QSR Uncut

Howard Schultz famously committed to a “third place” mentality when scaling Starbucks into the global icon that it is today, creating a space outside the home and office where consumers could feel comfortable. And Kim Malek now hopes to accomplish the same thing through ice cream. The cofounder of Portland, Oregon–based Salt & Straw—and former Starbucks executive—is working with her cousin and...

There was a time, not so long ago, when fast-casual brands built around one menu item started to gain some traction, whether it was meatball brands or doughnut brands or even avocado brands. Then there was the grilled-cheese trend; a wave of grilled-cheese concepts sprung up in the early 2010s, offering premium takes on the comfort-food sandwich. But while many of those brands faded away, Melt Sho...

Historically, seafood has maintained something of a small corner in the limited-service restaurant industry. Few brands outside of Long John Silver's and Captain D's have managed to expand nationally, and those that have succeeded have largely been known for fried seafood options. But that's starting to change, thanks to fast casuals like Chicago-based Brown Bag Seafood Co. Founder...

Fast-casual Mediterranean is having a moment. The customization format so popular in fast casual has become the perfect vehicle for the fresh, often healthier profiles of Mediterranean foods, and brands like CAVA and Zoes Kitchen are helping dishes like hummus, pita, shawarma, and falafel go mainstream. SAJJ Mediterranean is one concept striking while the iron is hot. The Bay Area brand launched i...

Greg Dollarhyde knew he didn't want to build restaurant concepts from scratch, but he also had the skill set necessary to taking brands from potential to profit. After bouncing around to several restaurant-industry leadership positions, he struck gold with Baja Fresh, a fast-casual burrito joint that he grew to nearly 300 locations before selling to Wendy's in 2002 for $275 million. Sinc...

It didn't take long for Souvla to make a name for itself in the fast-casual industry. Launched in San Francisco in 2014, the brand quickly became a favorite among those looking to spot future top performers across the category. How did it become such a cult favorite? Credit goes to founder and CEO Charles Bililies, whose fine-dining pedigree extended to Souvla, from its chef-forward menu to i...

The cradle of fast food is... Wichita, Kansas? Indeed, the breeding ground for both White Castle and Pizza Hut is also the hometown for one of the most exciting fast-casual burger concepts around: Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. The brand, launched in 2002 by Bill and Randy Simon and Scott Redler, was only supposed to be a family-friendly one-off in Wichita, but it quickly became...

There may be bigger fast-casual pizza brands, but only Your Pie can claim to be the first in the category. The Athens, Georgia–based brand opened its first location in April 2008, when founder Drew French was just 23 years old and had recently graduated from the University of Georgia. In 11 years, Your Pie has grown to around 70 locations in 19 states, becoming an embedded fixture in its communiti...

Cousins Subs has been a Wisconsin staple for 47 years. Now the Milwaukee-based sandwich chain is ready to expand its footprint, and has been in the middle of a years-long brand refresh that's setting it up for growth—including its recent opening in downtown Chicago. Justin McCoy is one of leaders responsible for the rebrand, which has included everything from store remodels and logo updates t...

The Asian fast-casual category is ripe for growth. Panda Express stands alone as the sole national chain, even as Americans fall more in love with Asian cuisines. But today, several emerging Asian fast casuals are expanding quickly across the U.S., serving a range of menus that showcase Asia's incredible food diversity. One such brand is Teriyaki Madness, a Seattle-style teriyaki concept base...

The food-truck trend that raced to popularity a decade ago had many exciting characteristics for foodservice entrepreneurs, among them the ability to enter the space at a relatively low cost and the opportunity to try out innovative menu ideas. That was exactly what appealed to Roz Edison and Kamala Saxton. The business partners, inspired by chef Roy Choi and his Kogi BBQ truck in L.A., developed...

Ally and Scott Svenson didn't need to start another business. After selling their first brand to Starbucks and then helping a second foodservice company grow to acquisition, they could have retired and enjoyed life with their four sons. But the itch to build something returned, and in 2008 they launched the fast-casual brand MOD Pizza. What started as a "laboratory" in downtown Seat...

By the time he turned 30, Mike Rypka boasted a resume that chefs three decades his senior could only dream of, having served as the head chef at organizations like the World Bank, MTV, Disney, and Dell. So when he decided to open his own project in Austin, Texas, in 2006, he surprised more than a few loved ones by opting to do a taco truck. That taco truck, Torchy's Tacos, gradually became a...

We're continuing with "Freeze Frame," a series within "Fast Forward" where we'll share conversations with restaurant leaders and executives who may not have built their companies from the ground up, but nevertheless have plenty to say when it comes to industry innovation and challenges. On today's episode, we're sharing another conversation from the recent N...

We're continuing with "Freeze Frame," a series within "Fast Forward" where we'll share conversations with restaurant leaders and executives who may not have built their companies from the ground up, but nevertheless have plenty to say when it comes to industry innovation and challenges. On today's episode, we're sharing another conversation from the recent N...

Introducing "Freeze Frame," a series within "Fast Forward" where we'll share conversations with restaurant leaders and executives who may not have built their companies from the ground up, but nevertheless have plenty to say when it comes to industry innovation and challenges. We're kicking things off with our interviews from the National Restaurant Association Show,...

The last decade has witnessed an incredible rise in juice, smoothie, and açai bowl concepts, particularly as American consumers have turned their attention toward more nutritious and plant-forward dining options. Nekter Juice Bar was one of the first to capitalize on this movement, having opened its doors in 2010 and then franchising across the country. In this conversation with QSR editor Sam Och...

In 2015, Chipotle was the fast-casual restaurant industry's gold standard, with double-digit growth quarter after quarter. But with several cases of E. coli and norovirus in the fall of 2015, that all came crashing down. The company's comeback has been a bumpy ride to say the least, but new CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company from Taco Bell in March 2018, has helped right the ship a...

&pizza is a thriving fast-casual pizza shop that marches to the beat of its own drum. It designs its restaurants to reflect their local communities. Its employees get the company’s signature ampersand logo tattooed on themselves. It hosts free weddings in its shops every Pi Day (3/14). The beating heart of this 35-unit brand is cofounder and CEO Michael Lastoria. A former advertising professio...

Childhood friends and first-generation Greek Americans Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Dimitri Moshovitis first opened full-service restaurant Cava Mezze in Washington, D.C., in 2006. The fast-casual spinoff, CAVA, opened in nearby Bethesda, Maryland, in 2011 and has since grown to 75 locations across the country, bringing authentic Mediterranean flavors to American consumers in markets bi...

In the wake of successful brands like Five Guys and Shake Shack, America fell in love with the better-burger category, which serves high-quality beef and other upscale ingredients in a fast-casual format. Atlanta-based Farm Burger, though, strives to be a better better-burger concept. The 11-unit chain is deeply committed to local sourcing, having been launched as the fast-casual spinoff of full-s...

Dog Haus has carved its own niche within the fast-casual restaurant industry. With a sports-bar vibe and a chef-designed menu, this brand has created an upscale, laid-back experience that's packaged in a franchise format. And while Dog Haus is expected to double in size in 2019, it's not all been smooth sailing since day one.  The three founders of Dog Haus—Quasim Riaz, Hagop Giragossian...

Blaze Pizza started as a business plan scribbled on a Chipotle napkin back in 2011. At the time, Rick and Elise Wetzel were founders of the successful snack brand Wetzel's Pretzels, but they recognized an opportunity in the booming fast-casual model to turn pizza into a more personalized, lunch-driven category. Eight years later, Blaze Pizza has more than 300 locations and has been called the...