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Tracking the same-store sales of 21 major restaurant chains
Major publicly traded restaurant chains had a strange Q2 for comps growth, from Chili’s 23% jump to Sweetgreen’s 7.6% shortfall.
Updated Aug. 18, 2025 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Papa Johns CFO gains dual role, salary bump
Appointing its finance chief Ravi Thanawala to the dual role of CFO and president could signal additional belt-tightening by the pizza chain, Cowen Partners’ Shawn Cole said.
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Courtesy of GoTo Foods
Auntie Anne’s hires Chili’s vet as chief brand officer
Nathan Baldwin joins GoTo Food’s pretzel chain in the midst of a brand refresh and push to develop more streetside locations and co-branded restaurants.
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Courtesy of Panera Bread
Panera plans to reach $7B in sales by 2028
The chain’s multi-part strategic plan includes investments in beverage and bakery items and front-of-house labor.
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Permission granted by Freddy's
Freddy’s operator declares bankruptcy
M&M Custard filed for Chapter 11 after expanding into the Chicago market, where stores struggled to gain traction.
Updated Nov. 17, 2025 -
RiverNorthPhotography via Getty Images
MTY Food Group considering full, partial sale
Cold Stone’s parent said it is reviewing various alternatives, but may continue to operate as normal, and made no assurances that a transaction would occur.
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Courtesy of Culver's
Culver’s unveils rewards program
The Delicious Rewards program offers 10 points for every dollar spent, birthday rewards and other future benefits, like offering menu development input.
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Why Papa Murphy’s rebuilt its loyalty program around a single rule
“Every pizza earns points,” Papa Murphy’s Jason Focht said. “It's easy to understand, easy to message and easy to execute across all of our channels, including web apps and in-store.”
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Will restaurants see more M&A and IPO activity in 2026?
Next year may be marked by a high volume of deals for both high-performing growth concepts and distressed assets, as challenger brands look for capital and ailing systems seek turnarounds.
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Courtesy of Starbucks
Starbucks’ holiday launch marks biggest sales day ever in North America
Traffic spiked nearly 38% on Nov. 6, the day of the chain’s holiday rollout, which included the highly popular release of the Bearista cup, according to Placer.ai data.
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Courtesy of Yum Brands/Pizza Hut
ColumnFueling Up: Pizza Hut might be up for sale. Could a c-store chain take a slice?
Retailers are competing with QSRs and focusing on fresh food more than ever. Following RaceTrac’s recent deal for Potbelly, who says a c-store buyer is out of the question?
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Courtesy of IHOP
Inside Dine’s push for value, dual-branded development
Applebee’s and IHOP are making sales and traffic gains after the company emphasized both brands’ low-priced menu items this year.
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Courtesy of Sweetgreen
Sweetgreen opens first drive-thru location with automated makeline
The Costa Mesa, California, store features an automated Infinite Kitchen makeline and a digital pickup Sweetlane, combining two of its major technology pushes.
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Courtesy of Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut dishes out holiday value in multichannel campaign
The pizza chain supports its value-oriented holiday messaging with comedic ads, in-person events and digital games.
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Starbucks Workers United launches 65-store strike
The union said its members are prepared for the longest and most serious strike in the brand’s history, aimed at pushing Starbucks to agree to more favorable contract terms.
Updated Nov. 13, 2025 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Why Panera’s CEO prioritizes hospitality over tech
Paul Carbone said the chain is improving order accuracy and store layouts, rather than deploying “technology that’s looking for a problem to solve.”
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Courtesy of Culver's
How Culver’s home-grown franchisees power its growth
By turning long-tenured GMs into owner-operators, the chain ensures a steady supply of franchisees who are committed to the brand and have significant operational experience.
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Courtesy of Dave & Buster's
Dave & Buster’s rolls out revamped menu
The menu, which includes 100 food and beverage items, yielded strong check growth during its pilot phase.
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Courtesy of P.F. Chang's
P.F. Chang’s hires CEO
Jim Mazany brings decades of restaurant executive experience to the Asian chain, which is poised to ramp up growth and refine its fast casual concept.
Updated Nov. 11, 2025 -
Brandon Bell / Staff via Getty Images
Wendy’s doubles down on marketing effectiveness as part of turnaround
The QSR’s partnership with consultant Creed UnCo aims to clarify what drives purchasing decisions and refine messaging around value.
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FireAtDusk via Getty Images
Wendy’s could close hundreds of restaurants
With McDonald’s and Burger King posting same-store sales gains, Wendy’s is under pressure to raise its average unit volume.
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Robert Way via Getty Images
RBI sells majority stake in Burger King China business
A joint venture with Chinese asset manager CPE will focus on growing the chain from 1,250 units to 4,000 by the end of 2035.
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Permission granted by &pizza
Why emerging chain &pizza just bought a Tex-Mex brand
The creation of Latitude Food Group will allow for &pizza and Tijuana Flats to share resources while they look to grow outside their regional bases.
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Scott Olson via Getty Images
Sweetgreen battered by 9.5% same-store sales drop
The salad chain suffered one of the worst third quarters among publicly traded fast casuals, as young consumers in core markets pulled back and value plays ate into margins.
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Permission granted by Dutch Bros
Dutch Bros to take breakfast nationwide in 2026
The drive-thru coffee chain is putting pressure on legacy competitors with its goal to be a one-stop shop in the morning daypart.
