The Independent
Popular Mexican fast-food restaurant operator looks to close a dozen locations
A Mexican fast-casual operator is planning to close approximately a dozen locations.
2,687 stories · last 30 days by relevance
A Mexican fast-casual operator is planning to close approximately a dozen locations.
Several quick-service chains including Arby's, Culver's, and Starbucks have introduced new menu items, signaling ongoing product innovation across the sector.
Little Caesars appointed Jack Veltema as Director of Franchise Sales for the West, returning to the chain to lead expansion in the region.
A popular restaurant chain has closed following cyclosporiasis outbreaks linked to its locations.
Happy Belly Food Group promoted Ian Thomas to Chief Financial Officer amid ongoing franchise expansion.
Church's Texas Chicken partnered with pitmaster Walter Johnson for a content series highlighting the chain's new dry rubs.
Established casual-dining chain adopting fast-casual operating models (speed, throughput, unit economics) signals the segment shift toward efficiency and lower ticket times.
A former Darden Restaurants executive has been appointed CFO of Portillo's, the Chicago-based fast-casual chain.
Bojangles plans to open 25 locations in the Tampa Bay market.
Red Lobster is continuing to close locations as part of an ongoing restructuring effort.
A benchmarking database of 100+ major chains and operators can help brands contextualize unit economics, ownership structures, and franchise network scale against peers.
Jesse Stein, founder and CEO of Hermetic AI, will participate in a live Q&A hosted by the Restaurant Unstoppable Network on September 7th, 2026.
Trend observation about chef-led fast-casual entry — useful context for positioning but lacks concrete brand/model case studies or data.
Chick-fil-A is rolling out its Little Blue Menu test format more broadly, Taco Bell partnered with Olivia Rodrigo for a campaign, and Long John Silver's faces ongoing operational challenges.
Minnie Bird, a three-unit fast-casual chicken concept founded by Sean Thomas (grandson of Dave Thomas), launched in Chicago two years ago and differentiates through premium chicken, dirty sodas, and c
Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard has returned Pumpkin and Apple Butter flavors for the fall season as limited-time offerings.
A Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain plans to open 75 new locations.
Taco Bell introduced a 2016 Decades Menu featuring customer-requested items.
A restaurant operator shares ten profit-improvement strategies from his own restaurant experience, covering sales, costs, staffing, and guest experience.
Taco John's partnered with YouTube creator The Fat Electrician on a burrito product.
Angry Chicks aims to expand to 100 restaurants and is prioritizing operator and location selection as core to its scaling strategy, signaling that franchise growth may depend as much on vetting partne
Insomnia Cookies is offering free six-packs of cookies to incoming college freshmen.
Prince Street Pizza is expanding across North America under CEO Lawrence Longo, leveraging what the source describes as a family recipe and marketing approach—signaling growing investor appetite for s
Recent quarterly earnings suggest fast food chains that pair value offerings with additional strategy elements—beyond discounts alone—are outperforming competitors, signaling that value proposition al
Moe's Coffee, a small drive-thru concept in Washington State, is betting on a balanced beverage-and-food model in a compact, modular unit as a path to expansion amid growing consolidation by larger ch
TouchBistro launched TouchBistro One, an all-in-one handheld device that integrates ordering, payments, and receipt printing; the consolidation of these functions signals a shift toward reducing the n
The FDA has ordered food-ingredient disclosure while postponing stricter ultraprocessed food regulations that were being pursued by RFK Jr.
The Cheesecake Factory is running a limited-time gift card bonus promotion through Labor Day, incentivizing larger purchases during the late-summer period.
Tim Hortons' Harry Potter LTO and color-changing cup merchandise is a licensed IP co-marketing play designed to drive traffic and merchandise attach.
Wendy's reported declining same-store sales last quarter, El Pollo Loco is considering making a chicken tender item permanent, and Sweetgreen faced a Cyclospora outbreak that set back its recovery eff
Burger King showed momentum, Outback Steakhouse advanced its turnaround in Q2, while Papa Johns' Toy Story promotional campaign underperformed.
Independent restaurant owners lack access to the real-time business intelligence tools that chain managers routinely use, relying instead on manual competitor research and intuitive forecasting.
CC's Coffee House opened its first drive-thru-only location in Gonzales, Louisiana on August 8, signaling the brand's focus on convenience-driven formats as it expands.
Gibsons Steakhouse, a Chicago-based steakhouse brand, plans to open a location in Nashville as part of a historic redevelopment, with a targeted opening in 2028.
McDonald's and Dave & Buster's have both announced leadership changes amid challenging market conditions, while a new food-safety investigation has begun in the broader industry.
Zomato has banned analogue dairy dishes from its platform and is warning restaurants of delisting if they continue to serve them.
TOUS les JOURS is launching a seasonal menu starting September 7 with new beverages and pastries, followed by Halloween and Thanksgiving offerings, signaling the bakery café's strategy to drive traffi
Nation's Restaurant News rounds up new menu items across major chains including McDonald's, Burger King, Sonic, Condado Tacos, Donatos Pizza, Dutch Bros, Smoothie King, and White Castle.
American Dining Creations has appointed Gina Zimmer as EVP of Growth and Client Experience, a role focused on client relationships and sustainable growth.
Topgolf's new CEO David McKillups, appointed in February, is driving business changes at the golf-centric eatertainment concept, signaling potential strategic shifts in how the brand positions its foo
Krispy Kreme is reintroducing its Pumpkin Spice Original Glazed Doughnut for a four-day window (August 27–30), signaling continued reliance on seasonal flavor nostalgia to drive traffic during off-pea
A foodservice pricing compliance expert outlines best practices for multi-distributor environments, signaling that negotiated pricing gaps may be a widespread operational issue worth auditing.
Chipotle is running back-to-school promotions including a BOGO deal and free entree offers on Sundays, signaling an effort to capture seasonal traffic and drive repeat visits during a traditionally hi
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken has signed a multiyear partnership agreement with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Firehouse Subs reached 1,500 locations, marking a milestone in the chain's expansion.
Taco Bell launched a Decades Menu featuring items from 2016, including the Naked Chicken Chalupa, Meximelt, Beefy Crunch Burrito, and Caramel Apple Empanada.
Seasonal LTO lineup and loyalty early-access — routine fall menu promotion with no chain-wide operational or strategy signal.
Founder-led M&A advice highlighting common negotiating pitfalls — useful for independent and franchise-growth brands considering exits or acquisitions, but generic to restaurants.
Olive Garden's pasta pass demonstrates that exclusive promotions can drive customer engagement, though experts signal that sustained brand loyalty depends on consistent execution of the dining experie
Gen Z's preference for shrimp paired with demand for quick, convenient meals is creating an opening for food brands to market simplified preparation and cooking guidance to younger consumers.