The Latest

  • An exterior image of a Wonder food Hall
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    Permission granted by Wonder
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    Wonder plans another $600M funding round

    The food hall company has raised over $2.8 billion since 2021 and could file for an initial public offering as early as next year.

  • 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
  • A smiling white man in a black t-shirt in front of a pink background
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    Courtesy of Crumbl
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    Crumbl taps new tech chief amid leadership overhaul

    The dessert chain promoted Jacob Moncur to succeed CTO Bryce Redd, who spent more than eight years leading the chain’s tech strategy.

  • A photograph of a corner restuarant with Jersey Mike's Subs as signage.
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    KenWiedemann via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Jersey Mike’s IPO reflects growing investor appetite for restaurants

    Investors are anticipating strong valuations from the sandwich chain, especially after Black Rock Coffee’s successful 2025 debut.

    Updated July 9, 2026
  • An in-game avatar plays golf while wearing foil pants, a bucket hat and polo.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle drives rewards program with ‘PGA Tour 2K25’ integration

    The partnership is part of a larger golf strategy by the brand, which became an official sponsor of PGA Tour through a multiyear deal announced in January.

  • A Qdoba store around dusk.
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    Permission granted by Qdoba
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    Qdoba’s latest franchise push targets Western, Southern US

    In three agreements spanning seven states, franchisees committed to build 113 new units for the fast casual burrito brand.

  • A photograph of a white storefront with neon signs that say Hot Dog on a Stick
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    Permission granted by Amazing Brands
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    Hot Dog on a Stick plots growth under new ownership

    Amazing Brands believes the restaurant chain is ready for strategic growth, particularly in flagship locations like Las Vegas and other high-profile markets.

  • A photogrpah of a makeline at a Chipotle with salsa, sour cream and white cheese visible.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Fresh ideas: How restaurants can overcome the challenge of seasonal produce

    Chili peppers, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables vary by time of year, geography and growing conditions, so brands must manage the inconsistencies without losing customer trust.

  • A photograph of a persn in front of a red background.
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    Courtesy of International Dairy Queen
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    Dairy Queen hires Shake Shack vet to modernize tech

    Phil Crawford joins the fast food and frozen treat chain just months after it expanded a drive-thru AI test.

  • A sign on a table declaring it to be reserved.
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    Getty Images
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    OpenTable adds table reservation perk for frequent diners

    Gold status members can book tables set aside for them, making access to coveted restaurants easier.

  • A photograph of a person wearing a suit.
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    Courtesy of Denny's
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    Denny’s appoints COO as it focuses on turnaround

    Aaron Howard will play a critical role in Project Grand Slam, which aims to improve restaurant experiences, speed of service, traffic and execution.

  • 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 rapid growth in 4 charts

    Since 2006, the soon-to-be public fast casual chain has grown systemwide sales at a CAGR of 20%, but that’s far from its only bright spot.

  • A group of people sit at a table with a white table cloth and a person wearing black greets two of the people.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Restaurants have never known more about their guests. So why are they losing them?

    The answer to repeat customer visits isn’t more loyalty tiers or programs, but deploying guest data to enhance experiences and remember preferences, writes Guestologie’s Ryan Volberg.

  • Taco Bell drive-through
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    Courtesy of Yum Brands
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    Taco Bell revs up drive-thru AI deployment

    Through a partnership with Omilia, which has brought voice AI to nearly 900 U.S. restaurants, the Mexican chain will continue to add the tech across its domestic system.

    Updated July 7, 2026
  • An image of a red and white building with Freddy's signage.
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    Permission granted by Freddy's
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    Freddy’s plans to reach 600 restaurants in 2026

    The chain expects to open 60 units this year and will refocus on in-line and endcap real estate to create more flexibility for its franchisees.

  • An arm reaches out of a gray car to collect a bag of food while an employee with blue gloves hands off the bag.
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    Getty Images
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    QSR traffic fell 4.4% in May

    Visits at quick-service chains had their worst month so far this year in May, with a 6.8% dip in short visits. But full-service traffic rose modestly, Placer.ai found.

  • A daytime photograph of a building with a stone facade and a large red sign that says "Red Robin." The parking lot in front of the building is empty.
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    Brett_Hondow via Getty Images
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    5 of the biggest restaurant franchisee deals in H1

    From Red Robin selling company-owned stores to Mas Restaurant Group offloading 87 Taco Bell locations, operators had big opportunities to buy up restaurants and expand their portfolios.

  • An image of Jersey Mike's sandwiches cut in half
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    Courtesy of Jersey Mike's
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    Jersey Mike’s files for IPO

    The private equity-backed sandwich chain filed a prospectus with the SEC Thursday, highlighting its strong unit volumes and rapid growth. 

  • An exterior shot of a Red Lobster restaurant from downhill, in the foreground, lush shrubbery separates the restaurant from the camera.
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    Courtesy of Red Lobster
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    Still steamed: Red Lobster sues Thai Union over 2024 shrimp blunder

    The chain’s creditors claim the former shareholder pushed out a shrimp promotion for its own interests even though it led to significant losses for the full-service brand.

  • A photograph of a person wearing a black suit.
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s taps Raising Cane’s vet to lead development

    Bryan Brown will help advance the fast food giant’s NEXT strategy, which includes restaurant redesigns and improved hospitality.

  • A bunch of chicken nuggets, a drink and a side.
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    Courtesy of Jollibee
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    Jollibee’s new chicken nuggets could juice sales

    A buzzy new menu launch may help the chain win diners and market confidence as it eyes a U.S. IPO and franchised growth.

  • Two people sit on a stage.
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    Julie Littman/Restaurant Dive/Restaurant Dive
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    Restaurant industry events left to attend in 2026

    This year has been jam-packed with restaurant conferences and trade shows that covered key trends in the industry, but there are still a few events left.

    Updated June 26, 2026
  • 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.