More than a post: Turning influencers into content engines for your restaurant

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

At the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit, marketing experts discussed the evolution of influencer marketing from a secondary tactic into a core…

Mellow Mushroom's 'fast fine' format slashes labor costs by 40% but keeps nostalgia

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Mellow Mushroom is evolving its 50-year-old business model with a counter-service format that reduces labor and build-out costs for franchisees while…

One Stop Nutrition Taps SynergySuite and CBS NorthStar to Fuel AI-Driven Growth Across Franchise Network

One Stop Nutrition selects SynergySuite and CBS NorthStar to power AI-driven growth across its franchise network, unifying POS and back-of-house operations to…

The College of Paisan’s: How one family is carrying on a 40-year dough dynasty

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Over 40 years, the Fejzuloski family has transformed Paisan’s Pizza from a humble Cicero storefront into an eight-location Chicagoland empire by blending…

Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike's Red Tacos, HigherMe experts discuss recruitment, retention

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Industry experts at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit emphasized that sustainable restaurant profitability and successful scaling depend on…

Little Caesars VP of franchise development talks brand growth, solid operations

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Podcast host Mandy Detwiler talks to Bryan Ketelhut, VP of franchise and business development for Little Caesars.

Bango: From a 300-square-foot acai shop to leading a 'Better for You' movement

On this episode of the Founderology — Built to Breakthrough podcast, I talk with Ryan Thorman, Founder and CEO of Bango and a contributor to the Founderology…

Synergy in a slice: Inside the dual-concept model driving Hungry Howie’s Texas expansion

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Entrepreneur Jay Dhaliwal is leveraging a high-traffic "one-stop-shop" model in Fort Worth by operating a lean Hungry Howie’s franchise within a co-branded gas…

Cicis Pizza offers special buffet pricing for TSA agents, gas buyers

April 1, 2026

Cicis Pizza is introducing two limited-time buffet offers in April for TSA employees and customers navigating fuel costs, according to a press release.

Pizza vending off to a rough start in Houston

March 25, 2026

PizzaForno, a Canadian company known for its automated pizza vending machines, announced ambitious plans in 2022 to expand across Texas. The concept centered…

Cicis Pizza takes No. 1 spot on Pizza Marketplace's 2026 Top 100 Movers & Shakers list

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Cicis Pizza took home the top honors as Pizza Marketplace's annual event in Las Vegas; Moto Pizza won a tech award from XRobotics and Pizza Nova's Domenic…

2026 Pizza Marketplace Top 100 Movers & Shakers

This year’s Top 100 honors those who have mastered the "rare beast" of combining high-volume operations with artisanal quality. Whether it’s an independent…

Presented by HungerRush

Hidden Profit Loss in Multi-Unit Restaurants

Multi-unit restaurant brands often lose profit not from major cost swings, but from small, inconsistent daily decisions across locations. This eBook reveals…

Presented by SynergySuite

How Juice It Up leads the modern beverage boom

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this podcast episode, Juice It Up CEO Susan Taylor discusses how the brand has maintained its leadership in the booming beverage franchise market by…

Fueling growth from 1 cup to 100+ locations

Brandon Knudsen, co-founder and CEO of Ziggi’s Coffee, shares critical advice on how he bootstrapped Ziggi's from a single coffee shop to more than 10…

The accidental franchisor: Eddie Flores Jr. kicks off Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit with candid look at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

March 17, 2026

Eddie Flores Jr. transitioned from real estate to become the franchisor of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, building a legacy based on the "aloha spirit" and family…

The 4:30 am grind: How a cotton-field startup turned into an artisan pizza empire

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Joe Carlucci, founder and owner of Valentina's…

Slowing the revolving door: tackling turnover in America’s pizzerias

by John Dorer — CEO, eb3.work

If there's one corner of the restaurant industry that knows churn, it's pizzerias.

Pizza Inn reinvests in Texas unit with transformative modernization

February 27, 2026

Pizza Inn has revamped its Mesquite, Texas, location with a fully modernized design that marks a step forward for the brand's next chapter of growth, according…

Four decades in pizza: Lessons in consistency, community and smart growth

by Shahpour Nejad — Founder/PRESIDENT/CEO, Pizza Guys Franchises Inc.

By prioritizing product integrity, franchisee support, and community trust over short-term trends, Pizza Guys has achieved 40 years of sustainable growth and…