Mattenga’s Pizzeria grows to 6 units with tight operations

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Mattenga's is a six-unit brand in Texas. It opened four units last year alone, and co-owner Hengam Stanfield credits her managers for running tight ships when…

Marco's Pizza's chief development officer offers unique perspective with real estate background

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Gerardo Flores is chief development officer for Marco's Pizza. With a background in real estate, Flores brings a unique perspective to the quickly growing…

Hungry Howie's franchisee credits his people for success

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Hungry Howie's franchisee David Plait owns 21 Hungry Howie's locations and says helping his employees succeed also helps his own businesses.

Parlour fits niche in region lacking craft concepts

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Parlour, a five-unit concept in the Louisville, Kentucky, area, fills a niche for craft pizza, beer and cocktails. The brand will begin franchising this summer.

Coffee consumption continuing post pandemic trajectory

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Coffee consumption will continue to improve for the second straight year following the pandemic. Production was hampered in 2021/2022 by meteorological…

Papa Johns franchisee becomes mogul in his own franchise

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Nadeem Bajwa began his Papa Johns career as a delivery driver. Today, he owns 192 franchises and has his sights set on 500.

Dave's Hot Chicken named FastCasual's Top 100 Mover & Shaker

2023 is the year of the chicken chain.

Palo Mesa Pizza brings Neapolitan, Roman, traditional pies to California's Central Coast

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Palo Mesa Pizza fuels the pizza needs of California's Central Coast. The five-unit brand offers traditional pizza, but also Neapolitan and Roman-style.

Italian Disco marries old-school fare with modern flair

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Baltimore's Italian Disco pairs old-school Italian fare with modern cultural flair that makes it a standout on a crowded food scene. With a stellar pizza…

WOWorks, Shipley Do-Nuts, Noodles & Company execs say loyalty programs a must-have

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Panelists Blake Johnson, VP of marketing for Craveworthy Brands, Donna Josephson, CMO of Shiply Do-Nuts, Mark Kreiner, VP of marketing for WOWorks and Stacy…

iRestaurant: Dirty Dough, Sweetberry, CKE Restaurants balance AI with human touch

by Daniel Brown — Editor, Networld Media Group

During this year’s Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Miami, Florida, a session of industry experts and operators convened to discuss automation…

Lena's Wood-fired Pizza & Tap prides itself on team members, food quality

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Lena's Wood-fired Pizza & Tap is run by team members who feel like family to its owners. The Alexandria, Virginia-based pizzeria opened in 2017 and has kept…

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza + Craft Bar focuses on house-made ingredients to stand out

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza + Craft Bar makes the majority of its items in-house. Yes, labor is intensive, but the quality of food is outstanding and sets the brand…

Dirty Dough, Sweetberry, CKE Restaurants share automation tips for success

by Daniel Brown — Editor, Networld Media Group

During this year’s RFIS summit in Miami, Florida, a session of industry experts and operators convened to discuss automation and how to leverage it for success…

ICX Summit celebrates 7th year with September event

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

The Interactive Customer Experience Summit, which is celebrating its seventh year, is a dual event in 2023 featuring the Bank Customer Experience Summit.

Dog Haus, Big Chicken execs talk convenience, consistency, connection

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In a session at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit hosted by Networld Media Group, Zach Oates, founder and CEO of Ovation, C.J. Ramirez, EVP and…

Ghost kitchens feeding revenue stream for virtual food brands

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The ghost kitchen offers an opportunity for companies already operating a kitchen to expand delivery sales to include 'virtual' food brands. Sisto Perez, of…

BurgerFi, TASK execs discuss cooking up customer loyalty with digital innovation

by Daniel Brown — Editor, Networld Media Group

At the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Miami hosted by Networld Media Group, industry thought leaders shared strategies for success and growth…

Coffee outlook: Demand strong despite faltering consumer confidence

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Consumers still want to spend money on coffee, but some product preferences are changing and external macroeconomic factors are concerning.

Executive perspectives: restaurant experts offer advice for operators

by Daniel Brown — Editor, Networld Media Group

Bryce Fluellen shows how Everytable's unique franchising model tackles food insecurity, builds communities and fuels growth/profits; Blaine Hurst of Blaine…