81 stories · last 7 days by relevance
Chipotle opened its first Asian location in Seoul, South Korea, through a partnership with Sangmidang Holdings, signaling an expansion beyond North America.
Chipotle is simultaneously launching two limited-time offerings—a reformulated Pollo Asado and new Chili Lime Chips—marking the first time the chain has run dual LTOs at once, suggesting a bid to driv
Little Caesars opened its first military base location last year and now has four additional units planned across U.S. Navy installations, signaling expansion into a new channel with captive, high-fre
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McDonald's loyalty program collects granular customer data including visit frequency predictions and churn scores, illustrating how QSR operators now build detailed behavioral profiles that extend wel
Sbarro's CEO discusses the brand's turnaround as the 70-year-old pizzeria moves beyond its mall-based legacy, signaling renewed strategic focus in a competitive casual dining market.
Sbarro, marking its 70th anniversary, is undergoing a turnaround after years of decline, signaling that legacy casual-dining concepts can reinvent themselves through strategic repositioning beyond the
Wendy's is undergoing executive changes, Taco Bell partnered with Olivia Rodrigo, and recent sales data showed gains for independent restaurants—signaling continued industry consolidation pressures an
Original ChopShop is launching a dinner-focused promotion called 'Feel Good Nights' featuring new bowl options and a loyalty offer to drive weeknight traffic.
Panera modified its rewards program structure, signaling an effort to deepen customer retention through revised earning mechanics.
Riko's Pizza, a 13-unit Connecticut-based pizza chain, is projecting growth to 18–19 locations by end of 2026 following infrastructure investments made earlier this year.
Fast Casual Executive Summit (Oct. 4-6 in Arlington, Texas) will explore how integrating fragmented tech systems into a unified customer view can improve returns for fast casual brands.
Restaurant technology has shifted from maximizing order capture across channels to a more strategic, efficiency-focused approach, signaling that operators are prioritizing quality and cost management
Chipotle has opened its first location in Seoul, marking the start of its expansion into Asia.
Major QSR's first-ever loyalty program represents a late-to-market entrant entering a table-stakes competitive battleground with 100+ units expected.
Colony Grill, a Connecticut pizza chain, plans to open two new locations in Hartford County in 2027, signaling continued confidence in regional expansion despite broader restaurant-sector uncertainty.
WOWorks opened 23 new restaurants and announced plans for 15 additional locations, signaling continued momentum in its multi-brand expansion strategy.
PAR Technology has launched Guest360, a platform designed to unify guest data across restaurant transactions.
McDonald's is testing whether international markets can sustain growth through value deals, menu innovation, and loyalty initiatives despite ongoing consumer pressure.
WOWorks announced plans for 23 restaurant openings in 2026, with 15 additional locations in development.
Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons have launched a partnership to enhance their loyalty programs.
Commercial real estate dynamics are shifting the restaurant landscape, with industry experts discussing how operators should adapt to changing lease and location strategies.
Applebee's, an official NFL sponsor, is offering a season-long promotional pass for free boneless wings to drive gameday traffic during football season.
Over half of Americans support rounding up purchases for charity, signaling potential for QSRs to mobilize customer bases for fundraising tied to education, hunger, and disaster relief causes.
CAVA is targeting 75–77 net new restaurant openings in 2026, supported by strong performance from recent vintages and broad-based demand signals.
Haidilao is implementing Infobip's data-driven personalization tools to expand its loyalty program globally, signaling how hotpot chains are investing in customer data infrastructure to compete across
QSR Magazine reports that value incentives are undermining restaurant loyalty programs, suggesting operators may need to reconsider how discounts and deals interact with program retention strategies.
Loyalty program fraud is now a material threat to chain revenue and customer data; credential stuffing and weak authentication are evolving attack vectors brands must defend.
Scooter's Coffee operates 555 drive-thru locations amid a surge in competition from Dutch Bros, 7 Brew, and others in the accelerating drive-thru coffee segment.
Taco Bell has signed an exclusive franchise deal with Americana Restaurants to re-enter the United Arab Emirates market, marking a return to the region after a 12-year absence.
Brooklyn Water Bagel has opened its first location on a college campus at Nova Southeastern University.
NYC sandwich shop Alidoro is implementing operational systems designed to support expansion into additional transit hubs and new markets.
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
Pokeworks is running September-long promotions including tiered bonus points for loyalty members and Labor Day offers, signaling continued focus on member engagement and seasonal traffic drivers.
Taystee's Burgers, a 10-unit quick-service chain based in the Detroit area, operates premium burger concepts inside gas stations and is preparing to expand into new markets.
Chick-fil-A has closed its final experimental restaurant, ending a test initiative.
Franchisors are reconsidering their development strategies in response to rising construction costs.
Yo-Chi, an Australian frozen yogurt chain with 75 units across Singapore and London, is entering the U.S. market with a Dallas location in September and plans to expand through local joint-venture par
Vandelay Companies is opening a Hudson House location in Southlake, Texas on September 11, expanding its East Coast–inspired restaurant concept across the state.
Rove, a rewards platform, has expanded to include dining and in-store rewards capabilities alongside its existing offerings.
Dutch Bros and 7 Brew are competing to acquire Salad and Go's real estate portfolio through a court-supervised auction as the drive-thru chain's parent navigates bankruptcy.
Dunkin' has returned to a major market after a 12-year absence.
Independent operator scales from one to three locations using QSR management discipline — modest case study in neighborhood-tailored unit operations, but single-brand and pre-25-location stage.
Happy Belly Food Group's Heal Wellness QSR brand has secured a real-estate location for a multi-unit franchisee in Belleville, Ontario.
Smashburger renewed its Arizona State University athletics sponsorship for a third consecutive year, expanding its presence at game-day activations.
Five Guys closed 31 locations last year while expanding its overall footprint, suggesting the chain is optimizing its portfolio by exiting underperforming markets.
Fast-casual pizza chain Your Pie is expanding in the Southeast under new leadership by combining handcrafted Italian traditions with streamlined operations and a smaller restaurant footprint, signalin
Jason's Deli and Omnirev leaders will discuss how AI and guest data can drive customer retention and revenue in catering at the Restaurant Catering Workshop in Arlington, Texas on October 6–7.
A&W unveiled a new prototype restaurant design that blends its classic heritage with contemporary features.
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.
Case study of a regional chain's loyalty marketing leadership — useful for peer benchmark, but limited to vendor audience context.