The top 3 priorities for Founder success in 2026

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To succeed in 2026's highly competitive market, businesses must focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional customer experiences across all channels…

Pizza Guys opens next-gen location in Orange County

July 2, 2026

Pizza Guys, the Sacramento-based pizza franchise with more than 100 locations across three states, is continuing its expansion across Orange County…

Pizza Inn partners with Pepsi, Folds of Honor for collectible glass campaign

July 2, 2026

Pizza Inn has partnered with Pepsi and Folds of Honor to launch a limited-time collectible series of All-American Glasses. The campaign honors U.S. military…

Stoner's Pizza Joint brings back Pickle Pizza, launches July 4th deals

July 1, 2026

Stoner's Pizza Joint is bringing back its Pickle Pizza for a limited time through Aug. 31, according to a company press release.

Papa Johns appoints interim CFO as Ravi Thanawala departs

July 1, 2026

Papa John's International Inc. has restructured its executive team after the departure of chief financial officer Ravi Thanawala, who is resigning to assume a…

Next-gen pizza and play: Inside Peter Piper Pizza’s massive brand evolution

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Peter Piper Pizza CMO Genaro Perez discusses how the brand's new next-generation prototype in Mesquite, Texas, balances a 50-year nostalgic legacy with modern…

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…

Paytronix, Qu launch upgraded menu, order integration for restaurants

June 29, 2026

Paytronix, a guest engagement and digital ordering solutions provider, announced an upgraded integration with commerce platform Qu to automatically sync online…

The Power of the Rearview Mirror and the Windshield: An activity of reflection and projection

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

Using the metaphor of a vehicle's small rearview mirror and large windshield, columnist Kathleen Wood shares a structured framework designed to briefly…

Flippy maker Miso Robotics buys Zume IP to launch pizza automation

June 26, 2026

Miso Robotics has acquired the technology and intellectual property of former pizza robotics startup Zume, three years after the company shut down completely…

California Pizza Kitchen offers free pizza following tournament penalty kicks

June 26, 2026

California Pizza Kitchen is launching a soccer-themed promotion this summer that gives rewards members a chance to score free pizza following penalty kicks…

Can a robot have soul? How Moto Pizza uses automation to keep 'mom-and-pop' feel

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Moto Pizza uses robotics and automation to streamline repetitive kitchen tasks, allowing the business to rapidly scale its volume while maintaining the…

Round Table Pizza opens 1st base location at Fort Bliss

June 24, 2026

FAT Brands Inc. has opened a new Round Table Pizza restaurant at Fort Bliss, marking the brand's first location on a military base, according to a press…

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…

Presented by Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.

Wonder, Dave’s Hot Chicken Real Estate VPs reveal growth strategies

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Real estate strategy is central to growth for restaurant brands, and Wonder and Dave's Hot Chicken are taking different approaches to scale. In a podcast…

‘Unapologetically kid-first’: CEC Entertainment CEO Scott Drake on outpacing the competition

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Newly appointed CEC Entertainment CEO Scott Drake is leveraging the financial stability built during his tenure as CFO to aggressively expand Chuck E. Cheese…

How Jae Kim is Scaling Chi’Lantro

Jae Kim emptied his $30,000 in savings and maxed out his credit cards to launch a Korean food truck in Austin in 2010. Now he is leading 13 Chi'Lantro…

Built to Breakthrough: Unlocking your power

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To successfully scale their businesses, founders must make non-delegable decisions and commit to a written, structured action plan that simultaneously aligns…

70 years old and 'restarting': Shakey’s Pizza VP outlines fresh strategy for expansion

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, chats with Sonia Barajas-Najera, vice president of…

Inside the tech stack: How Mattenga’s Pizzeria mastered SEO, 8-second reordering

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this podcast episode, Mattenga’s Pizzeria co-owner Enga Stanfield explains how partnering with owner.com and leveraging technology helped her independent…

Presented by Owner.com