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Chipotle opened its first Asian location in Seoul, South Korea, through a partnership with Sangmidang Holdings, signaling an expansion beyond North America.
Hungry Howie's has added a new delivery partner to its Cartwheel program.
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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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
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
Chowbus and Maple have partnered to offer multilingual voice AI ordering technology to restaurants.
Chipotle has opened its first location in Seoul, marking the start of its expansion into Asia.
Fast-casual operators from Hot Head Burritos, Smoothie King, and Kraft Heinz are sharing insights on executing brand collaborations successfully at an industry conference.
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.
WOWorks announced plans for 23 restaurant openings in 2026, with 15 additional locations in development.
Commercial real estate dynamics are shifting the restaurant landscape, with industry experts discussing how operators should adapt to changing lease and location strategies.
A restaurant's reservation system captures customer data from busy service nights, creating a record of guest information.
CAVA is targeting 75–77 net new restaurant openings in 2026, supported by strong performance from recent vintages and broad-based demand signals.
Restaurant chains are investing in their own delivery apps to reduce third-party platform fees, though adoption remains a challenge for operators.
The founder of text-message ordering technology claims his platform powers over 800 restaurant brands including major chains like Shake Shack and Panda Express, signaling that SMS remains a viable ord
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
Taco Bell partnered with Olivia Rodrigo for a Baja Blast collaboration, part of broader celebrity marketing efforts across quick-service chains amid ongoing industry leadership changes.
Taco Bell partnered with Olivia Rodrigo to co-create a Baja Blast variant, signaling continued celebrity collaboration as a lever for beverage differentiation in QSR.
Restaurants are prioritizing first-party digital ordering channels as a strategic focus.
Restaurants are increasing customer technology investments despite traffic remaining 7% below pre-pandemic levels, suggesting operators see tech adoption as essential for competing in a slower-recover
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.
Chipotle enlisted 100 creators to produce unscripted social and TV content showcasing the preparation of new menu items Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips, signaling a shift toward creator-led authentic
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.
Del Taco is launching a new catering platform as part of its Project Del Sunrise expansion roadmap, beginning September 3.
Events and private dining have become important revenue streams for restaurants, but the booking process remains inefficient, according to TripleSeat's CEO.
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.
Celebrity co-creation of limited-time beverages drives trial and social buzz—a scalable playbook for QSR brands chasing Gen Z traffic and shareability.
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
Chipotle placed content creators in its kitchens as part of a restaurant-focused marketing initiative.
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.
Dave's Hot Chicken's CMO discusses the chain's approach to AI, using it for backend operations like customer data and financial analysis while excluding it from creative and content work.
Chick-fil-A has closed its final experimental restaurant, ending a test initiative.
Owner, a restaurant tech platform, raised $240 million to expand its AI-powered technology and marketing services.
Wonder acquired Salt Hank's, Uber exited its Serve delivery platform, and Qu Foods hired Paul Rubin—three separate moves signaling ongoing consolidation and leadership shifts in restaurant technology
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
Owner, a platform for local businesses, has raised $240M in funding led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives.
Restaurants are facing online criticism for using AI to generate menus and social media content, though some argue the practice deserves more tolerance.
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.
Qu has launched an embedded payment platform designed for quick-service restaurants, integrating payments directly into restaurant operations software.
Chipotle launched a '100 Creators' campaign with an apparent openness theme, suggesting the brand is emphasizing accessibility and inclusion in its creator partnership strategy.
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.