971 stories · last 30 days by relevance
Grimaldi's Pizzeria is running its 14th consecutive annual fundraising campaign with No Kid Hungry, having raised over $1.4 million for the organization since 2013.
Mike's Red Tacos has signed a 15-unit franchise agreement for Michigan expansion, leveraging recognition from its 2023 Yelp Top 100 designation to enter a new market.
Celebrity co-creation of limited-time beverages drives trial and social buzz—a scalable playbook for QSR brands chasing Gen Z traffic and shareability.
Starbucks is laying off more than 200 workers, with over 100 tied to a restructuring announced in May and 120 declining a relocation to Nashville.
Divine app has launched publicly, implemented a ban on AI-generated content, and signed a partnership with Taco Bell.
Red Robin named Scott Hudler as chief marketing officer, effective September 8, replacing interim CMO Russ Klein.
Portillo's reduced its corporate and field workforce by 18% following a 3.4% decline in second-quarter traffic, with the CEO framing the move as necessary for long-term growth.
Chipotle removed a batch of jalapeños after its traceability system flagged potential Salmonella contamination, underscoring the role of ingredient tracking in managing food safety risks.
Portillo's has appointed Kevin Kalicak as CFO; Kalicak brings over 25 years of experience from Darden Restaurants, signaling the chain may be building financial infrastructure for growth or operationa
Golden Chick has introduced its first queso product line.
KFC Canada and Cheetos Flamin' Hot have launched a collaborative menu item.
NYC sandwich shop Alidoro is implementing operational systems designed to support expansion into additional transit hubs and new markets.
Single-brand birthday LTO campaign with discount offers — no strategic signal for multi-location operators beyond standard promotional tactics.
Jack in the Box's same-store sales missed expectations last quarter, with a disappointing partnership collaboration cited as a factor, though results have since improved.
Papa Johns reported a North America same-store sales decline of 8.3% in Q2 and made changes to its marketing leadership, signaling the chain is adjusting strategy amid domestic headwinds.
HB Protein Smoothies appointed Tyler Doolittle to lead real estate and expansion efforts.
Owner secured $240M in funding led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives to develop AI agents aimed at independent restaurants.
Bank of America data shows bars and independent restaurants are outperforming chains, while consumers are shifting spending from grocers to restaurants.
Restaurant operators can leverage menuboard optimization as a tool to address margin pressures alongside pricing and cost management strategies.
Another Broken Egg Cafe launched a refranchising program to enable qualified franchisees to acquire existing locations, signaling the chain's effort to accelerate expansion through ownership transitio
Square is deepening its integration with OpenTable and Toast with Resy to give restaurants enhanced reservation data, signaling consolidation in how operators access booking insights across major plat
Wendy's is reviving the chief operating officer role as part of its turnaround strategy under CEO Robert Wright, following a period marked by store closures and declining traffic.
Chipotle partnered with creator Salish Matter to introduce a limited-time Kid's Quesadilla through its app and website, marking the brand's first creator-led Kid's Meal offering.
Tavern in the Square, acquired by Authentic Restaurant Brands just over a year ago, is beginning to expand beyond New England, signaling potential for broader geographic growth.
Restaurant Business warns that weak franchisee profitability and operator conflicts suggest franchising may not be a reliable growth strategy for chains seeking to rebuild.
Aaron Powell is stepping down as Pizza Hut CEO as the pizza chain moves forward with its sale to LongRange Capital.
.jpg?width=720&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Analysis of 93 million data points reveals that bulk purchasing doesn't consistently deliver lower unit costs across restaurants buying identical products from the same suppliers—challenging a widespr
Dine Global's dual-brand Applebee's/IHOP locations are generating double the sales of single-branded restaurants, while remodeled Applebee's units show a 5% sales lift, suggesting co-branding and reno
Krispy Kreme is closing underperforming delivery points and ending its McDonald's partnership as part of a strategic pullback; the company appears to be repositioning after costly expansion.
Yum China completed its $1.2 billion acquisition of Pizza Hut China, gaining direct ownership to tailor the brand to local market preferences.
Papa Johns is revamping its marketing strategy after acknowledging it failed to emphasize value offerings during a period of declining sales.
A majority of restaurant operators now report comfort with AI adoption, with recent surveys showing 86 percent of decision-makers embracing its use, signaling that initial resistance to AI implementat
Texas Roadhouse reported 6.2% same-store sales growth in Q2 and has avoided negative quarters outside of COVID, signaling sustained operational consistency amid the steakhouse category's broader traff
Texas Roadhouse reported same-store sales growth of 6.2% driven by operational improvements and lower beef costs, signaling that cost-conscious operators can offset commodity headwinds through executi
Taco Bell and Taylor Farms' cyclospora outbreak has affected approximately 6,000 people, with most cases occurring before the removal of potentially contaminated lettuce.
Qdoba has removed jalapeños from its menu following a salmonella outbreak that has spread across multiple states, mirroring a similar move by Chipotle.
Dutch Bros acquired 65 former Salad and Go locations across Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Texas, converting them to coffee shops as part of its growth strategy.
7 Brew is launching its first mobile app on August 12, featuring advance ordering, drink customization, and rewards tracking—a digital move common among growing beverage chains to drive convenience an
Dine Brands' Q2 results showed divergent performance: IHOP achieved 1.5% same-store sales growth powered by catering expansion, while Applebee's declined 1.8% due partly to April weakness, signaling c
Outback Steakhouse posted its strongest same-store sales performance since 2023, with parent company Bloomin' Brands' stock rising in response.
FSR Magazine examines how AI is emerging in restaurant kitchens and operations, noting that the industry lacks established best practices for implementing the technology across multiple locations and
Shake Shack has attracted activist investor Starboard Value amid guidance misses this year, though the chain's sales performance has remained resilient.
The National Restaurant Association noted that beverages can support sales across different dayparts for restaurant brands.
Quality and innovation in core menu items drive traffic — Burger King's nugget and Whopper upgrades show chains winning on product, not just price.
Wendy's is offering 10-piece nuggets for $1.99 via its app through late September, signaling continued reliance on digital channels and limited-time deals to drive app engagement and traffic.
Smoothie King reported a 9% same-store sales increase in July following the launch of chicken flatbreads, its strongest monthly performance year-to-date.
Restaurant operators are prioritizing expansion strategies rather than scaling back operations in 2026.
Walk-On's is launching a smaller, lower-cost prototype with a company-owned location planned for Baton Rouge in early 2027, suggesting the chain may be testing a more scalable format to manage expansi
Nelson Peltz, Wendy's largest shareholder, has reportedly decided not to pursue taking the chain private, leaving questions about the company's strategic direction unresolved.
Starbucks' limited-time Unicorn Frappucino, after months of anticipation, generated a 28.5% traffic increase versus a typical Saturday, suggesting scarcity and pre-launch buzz can drive near-term tran
