There’s no denying that there are still some great opportunities to get in on a QSR franchise. And the U.S.A. is one of the hottest markets right now anywhere in the world. From traditional QSR offerings to some new and unique franchises, we’re going to take a look at three that caught our attention.

If your QSR brand isn’t making use of user-generated content, then what content are you using? These days, QSR customer are so savvy that they see right through anything that even smells like a marketing ploy, so it’s no wonder that smart restaurant brands are scooping up and making use of some of the best material that their fans are posting.

User-generated content has been around for quite some time. Brands and other people would look for it, share it and use it mainly as a social media tool. But when used on its own, this content can be leveraged as a very authentic and powerful marketing tool.

Coming up with an idea for a limited-service or fast-casual restaurant is probably the easiest part of creating a restaurant. And despite reports that casual dining is on the decline as w hole, there are certain trends within the QSR industry that are giving many hope that their restaurant idea will succeed.

Regardless of the format of your restaurant (food truck, limited service, etc) there’s one thing that you will absolutely need before you get started: Insurance.

It’s always an exciting time in the QSR/limited-service restaurant industry. It seems like every day, a new and inspiring brand pops up and takes hold in one area and seems to outdo the competition, or create a whole new niche that they grow into.

The problems tend to start when these local success stories spread their wings and grow into other markets. Here are three tips to help for smoother and more profitable expansion:

Believe it or not, there is currently a downward economic trend in certain regions when it comes to quick-serve, fast casual restaurants. Some are calling it a restaurant recession while others are simply seeing contracted growth over the next 3 – 12 months depending on who you ask.

But as with every economic situation, there will be winners and losers. Yes, even in tough economic times, there are winners. But what are these winners doing in the restaurant game that keeps them from feeling the impact of the overall downturn? Let’s take a look at a few examples and see, shall we?