The Latest

  • An image of a man leaving a Chipotle. He is holding a brown bag.
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    Getty Images
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    Tracking the same-store sales of 23 major restaurant chains

    Q1 2026 saw more evidence of a casual dining resurgence, as fast casual sales continued to slow and QSRs posted mixed results.

    Updated May 26, 2026
  • Happy diners eating pizza
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    Permission granted by Rokt Marketing
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    Sponsored by Rokt

    The confirmation screen: QSR’s strategic frontier for owned media

    The next QSR growth frontier? Your confirmation screen. Turn transactions into profit.

  • Papa John's pizza box is seen on July 11, 2018 in Miami, Florida
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Papa Johns’ CFO to depart

    Ravi Thanawala helped with major turnaround efforts over the past three years and briefly led the company on an interim basis.

  • A group of people at a bar cheer while watching a soccer match. A person in the center is wearing red and holding a soccer ball.
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    Getty Images
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    World Cup kicks US restaurant traffic up a notch

    Transactions in host cities jumped by as much as 28% during the group stage of the soccer tournament, per Square data.

  • A daytime image of a building with beige bricks and a Tropical Smoothie Cafe sign.
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    Permission granted by Tropical Smoothie Cafe
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    How Tropical Smoothie Cafe has grown under Blackstone’s ownership

    CEO Max Wetzel said the chain expects to open 175 units this year and has a pipeline of over 900 units to open after 2026.

  • A CGI buffalo sits at a bar as part of a Buffalo Wild Wings campaign.
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    Permission granted by Buffalo Wild Wings
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    Buffalo Wild Wings hires marketing chief from Tatte

    Scott Nelson will lead the sports bar’s culinary and marketing efforts as it looks to build on its sports-forward brand reputation.

  • An image of a resaturant with Church's Chicken on the side of the building
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    jetcityimage via Getty Images
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    Church’s Texas Chicken debuts catering

    The chicken chain is one of many QSRs shifting toward large group orders to work around the price sensitivity of individual consumers and drive sales.

  • Four plastic cups with colorful beverages and ice inside sit on a white table, surrounded by fruit and against a pink patterned background.
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    Permission granted by Sheetz
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    Sheetz, Dash In lead the charge as refreshers reshape c-store beverage sales

    The drinks sit at the intersection of fruit flavor, wellness and afternoon treat occasions, making them highly adaptable across c-store menus.

  • Taco Bell
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell gives away emotional-support tacos as World Cup nerves run high

    “Loss Or Celebration Outcome Support,” or “L.O.C.O.S.,” will activate globally and comes as the brand looks to expand its loyalty program.

  • A person stands over dishes of chocolate dessert inside a restaurant kitchen.
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    Permission granted by Clementine
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    Opinion

    Why from-scratch cooking is a radical choice in 2026

    Few kitchens cook from scratch today, meaning important techniques and methods could be lost as young chefs work with pre-made ingredients, says Clementine co-owner and pastry chef Elise Russ. 

  • Longhorn Steakhoues
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    Courtesy of Darden Restaurants
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    LongHorn Steakhouse hits $1B in quarterly sales

    While price sensitivity and beef costs may be hurting other brands, the steakhouse chain and Olive Garden saw sales growth across income cohorts.

  • A rendering of a bagel shop.
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    Courtesy of Einstein Bros. Bagels
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    Einstein Bros. Bagels plans 300 new stores by 2030

    The brand is preparing for scalable growth with a new store prototype as more consumers opt for bagels for breakfast and beyond.

  • Taco Bell drive-through
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    Courtesy of Yum Brands
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    Taco Bell operator sells 43 restaurants

    Mas Restaurant Group divested all of its Ohio restaurants to Southpaw just weeks after it sold 44 of its Texas units to Ghai Restaurant Group.

    Updated June 29, 2026
  • Estepps c-stores
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    Retrieved from Google.
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    Kentucky c-store chain to introduce PJ’s Coffee

    Estepp Energy plans to add the New Orleans java brand’s beverages to seven stores through a combination of full cafés with drive-thrus, end-cap locations and in-store counters.

  • BJ's Restaurants' new chicken sandwiches
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    Courtesy of BJ's Restaurants
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    BJ’s fuels menu revamp with chicken sandwiches

    The new lineup offers a range of flavor options and could give the casual chain a chance to take market share from QSR chicken chains.

  • A photo of the exterior of a gas station and travel stop. Text on the fuel canopy says Love's and the building features the Love's and Whataburger logos.
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    Courtesy of Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
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    Why Whataburger is betting on c-stores for growth

    While it has operated in c-stores for 26 years, the Texas-based QSR chain is now ramping up its convenience retail presence as part of a broader growth strategy.

  • A help wanted sign is displayed at a boardwalk restaurant the day before the Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, in the shore community of Wildwood on May 28, 2021 in Wildwood, New J
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Shallow restaurant labor pool could drive up summer wages

    With 300,000 fewer young workers in the labor force than in 2025, restaurants in seasonal markets could have a tough time finding workers, the National Restaurant Association said. 

  • An image of a building with Texas Roadhouse signage
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    jetcityimage via Getty Images
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    Full-service restaurants are winning the customer satisfaction battle

    Full-service and casual chains were clustered at the upper end of ACSI’s score range, with Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse tied for the top spot.

  • Three colorful sodas with white custard cream dribbling down the inside of the cups.
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    Courtesy of Freddy's
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    Freddy’s adds dirty sodas with custard cream

    The fast casual burger chain is tapping into consumer desire for premium cold beverages with a new lineup, as dirty sodas take over restaurant menus.

  • A close up photograph of a pink and brown drink.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks pilots TikTok program for boosting employee-generated content

    With Gen Z frequently learning about new products from employee-generated content, Starbucks is leaning in with help from the social media platform.

  • A photo of the exterior of a store. Signs on the side of the building says "Love's," "Hardees" and "Charbroiled burgers."
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    Courtesy of Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
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    How to open a restaurant in a c-store

    Built-in traffic and low build-out costs make c-stores an attractive growth opportunity, but brand fit and executional discipline are essential, experts say.

  • An image of a red sign with white logo that says "Wendy's." Above the sign is an cartoon image of a girl with red hair and pigtails with blue bows.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Wendy’s hires former Potbelly exec as CFO

    Steve Cirulis, who served alongside Wendy’s CEO Bob Wright at the sandwich chain, joins the troubled fast food brand in the midst of a turnaround.

  • An image of a restaurant with a logo that says "on the border mexican grill & cantina."
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    The image by Dwight Burdette is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    On the Border files for Ch. 7 liquidation

    The Tex-Mex chain closed all but five of its stores earlier this month, and has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in two years. 

  • Three people wearing suites sit at at table and smile.
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    Courtesy of Domino's
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    Domino’s CEO to retire, COO Joe Jordan to succeed

    Russell Weiner will retire in October after serving as top executive since 2022 and recently committing to double the chain’s market share.

    Updated June 22, 2026
  • The side view of a Pizza Hut restaurant can be seen, with promotional posters and banners on the windows and walls.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Pizza Hut’s future is uncertain despite $2.7B sale

    Private ownership may enable a more drastic brand intervention for the struggling pizza chain.

  • A sign that says "Since 1956 Jersey Miek's Subs"
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Jersey Mike’s is the new king of QSR satisfaction

    Consumer satisfaction with key fast food performance indicators remained static from 2025 to 2026, but the industry is still facing major headwinds.