Mountain Mike's Pizza grows in Nashville as another files Chapter 11
Mountain Mike's Pizza is expanding in Nashville while another pizza chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
109 stories · last 7 days by relevance
Mountain Mike's Pizza is expanding in Nashville while another pizza chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Mike's Red Tacos, a San Diego-based beef birria franchise, appointed Patrick Cunningham as chief development officer; Cunningham brings development experience from previous roles at Bobby's Burgers by

Restaurants are increasingly treating catering as a dedicated sales channel rather than an ad-hoc service, suggesting a shift toward more systematic catering operations and revenue capture.

Commerce media platforms struggle with measuring ad impact due to probabilistic attribution and modeled incrementality, but in-store data offers a potential solution to verify whether digital ads tran

ezCater is positioning its platform to help restaurants access workplace catering demand through enhanced connectivity features.
Operators who share physical space face pressure to align menus across brands, raising operational and brand-consistency questions.
A franchisee of a popular fried chicken chain has closed 39 locations.
A Popeyes franchisee facing bankruptcy is divesting most of its restaurant locations.

The Peach Cobbler Factory opened its 13th North Carolina location in Charlotte's North Lake community, signaling continued confidence in the state as a growth market.
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation partnered with American Express and Resy to launch a free leadership development program featuring James Beard Award-winning restaurateurs as

Southpaw, a major Taco Bell franchisee, acquired 43 Ohio stores to expand its portfolio to 180 locations, signaling continued consolidation among larger franchisees seeking geographic density.
Eggs Up Grill announced its 110th restaurant opening in South Carolina, reaching a scale position among actively franchising breakfast chains.

Dog Haus's Area Director model with equity stakes and board seats is a franchise structure innovation aimed at deeper partner alignment and accelerated growth.
Franchise M&A activity persisted into Q2 2026 with continued private equity interest, suggesting capital availability remains a driver of consolidation in the sector.

Growth milestone after closures signals franchise model resilience, but lacks detail on unit economics or operator takeaways.
A podcast episode explores how restaurants can use guest recognition and personalization technology to improve customer loyalty, addressing what the source frames as widespread guest retention challen
Marco's Pizza's chief development officer and his father, a commercial real estate enthusiast, collaborate on the chain's expansion strategy, suggesting family involvement in site selection and growth
Edgy marketing campaigns produce mixed results across brands like Liquid Death, Pepsi, Burger King, and Starbucks South Korea, with experts attributing outcomes to whether a brand has built sufficient
McDonald's Holdings Co Japan is relying on its franchise model as a foundation for sustained growth amid domestic market conditions.
Keke's Breakfast Cafe is targeting Knoxville, Tennessee for franchise expansion.
Resy faces criticism over its reservation platform interface, signaling potential friction in how diners book at restaurants and suggesting the market may be opening to alternatives.

A Toast survey of 1,466 U.S. adults found that 64% of guests discovered new restaurants in 2025, suggesting diners are increasingly balancing exploration with loyalty to established favorites.
Peter Piper Pizza is testing a redesigned prototype location in Mesquite, Texas that combines its longstanding family appeal with modern digital features and expanded adult amenities, signaling an eff

CEO interview on building franchise loyalty through sampling — relevant franchising lens but founder POV, not a multi-brand trend or operator takeaway.
Dine Brands Global is pursuing franchise expansion while navigating challenges in the casual dining segment.
Nathan's Famous Inc provided an update on its brand and franchise strategy to investors; the company's shares continue to trade with limited volume.
Case study of franchisee operational optimization offers peer-learning value for multi-unit operators managing risk.
Restaurant operators who scale successfully tend to excel at structuring capital deals rather than operating skill alone, suggesting financing architecture—not concept strength—is the primary constrai
Virtual brand operator insights on scaling ghost-kitchen concepts — useful for brands testing delivery-only extensions, but niche unless you're actively exploring the model.
POS and kitchen automation platform announcement — vendor content marketing with no named restaurant partner or adoption data.
Hot chicken chain Nashville Coop has signed franchise agreements to expand into the Philadelphia and South Jersey markets.
Mike's Hot Honey launched a multichannel soccer-themed campaign as part of its "Drizzle The Mike's" platform, which aims to position the brand around culturally relevant moments.

Kona Ice, a mobile food franchise, announced it now operates in all 50 U.S. states following a new truck opening in Fargo.

Carrols' operational updates may signal franchise health at Burger King's largest franchisee, but lacks specific strategic insight.
Vicious Biscuit has signed franchise partners to open its first location in Upstate South Carolina, expanding beyond its original footprint through a franchisee-led model.

Plant-based QSR scaling via franchising and grassroots loyalty—relevant for understanding how niche fast-casual concepts build unit growth and customer retention.
A U.K.-based pizza chain is planning to enter the Houston hot chicken market.
Loyalty platform migration is a real operational headache; this vendor guide covers the real risks (points loss, tier slippage) chains face when switching systems.

Celebrity franchise sign-up is a one-off anecdote with no relevance to multi-location brand strategy or franchising economics.

Angry Chickz is opening its first Illinois location in Aurora this year.
Franchise exit and concept pivot — niche story; limited relevance unless part of broader Hard Rock strategy affecting U.S. multi-unit operators.
One franchisee's regional expansion play — limited signal unless tied to broader brand development strategy.
Atlas Restaurant Group has grown from a single Baltimore concept in 2014 to 50+ restaurants across 40 brands in five states, generating over $250 million in annual sales—a scale that signals how multi
PepsiCo and Mars are using TikTok Shop's e-commerce features to drive sales and inform product development, signaling that social commerce platforms are becoming direct channels for consumer feedback

Broad H1 marketing spend trends mention AI but lack restaurant-specific data or outcomes.

Placer.ai's episode featuring cubeiQ's Zora Sentat explores first-party data strategies, retail media opportunities, and the role of human judgment alongside automation in customer analytics.
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Texas moving franchise scales via franchising after 15 years of refining systems — applicable playbook, but not a restaurant brand.

TikTok's restaurant discovery power is proven — but this is general platform advice, not a brand strategy or operator deployment.
Experiential dining franchising case study — limited operator insight without specific franchise performance or digital strategy details.
Del Taco's geographic expansion into Myrtle Beach signals franchisee interest in secondary markets, but single-unit openings rarely move the needle for multi-location operators.