Business Strategy and Profitability News & Media

Hungry Howie’s opens 7 restaurants across 5 states

October 20, 2026

Hungry Howie's opened seven restaurants in the third quarter of 2026, expanding its footprint across South Carolina, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona and Texas, the…

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State of the Industry: Fast Casual 2026 and Beyond

Explore growth forecasts, operator profitability and pricing pressures, leading brands, menu and LTO trends, and consumer demand for value and innovation—all…

Presented by Datassential, Inc.

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10 Questions: Boston's Pizza president Sergio Carvallo

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

In this 10-question conversation, Boston's Pizza president Sergio Carvallo discusses the importance of hospitality, why execution matters as much as strategy…

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Restaurant food costs face uneven pressure in 2027 as inflation accelerates

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

Rising gasoline prices are adding to inflationary pressures, while ArrowStream forecasts sharply different commodity costs across restaurant segments, with…

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Cicis Pizza names Kimberly Thompson EVP of Development

October 14, 2026

Cicis Pizza has announced the appointment of franchise development veteran Kimberly Thompson as executive vice president of development, bringing more than a…

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Beyond the BBQ Chicken Pizza: The values that built California Pizza Kitchen

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

In the second installment of this two-part series, California Pizza Kitchen co-founder Rick Rosenfield recounts the company's culture that made it a success…

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Solink expands leadership team to advance AI-powered retail and restaurant intelligence

October 12, 2026

Solink, an AI vision intelligence provider serving brick-and-mortar businesses, is expanding its leadership team with three appointments designed to support…

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The $250,000 gamble that launched California Pizza Kitchen

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

In the first installment of this two-part series, California Pizza Kitchen co-founder Rick Rosenfield recounts how he and law partner Larry Flax walked away…

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Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza expands in Florida, announces initiatives

October 9, 2026

Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza is continuing its Florida expansion while introducing new menu innovations and community initiatives. The Gainesville-based brand…

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Bertucci’s shrinks to 11 restaurants after latest closure

October 7, 2026

Bertucci's has closed its Springfield, Virginia, restaurant, ending its presence in the Washington area and leaving 11 locations in Massachusetts, Delaware and…

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Small change, big impact: Marco’s round-ups fight hunger, support education

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

The Marco’s Pizza Foundation has donated more than $1.5 million to support hunger prevention, education, workforce development and entrepreneurship. Through…

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Little Caesars debuts athletic wear collection

October 7, 2026

Little Caesars is stepping into athletic apparel with the launch of LC Athletics, its first full athletic wear collection, the company has announced in a news…

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Uber to purchase ezCater in $2.3B deal

October 6, 2026

Uber has agreed to acquire workplace catering platform ezCater in an all-cash transaction valued at $2.3 billion, a move that will expand Uber Eats deeper into…

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Bloomin’ leadership lessons with Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

Outback Steakhouse co-Founder Tim Gannon shares how with only $37, a ripped-up $1 million check and two great partners, a legendary brand was built and the…

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FCES keynote: To go far, go together

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

Chicken Salad Chick’s story shows that scaling successfully isn’t necessarily about moving faster or constantly reinventing the brand. It’s about knowing what…

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Valentina Ellison brings airport restaurant experience to automated vending

by Richard Slawsky — Editor, Connect Media

Valentina Ellison, CEO and co-founder of Evolvending, is drawing on nearly two decades in airport concessions and nontraditional restaurants to expand…

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Verifran launches platform to streamline franchisee qualification

October 2, 2026

Verifran has launched a franchise intelligence platform designed to help franchisors evaluate prospective franchisees earlier in the development process, the…

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Mellow Mushroom to make Pennsylvania debut

October 2, 2026

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R) is bringing Mellow Mushroom to Pennsylvania for the first time, with an 8,000-square-foot restaurant expected to…

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Consumers rethink dining out as budgets remain tight

October 1, 2026

Consumers are finding creative ways to keep restaurants in their budgets, even as overall dining spend remains below last year's levels. A new Popmenu study…

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Happy Joe's acquired by Quad City investment group

October 1, 2026

A group of Quad Cities investors has acquired Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream, including the brand's franchising company and three company-owned restaurants…

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