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Connecticut-based fast-casual Wayback Burgers opened its first location in Casablanca, Morocco. It is the first of eight planned restaurants in the country.

The IT industry is constantly evolving, and new technology continues to have a profound impact in restaurants across the country. We are at a point in time where technology is beginning to outpace our imaginations and is changing the way we interact with the world around us. Digital innovations and smart devices have permanently made their way into our pockets, attached to our wrists and integrated into our daily lives in ways we could not fathom 10 years ago.

Formerly CEO of Cosi, president of Long John Silver’s and CMO of Subway, Kevin Armstrong recognizes the benefits that good data can bring to the table, especially in times of rapid and dramatic change. Having worked in both executive and consulting roles since 1980, he’s now taking a deep dive into data analytics as the leader of King-Casey’s restaurant consulting team. Armstrong recently shared some thoughts on how data and the insights it yields will increasingly drive not just marketing and menu decisions but also design and development.

Recently, Little Caesars opened its first-ever South American restaurant in Santiago, Chile. The chain and its area franchisee, Premier Caesars Chile SpA, have plans for an additional 30 locations in Chile. With the opening of the Santiago location, the chain now has a presence in 6 out of 7 continents (North America, South America, Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa).

Pie Five Pizza Co. began rolling out in-house delivery early in 2017. Approximately 30 percent of the fast-casual pizza chain’s locations now offer the service, and the company plans to offer delivery from all of its 300-plus locations by mid-2018.

Cornerstone Restaurant Group is a longtime partner of Chicago Bulls Legend Michael Jordan. The company has recently opened its third Jordan-branded concept, Michael Jordan’s Restaurant, in Oak Brook, Ill., with architecture and interior design by Evanston, Ill.,-based DMAC Architecture.

The first Princi bakery and cafe in the U.S. has opened inside the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle. The location features fresh on-site baking through an arrangement with artisian baker Rocco Princi

New restaurant concept development often starts with the menu — and the menu dictates the consumer that will drive visits, which lets a restaurateur know where to put a new concept.