Fast Casual
HB Protein Smoothies hires Tyler Doolittle to lead real estate, openings
HB Protein Smoothies appointed Tyler Doolittle to lead real estate and expansion efforts.
2,737 stories · last 30 days by relevance
QSR Magazine
2,737 stories · last 30 days by relevance
HB Protein Smoothies appointed Tyler Doolittle to lead real estate and expansion efforts.
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.
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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
McDonald's CEO acknowledged execution challenges in the U.S. market during the Q2 2026 earnings call and introduced a McDonald's > NEXT strategic initiative.
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.
Chipotle's digital sales reached 38% of total revenue in Q2 2026, even as the company navigated wage inflation pressures.
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.
Salad & Go's bankruptcy resulted from multiple pressures including a Cyclospora outbreak, rising costs, rapid expansion, weak consumer demand, and declining fast-casual traffic—suggesting that single-
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.
International expansion of an emerging fried-chicken franchise signals growth opportunity and market consolidation in a competitive segment.
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.
Shake Shack beat earnings expectations in Q2 with 17.2% year-over-year revenue growth, though beef inflation and rising costs weighed on margins—signaling that price increases may not be fully offsett
Roundup of seasonal menu launches and promotional bundles across segments — routine news without strategic insight for multi-unit operators.
An industry analysis piece examines operational challenges ahead for 2026, signaling that restaurants face continued cost and margin pressures in the coming year.
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
Brandon Landry, founder of Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux and Smalls Sliders, shares operational insights on building scalable restaurant concepts; the episode suggests multi-unit success hinges on replica
Uber is investing in and partnering with Zipline to expand drone delivery services across the U.S., signaling a potential shift toward autonomous delivery infrastructure for restaurants.
Smoothie King reported 9% same-store sales growth in July and expanded its franchise pipeline.
Chipotle has relaunched its Chipotle IQ trivia game, offering Rewards members chances to win free entrée codes and points.
Teriyaki Madness hired Jake Lowell as Franchise Development Real Estate Manager, a newly created position, signaling the chain's active focus on site selection and franchise expansion infrastructure.
Toast is positioning AI tools as a solution to help restaurant operators find operational efficiencies, betting that time constraints prevent most restaurants from implementing such technologies indep
Qdoba and Chipotle halted jalapeño service after they were linked to a multistate Salmonella outbreak affecting hundreds of customers, signaling potential supply chain vulnerabilities in produce sourc
G. Brint Ryan has acquired full ownership of Mr. Gatti's pizza chain, which the source notes has seen material growth recently.
Applebee's and IHOP are prioritizing new menu items over discounting to attract customers, with executives citing innovation as a traffic driver.
Jersey Mike's muted IPO response reflects investor caution on valuations and fast-casual sector outlook rather than operational weakness, as the franchise-model chain maintains solid unit economics de