees want to learn and what operators are actually delivering — and why closing it could cut turnover.

Chicago-based-Potbelly Sandwich Works has signed a development agreement with veteran franchisee BD Patel and his nephews, Bhavesh and Mihir Patel, to open 10 shops across Central Florida.

Two childhood friends and Marine Corps veterans have signed on to develop six Huey Magoo's locations across Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Columbia, South Carolina, the fast-casual chicken tender chain announced Wednesday.

The fast-casual chain is adding over 9,500 square feet as it continues expanding across the Houston market.

Franchise Development Real Estate Manager Jake Lowell breaks down how the fast-casual chain cut opening timelines to 18 months and secured over 80 leases in 18 months by moving site selection to the front of the pipeline.

Toast’s latest industry survey reveals why restaurant operators are still betting on growth despite rising costs and hiring challenges.

Azira's Gladys Kong and Good Way Group's Isabel Soriano break down how predictive analytics, privacy shifts and hyper-local targeting are changing site selection, marketing and loyalty strategy

Shark Club's recent North Texas opening sets the stage to bridge the gap between traditional sports bars and upscale casual dining.

Dave's Hot Chicken CMO Brandon Rhoten joins Fast Casual Nation to break down how the fast-growing chicken chain uses AI on the back end for customer data and financial analysis while deliberately keeping it out of creative and content production.