The Latest
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Restaurant trend outlook for 2024
Slow traffic, growing interest in afternoon snacking and trends toward value menus, digital and in-store personalization will shape the restaurant landscape.
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Sponsored by Instant Financial
Breaking it down: Why Gen Z demands pay optionality
Generation Z demands more flexibility in how they’re paid. Employers need to be ready to embrace these new expectations with options for how employees can be paid.
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Study: Chipotle, Starbucks have highest burnout among major restaurants
Chipotle, which recently added new worker benefits to attract hires, had the second-highest burnout rating of any company in the study, surpassed only by Progressive.
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Foxtrot ceases operations
The Chicago-based c-store chain’s sister company, Dom’s Kitchen & Market, suddenly announced Tuesday that all operations have come to a close.
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Starbucks argues before Supreme Court to weaken NLRB’s power
The coffee titan wants courts to use stricter standards when evaluating injunctions in unfair labor practice cases.
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DOL will raise overtime salary threshold to $44K in July, $59K next year
The final rule expands overtime pay eligibility to millions of U.S. workers, the department said.
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Flynn Group buys 26 Applebee’s units, will build 25 more
Applebee’s is trying to turn around sliding sales and a shrinking footprint through franchising initiatives and traffic-oriented marketing moves.
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Fuzzy’s Taco Shop taps Applebee’s vet as CMO
In his new role, Patrick Kirk will oversee all aspects of marketing, including advertising, digital marketing and culinary and beverage innovation.
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Tijuana Flats files for Chapter 11, gains new owners
The fast casual chain also closed 11 restaurants after undergoing a unit-by-unit analysis of financial performance, occupancy costs and market conditions.
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Papa Johns franchisees accelerating growth this year in light of incentives
Operators who open new units in 2024 don’t have to pay a national ad contribution for five years, which could save $330,000 in development costs, per a BTIG report.
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Flynn Group, Zipline to deliver Panera Bread orders via drone
Deliveries are expected to begin next year and will be available from select Panera units in the Greater Seattle area.
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6 restaurants that plotted international growth during Q1
Chains like Fazoli’s, Marco’s Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese secured deals to enter new countries as part of ongoing global expansion plans.
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Why Red Lobster could be headed toward bankruptcy
The chain only paid a quarter of its bills on time in February and over half were 61 to 90 days late, according to data from Creditsafe.
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4 things to know about TGI Fridays’ acquisition by Hostmore
The chain’s biggest franchisee has been reducing expenses since 2022, which should help the combined company start on stronger financial footing in the U.K.’s public market.
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Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers franchisee must pay $119K for child labor violations
The operator of seven Alabama Freddy’s locations employed 149 children under 16 years old to work longer hours than permitted by law.
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Chipotle agrees to nearly $3M settlement over alleged paid leave and scheduling violations in Seattle
The settlement is the largest since the Secure Scheduling Ordinance went into effect in July 2017, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards said.
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Little Caesars signs multi-unit deals in 7 states
The chain returned to net unit growth in 2023 and is looking to build on that momentum this year in markets including California, Tennessee and Texas.
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Fat Brands expands hybrid Fatburger/Round Table Pizza model to NorCal
Fat Brands franchisee California Burger will add the burger concept to 40 pizza restaurants over the next 10 years, with the first to be completed this year.
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Krispy Kreme switching to points-based loyalty scheme
Loyalty members will earn 10 points for every dollar spent starting April 23 as the chain shifts away from a consistent 8.3% discount rate on rewards.
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Mod Pizza hires Raising Cane’s exec as CMO
Jennifer Anderson brings nearly two decades of marketing and culinary experience to her new position, where she will oversee digital marketing, menu development and consumer insights and engagement.
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TGI Fridays enters $220M agreement to combine with UK franchisee
The deal with Hostmore, worth over $220 million, will lead to TGI Fridays trading on the London Stock Exchange under “TGIF” symbol.
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Why dynamic pricing sours restaurant dining experiences
Nearly two-thirds of consumers had a negative reaction to dynamic pricing, a HungerRush survey found.
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Bojangles to enter Los Angeles market in 2025
California’s recent wage hike hasn’t stopped the chicken chain from committing to open 30 units in the Golden State, continuing its national expansion.
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Steak ‘n Shake installs facial recognition at self-ordering kiosks
The chain, which completed its move from full-service to self-service last year, first tested PopID’s technology in October and began deploying it in January.
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Domino’s adds New York Style Pizza to menu
As the most popular style of pizza in the country, the new crust option could continue transaction and comp sales momentum noted during Q4.
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Q&A
Ask an expert: How can brands protect struggling franchisees from bankruptcy?
A bad franchisee can do “irreparable harm” to its parent chain, but early intervention can help avoid sales shortfalls and covenant defaults, said Chris Desiderio of Nixon Peabody.