How to keep your restaurant’s next viral hit from becoming a traffic jam
by Michael Beck — CEO, Inc Tank GTM
A few days before the Restaurant Marketing Workshop, June 2-3 in Boston, my friend David "Rev" Ciancio and I made a series of decisions that, in hindsight…
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Yelp's 2026 growth data: Fast casual brands, customization devouring the competition
by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com
Fast casual is dominating when it comes not only to specific brands — 7 Brews, Dave's Hot Chicken, Cava and Chipotle — but also to the culture it has helped cultivate: Drive-thru beverage concepts, bold chicken brands and customized menus. Consumers don't just want food and drinks anymore; they want their food and drinks built exactly to spec.
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GoTo Foods appoints Ama Romaine executive vice president, general counsel
GoTo Foods, the Atlanta-based parent company of several foodservice brands, has appointed Ama Romaine as executive vice president and general counsel…
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AI and the Future of Restaurants: From Foot Traffic to Predictive Insight
In this discussion, Azira’s CEO, Gladys Kong, will explore how AI-powered analytics and mobile location data are transforming the way restaurant brands approach site selection, marketing, and strategic decision-making.
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 restaurant brand scale to multiple locations and successfully compete against major national chains.
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.
Kalibrate offers best in location selection services, software
Charles Wetzel, CEO of Kalibrate, a location analytics and site selection platform, talks about his company in this video from ICSC 2026 in Las Vegas.
2026 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers
Welcome to the 2026 edition of the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Each year, this report serves as a pulse check for the industry, celebrating the brands and leaders who aren’t just keeping pace with the market—they are redefining it.
