Taco Bell revs up drive-thru AI deployment
Taco Bell is expanding AI-powered voice ordering in its drive-thrus through a partnership with Omilia, which already operates in nearly 900 U.S. restaurants, signaling continued industry momentum towa

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Taco Bell is expanding AI-powered voice ordering in its drive-thrus through a partnership with Omilia, which already operates in nearly 900 U.S. restaurants, signaling continued industry momentum towa

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers plans to open around 60 locations in 2026, nearing 600 total units, with new building formats enabling expansion into different real estate types.

Thanx has integrated its first-party ordering system directly into Square's POS platform, combining Thanx's ordering interface with Square's commerce infrastructure.

Jersey Mike's filed for a public listing on the NYSE under ticker JMKE, signaling confidence in the sandwich chain's business model and potentially unlocking capital for expansion or franchisee buyout

Audivi AI has released a new pricing model designed to make drive-thru automation more accessible to quick-service restaurant operators.
Canadian dessert chain D-Spot Dessert Café is entering the U.S. market with its first location in Dallas, signaling readiness to scale a franchise model beyond its home country.

Yogurtland reported record franchise metrics in 2025, with traditional store AUVs reaching $934,959, signaling sustained demand in the self-serve frozen yogurt category.

Pizza Ranch has selected NCR Voyix to manage restaurant operations across its system, signaling a shift toward modernizing point-of-sale and back-office infrastructure.
HB Protein Smoothies signed a 6-unit franchise agreement for Houston with an experienced restaurant operations group, continuing its geographic expansion.

QSR Magazine highlights untold stories from franchisees about leadership challenges and operational turning points, suggesting that personal experiences with hiring and mentorship often shape franchis

Swig has signed a multi-unit franchise agreement to expand across Chicago's southwest suburbs with experienced operators Derek and Michelle Hincks.

Another Broken Egg Cafe launched a royalty relief program aimed at incentivizing franchisees to open additional units, signaling the chain's focus on accelerating unit growth through financial incenti

Slim Chickens appointed Maureen DiStefano as Director of Franchise Development to strengthen its franchise team ahead of expansion efforts.


Nation's Restaurant News reports on restaurant industry headwinds including mass closures and job losses, alongside Jersey Mike's planned IPO and recent employment data.
A major operator of a pizza chain has filed for bankruptcy despite the brand's ongoing expansion, suggesting potential strain between franchisor growth and franchisee unit economics.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers projects 60 new locations in 2026, signaling confidence in its expansion pipeline and potential market appetite for the brand's positioning.
HTeaO opened a new location in Katy, Texas, expanding its presence in the state.

Restaurant franchising is attracting women entrepreneurs who seek business ownership with built-in operational support and growth potential.

Woof Gang Bakery, a pet-food-focused bakery brand, has secured private equity backing from Great Hill Partners.
Zaxby's has surpassed 1,000 locations, signaling sustained expansion in the competitive chicken sandwich category.
Dog Haus is offering an area director franchise model that includes equity stakes for franchisees.
Inspira has provided ₹1,800 crore in credit financing to fuel a Burger King India acquisition, signaling continued consolidation activity in the Indian QSR market.
Freddy's has announced a target of 600 locations by 2026.
Zeus Street Greek attributed its private equity partnership to rising operational costs.
Bad Ass Coffee is expanding through nontraditional unit formats, a strategy that signals growing operator interest in flexible, lower-overhead coffee concepts beyond traditional standalone cafes.
Jollibee launched new chicken nuggets, a move the market views as potentially supporting its U.S. IPO ambitions and franchised expansion plans.

Chicken Salad Chick signed 52 franchise agreements in early 2026, nearly 50 percent more than the 35 it secured in the same period last year, marking its strongest quarter for franchise development si

Dog Haus is launching an area director program with 15 leaders to accelerate expansion from its current 60 locations, signaling a shift toward franchisee-supported growth infrastructure.

A franchisee of a popular pizza chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
RestaurantNews.com's top 20 restaurant stories for the week ending July 5, 2026 featured Birdcall, Golden Corral, Blue Mint Thai, Red Lobster, and Chili's.
Spur Corporation, a casual dining brand, is exploring expansion into the US market through franchise growth.
Several major restaurant franchisees executed significant acquisition and divestiture deals in the first half of the year, including Red Robin selling company-owned stores and Mas Restaurant Group off

Rosie's Burgers, owned by Happy Belly Food Group, has signed its first franchise agreement in New Brunswick, signaling the brand's expansion into a new Canadian province.
Golden Corral's senior director of franchise business development, Dan Doulen, will speak at the QSR Evolution Conference; he brings over two decades of franchising experience, including prior roles a

Vibe Restaurants is opening its 100th Wingstop location in Wichita on July 8, marking a milestone in the franchisee's expansion.

A pizza franchisee has filed for bankruptcy despite pursuing national expansion over the past two years, signaling potential strain in the franchise model even during growth periods.
A Woody's Bar-B-Q franchisee in Florida filed for bankruptcy a second time in three years, citing rising food costs, management issues, and expensive merchant cash advance financing as contributing fa

GoTab has acquired Fishbowl, a guest marketing and loyalty platform, to expand its restaurant commerce ecosystem that includes POS, ordering, payments, and mobile solutions.
Liberty Mutual provided $320 million in financing to inKind, a platform designed to help restaurants access capital for expansion, renovations, and operational needs.
Famous Brands outlined its restaurant portfolio amid investor scrutiny of consumer spending patterns.
Carrols Restaurant Group outlined its fast-food strategy while TAST expands its presence in quick-service dining.
A Mountain Mike's franchisee in Medford filed for bankruptcy amid debt pressures, signaling potential financial strain within the chain's franchise system.
Your Pie, an Ischia-inspired pizza chain with customizable brick-oven offerings, is targeting Wilmington, North Carolina for expansion, signaling confidence in regional demand for fast-casual pizza co

Social-first growth playbook — organic content scaled The Taco Spot to 400-unit pipeline, showing how brands can use owned channels to accelerate franchising velocity.

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

Quick-service restaurants are deploying incremental technology upgrades like digital menus and tablets, along with outsourced services, to address drive-thru inefficiencies such as slow service and or

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

A franchisee of a popular fried chicken chain has closed 39 locations.