How Velvet Taco CEO Chris Schultz scales a cult brand without losing its soul
by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media
During his keynote at the Fast Casual Executive Summit in Texas, Chris Schultz will discuss restaurant growth, brand culture, leadership, international expansion and why protecting a fast-casual brand's identity matters more than opening the next location.
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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 smaller, hyper-efficient restaurant footprints that cut construction costs in half, open new urban markets and boost operational efficiency and franchise growth.
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Guthrie’s opens 3rd Nevada location in Sparks
Guthrie's has opened a restaurant at 6107 Golden Triangle Way in Sparks, Nevada, near the Red Hawk Country Club. This is the brand's third location in the…
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From kitchens to tech hubs: Inside fast casual’s digital revolution
In the latest episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, Cherryh Cansler, publisher of FastCasual.com, sits down with Luke Wilwerding, Vice President of North America Sales at Elo Touch Solutions, to unpack the highly anticipated FastCasual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list.
Rethinking the drive-thru experience for today’s conscious consumer
by Michelle Connolly — Director of Sales, Managed Services & Solutions Group, Panasonic Connect North America
To combat modern drive-thru challenges like slow service and order inaccuracies, quick-service restaurants are adopting incremental tech upgrades — such as digitized menu boards, upgraded headsets and line-busting tablets — alongside outsourced managed services to streamline operations without overwhelming their staff or budgets.
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The 1:1 Personalization Playbook: Using AI to send every guest their own offer
In this session, Hang CEO Matt Smolin, whose platform powers millions of AI-personalized offers a month for restaurant brands, will walk through the playbook to start personalizing your own offers right away.
