Restaurant Operator

Sometimes growing a restaurant brand means adding more, but for Dillas Quesadillas, the path forward meant taking things away. The Texas-based concept recently overhauled its menu, cutting the number of signature quesadillas from 10 to six and simplifying its meal structure. The changes weren't driven by a lack of ideas but by something much more fundamental: learning from how the customers ordered. Co-founders Kyle and Maggie Gordon discussed the strategy during a recent Restaurant Operato...

When David Youngberg stepped into the CEO role at Stonefire Grill in 2023, his first 90 days weren't spent analyzing spreadsheets in a boardroom — they were spent baking the brand's signature carrot cake and prepping food alongside front-line workers. In an industry increasingly pivoting toward automation and individualized grab-and-go efficiency, the leader of the 12-unit Southern California fast-casual concept is proving that a relentless focus on human connection and from-scratch operation...

After nearly five decades as a beloved Texas icon, Taco Cabana is officially taking its signature breakfast tacos and Mexican-inspired menu across state lines. Spurred by a recent acquisition and a newly designed, smaller-footprint prototype optimized for modern off-premise dining and delivery, the 140-unit chain is launching its first major out-of-state franchise expansion. By strategically targeting contiguous states like Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas, the brand aims to leverage built-in...

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, chats with Ilya Kholodnov, head of international marketing and sales for Dodo Pizza, and David Sweeney, champion of international franchising for Dodo Pizza, The brand was founded in Russia but is headquartered in Kazakhstan. Dodo Pizza has 1,500 stores and revenue of nearly $2 billion. It's sister company, Drink It, a coffee concept, has 150 stores in five countries. Sweeney attributes the bra...

What happens when the fast-casual restaurant industry doubles in size over a decade? It stops just serving food and starts operating like a high-tech powerhouse. In the latest episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, Cherryh Cansler, publisher of FastCasual.com, sits down with Luke Wilwerding, Vice President of North America Sales at Elo Touch Solutions, to unpack the highly anticipated FastCasual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list. With forward-thinking brands like CAVA leading the charge,...