FSR

11/14/2025

🍕Mellow Mushroom just hit 50 years, but the iconic psychedelic pizza brand isn’t slowing down. In his first media interview in years, CEO Richard Brasch opens up to FSR about his unlikely rise—from washing dishes in the ’80s to leading a 170-unit national brand—and how he’s protecting the soul of Mellow while guiding it into its next era.

👉 How CEO Richard Brasch Is Keeping the Magic Alive at Mellow Mushroom: https://bit.ly/4hYhCsC

11/12/2025

🚀 Congrats to the restaurants on this year's NextGen 25 list, which spotlights the full-service brands rewriting the rules of growth. From Red Phone Booth’s cinematic speakeasies to KPOT’s immersive Korean BBQ experience, these operators are proving that scaling doesn’t have to mean selling out.

🍽️ This year’s honorees include brands like:
✨ Mellow Mushroom — 50 years in and still evolving with psychedelic creativity
🥓 The Big Biscuit — speed-to-table meets soulful breakfast culture
🍷 Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant — a 70-unit juggernaut powered by community and wine
🔥 Breakfast Republic, PopStroke, and more

➡️ Read the full NextGen 25 list and see if your favorite brand made the list:

In the fourth year of our now-annual NextGen 25 list, this report continues to spotlight polished full-service concepts that are prioritizing growth--but not at any cost. The NextGen Casual movement is marked by restaurants and leaders who aren't afraid...

11/11/2025

Lyle Tick believes BJ’s recent momentum has staying power beyond just short-term promotional success, and he attributes that confidence to three factors.

Lyle Tick believes BJ's recent momentum has staying power beyond just short-term promotional success, and he attributes that confidence to three factors. First, BJ's has spent the last several quarters rebuilding operational foundations--sharper executi...

11/10/2025

Texas Roadhouse continues to perform in a tough dining climate, and CEO Jerry Morgan credits it to knowing exactly who the brand is—from loud music & line dancing to its unmatched value equation.

Q3 same-store sales rose 6.1% and traffic was up 4.3%.

One of the most common pieces of feedback Texas Roadhouse receives is to turn its music down. But CEO Jerry Morgan, who has been with the company since 1997, starting as a managing partner for the first Texas location, knows the difference between a com...

11/07/2025

From disco-ball cocktails to daiquiri trees, beverage leaders are using spectacle, storytelling, and training to drive premiumization. ✨🍸

Featuring insights from COJE Management, Party Fowl, Tapster, and Thompson Restaurants.

Read more: https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/how-to-serve-drinks-that-steal-the-spotlight-at-your-restaurant/

11/06/2025

🍳 While much of the industry pulled back—cutting portions, discounting hard, chasing traffic—First Watch went the other direction.
🥓 It increased portions (even on bacon)
🤝 Leaned harder into hospitality
🌱 And invested in its people-first culture

Now, the results are surfacing:
📈 Q3 same-store sales +7.1%
🚶 Traffic +2.6%—best in more than two years
🏗️ On track for 63–64 openings this year, with several new units delivering record opening weeks

Chris Tomasso knew he'd take some lumps earlier in the year. First Watch increased portion sizes, even doing so with bacon despite soaring commodity costs. But if there's one framework to describe how the brand navigated the past couple of years, from p...

11/05/2025

Denny's Corporation, which comprises Keke's and the iconic diner chain, is being acquired by a trio of new owners. The all-cash transaction is valued at about $620 million.

Denny's will now head private and no longer trade on the stock market.

Denny's announced Monday that it will be acquired for $620 million by a trio of new owners. The buyer group--which will take the breakfast giant private--consists of private equity firm TriAristan Capital Advisors, investment firm Treville Capital Group...

11/04/2025

11/03/2025

🔥 Chili's Grill & Bar isn’t cooling off anytime soon. The casual-dining icon just posted another blockbuster quarter—its sixth straight of double-digit comp growth. Same-store sales soared 21.4%, driven by a 13.1% jump in traffic, far outpacing the rest of the industry.

It’s the latest milestone in CEO Kevin Hochman’s three-year turnaround—built on smarter kitchens, sharper operations, and a renewed focus on food and hospitality. Upgraded ribs have lifted sales 35%, Frozen Patrón Margaritas are selling twice as fast despite higher prices, and the Big QP burger continues to draw crowds.

Chili's notched another victory in its ongoing winning streak. Parent company Brinker International reported Q1 fiscal 2026 results, with same-store sales at the chain up 21.4 percent, driven by a 13.1 percent rise in traffic. That marked the sixth stra...

11/03/2025

Read the full article here: https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/how-to-build-a-culture-people-dont-want-to-leave/?fbclid=IwY2xjawN1-bNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF1ZXZ1d1h0SVNPVlNuYzBxAR78HWFAlWfjDzOYOWZBDW9thitRD-qmds8t6FercYU1hPOw8mRqrUnWOX78uQ_aem_nWv3rjDrLGjFE8qrjGiOmA

“If leaders want to retain their best people, they must lead with a mindset before management. They must set the emotional climate before they set the schedule. They must model the behaviors they want to see repeated. Every interaction, every shift, every decision becomes part of the invisible architecture of culture. That is what people feel when they decide whether to stay….or not!”

🍴Excerpt from “How to Build a Culture People Don’t Want to Leave,” my article on FSR Magazine. Check out the full article at https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/how-to-build-a-culture-people-dont-want-to-leave/, and order your copy of RELENTLESS GROWTH today!

10/31/2025

📱 After years of focusing on in-store experience and loyalty, The Cheesecake Factory is finally developing its first-ever mobile app—designed to boost loyalty engagement and off-premises sales.

The rollout is expected in the first half of 2026.

With the use of technology increasing rapidly in the restaurant industry--thanks in large part to the impact of the COVID pandemic--customers have an assortment of options by simply clicking an app on their smartphone. But when guests search in the Goog...

10/29/2025

🍳 Now at 105 locations across 17 states, Another Broken Egg Cafe continues to win with chef-driven food and warm hospitality; not deep discounting.

Franchisees are responding with confidence: 15 new cafés are slated to open next year, driven mostly by existing operators expanding in the Sun Belt.

Read more about what’s next for the brand:

When Jorge Salvat joined Another Broken Egg as CEO in February, it was a bit of serendipity. He and his wife love the breakfast/brunch space, and they also met on a trip to New Orleans, which is close to where the brand was founded. From a professional ...