The Latest

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    Kendall Davis/Restaurant Dive

    Ghost restaurant calculator

    Thinking about developing a ghost kitchen business plan? Use this calculator to crunch the numbers and determine profitability.

  • A photo of the inside of Jinya Ramen Bar
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    Permission granted by Jinya Ramen Bar

    Jinya Ramen Bar to grow from 52 units to 200-plus in 10 years

    The Asian food chain opened eight restaurants last year and aims to add 25 locations annually.

  • Panera Bread storefront
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    Permission granted by Panera Bread

    Panera’s latest innovation uses Alexa ordering capabilities

    MyPanera rewards members can order pickup or delivery with voice or touch on Echo Show devices.

  • A photograph of IHOP's Eggs Benedicts
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    Courtesy of IHOP

    IHOP to serve biggest menu revision to date

    The new items, which will be added on Monday, span across breakfast, lunch and dinner and are part of the company’s ongoing menu innovation strategy. 

  • Ordering takeout and delivery convenience food from an online Asian restaurant delivery meal from a smart phone.
    Image attribution tooltip
    YinYang via Getty Images

    QSRs expect 51% of tasks will be automated by 2025

    Operators said they will invest more in technology to support digital order fulfillment, operational efficiency in the kitchen and faster checkout times, per an Incisiv report. 

  • An image of six restaurant CEOs
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    Courtesy of Modern Restaurant Market, True Food Kitchen, The Habit Burger, Starbucks, CKE Restaurants, Restaurant Brands International

    Who’s who: Meet the newest CEOs of the restaurant industry

    Chains like Starbucks, Restaurant Brands International, CKE Restaurants and True Food Kitchen gained new leadership during Q1.

  • An Uber Eats order is handed to an end customer.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Uber

    Uber Eats adds virtual restaurant program to offer turnkey delivery-only concepts

    The aggregator also revised its virtual restaurant policies to prevent duplicate menus, which reduce the variety and quality of options on its platform. 

  • A picture of a Chipotle with a pickup lane.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Chipotle

    Chipotle will pay $240K to settle with union over Maine store closure

    The Mexican chain said it is settling with Chipotle United and the National Labor Relations Board to avoid a protracted and expensive regulatory battle.

  • An image of menu items from I Love Juice Bar
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from I Love Juice Bar on March 28, 2023

    Main Squeeze Juice Co. acquires I Love Juice Bar

    The deal will almost double Main Squeeze’s unit count of 28 stores and give it a strong presence in Texas and Tennessee. 

  • An exterior image of a white restaurant with a yellow decoration and signs that say Church's Chicken
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Church's Chicken

    Church’s Texas Chicken creates VP of strategy and growth position

    Neel Patel, formerly of McKinsey, will oversee the brand’s strategic planning. He previously worked on strategy and analytics for the restaurant.

  • Three images of Uber Eats' in-stadium delivery feature.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Uber Eats

    Uber Eats will deliver concessions to seats at Yankee Stadium

    Orders will be prepared and delivered by in-venue concessionaires and stadium staff, a change from Uber Eats’ mobile pickup offering at half a dozen sports and entertainment venues. 

  • Image attribution tooltip
    yaoinlove via Getty Images

    McDonald’s is the latest QSR to embrace geofencing

    The feature is designed to improve speed of service for mobile orders and streamline the order preparation process for McDonald’s workers. 

  • A photograph of menu items from Firebirds Wood Fired Grill
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

    Firebirds Wood Fired Grill acquired by private equity firm

    Garnett Station Partners bought the polished-casual chain, which has 56 locations in 20 states, with plans to help it accelerate growth. 

    M&A
  • Marketing material fro Grubhub and Transact Campus' latest offering.
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    Courtesy of Grubhub & Transact Campus

    Grubhub, Transact Campus beef up student ordering options

    Students can use their campus ID cards to order from Grubhub’s on-campus and off-campus restaurant partners on the Transact Mobile Ordering app. 

  • Close-up photo of female hands with smartphone. Young woman typing on a mobile phone on a sunny street.
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    Kirill Smyslov via Getty Images

    OpenTable partners with ChatGPT

    ChatGPT will provide restaurant recommendations as part of an OpenTable plugin, which will initially be available to select ChatGPT Plus subscribers.

  • Barista at Luckin Coffee shop.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images via Getty Images

    Luckin Coffee’s ‘revenue reckoning’ takeaways

    The Beijing-based chain was initially viewed as a kind of David poised to take on the Goliath of the coffee world — Starbucks — in China.

  • A photograph of Fogo de Chao's roasted power vegetable bowl
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Fogo de Chão

    Fogo de Chão says plant-based fare, cocktail lounges attract young diners

    By offering a richer menu than just fire-roasted meats, the Brazilian restaurant has gained strong awareness among younger consumers, which has helped it open new restaurants.

  • A woman and man at a cash register
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Chipotle

    How 7 fast casual, full-service chains are hiking prices

    Applebee’s, Chipotle and Shake Shack have raised prices between 7.5% and 10%, and Noodles & Company will test dynamic pricing as chains contend with inflation. 

  • An image of Elote Mexican Street Corn Hash at First Watch
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    Permission granted by First Watch

    How breakfast brands are reinventing morning menus

    Restaurants like First Watch, Snooze and Another Broken Egg Cafe have been adding twists to classic menu items as the segment emphasizes affordable brunch options.

  • A young woman customer placing her order at a fast food convenience restaurant.
    Image attribution tooltip
    YinYang via Getty Images

    How 5 QSR giants are tackling menu pricing, strategy

    McDonald’s, Starbucks and Wendy’s took price between 6% and 10% in 2022, and experts expect prices to rise further as chains face economic headwinds. 

  • A promotional image for KFC's new chicken nuggets.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of KFC

    KFC nuggets open new front in chicken wars

    The nuggets will be available nationwide on March 27 following “wildly successful” market tests in North Carolina. 

  • A photograph of John Williams, CEO at True Food Kitchen.
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    Permission granted by True Food Kitchen

    True Food Kitchen appoints Lazy Dog exec as CEO

    John Williams joins the 43-unit, wellness-focused chain as it looks to grow and open a new fast casual concept to reach new customers. 

  • Starbucks workers on strike outside a Seattle Starbucks in June 2022.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Christopher Doering/Restaurant Dive
    Starbucks unionization efforts

    Starbucks union welcomes CEO with 115-store strike

    Laxman Narasimhan faces a nationwide demonstration of Starbucks Workers United members, who are urging for cooperation, one day before the chain’s annual shareholder meeting.

  • A Papa John's sign.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle / Staff via Getty Images

    Papa Johns CFO resigns

    Ann Gugino, who has been at the pizza chain since 2020, is leaving effective May 31. Papa Johns has begun a search for a permanent CFO. 

  • A customer scans his palm with an Amazon One device at a Panera cafe.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Panera

    Panera tests Amazon One palm scanners at 2 cafes

    Panera will expand the tech to between 10 and 20 cafes depending on the reception of the initial test, which links Amazon’s palm scanning technology to its loyalty program.