• by Erin Everhart , Staff Writer, May 29, 2026

In the last couple of years, the casual dining industry has decided the goal was to get you in and out as fast as possible. Or better yet, they’re skipping the “in” part entirely. Third-party delivery. Curbside pickup. Drive-thrus of the future.

The entire infrastructure of casual dining is being quietly engineered to make sure you never have to actually sit in a restaurant if you don't want to. But no one wants to eat every meal from a container that can fit in your cup holder. 

Pizza is one of those meals, and I believe pizza is best served with friends, with a pitcher of beer and preferably on a patio.

A great pizza parlor becomes a part of the story of your life. That’s what Shakey’s Pizza Parlor is for Southern California. They’ve been around since 1954 as a place where people gathered, celebrated, and stayed way longer than they meant to while the kids ran feral in the game room.

And after 70 years, a few ownership changes, and a pandemic that forced the entire industry off-premise, Shakey's is doing something genuinely countercultural: They're inviting people back in.

For trivia nights. After little league games. For an easy night out with friends. This isn't a pizza brand chasing the national chains for the fastest delivery. This is a neighborhood pizza parlor remembering what it was always supposed to be.

How do you differentiate in one of the most crowded categories in casual dining? How do you market slow casual in a culture that’s been conditioned to what everything faster, cheaper and delivered to your door? We sat down with Cindy Staats in this week’s Brand Insider 1:1 to find out.

Listen to the full episode here.