The Latest
-
Tracking the same-store sales of 24 major restaurant chains
Q3 2025 saw more evidence of a casual dining resurgence, as fast casual sales continued to slow and QSRs posted divergent results.
Updated Dec. 1, 2025 -
First Watch CFO to retire
Mel Hope led the breakfast chain’s fiscal operations through a pandemic, an IPO and high inflation. His successor faces a strained consumer environment.
-
Sonic sells 78 restaurants to KBP
The franchisee nearly doubles its Sonic unit count with its second acquisition of restaurants from the QSR chain.
-
‘This is not personal. It’s business’: Why an expert says the clock is ticking for Fat Brands’ CEO
Andrew Wiederhorn’s days as CEO could be numbered if creditors successfully argue conflict of interests exist, bankruptcy expert Jerrold Bregman said.
-
Del Taco operator closes all Georgia locations
Matadoor Restaurant Group closed 14 restaurants in the state months after filing for Chapter 11, but Del Taco says it is looking for options to reopen them.
-
Domino’s loyalty program fuels carryout growth
“We stated before that our objectives with the loyalty program was definitely to cater much more to the carryout customer and also to attract light users,” CEO Russell Weiner said.
-
Retrieved from Couche-Tard.
Inside the 18-month reset reviving Couche-Tard’s US food business
After a hot start in 2020, Circle K’s Fresh Food, Fast program slowed. Executives are now fine-tuning the offering through operational improvements and menu updates to spark new growth.
-
Domino’s wants to double its market share
CEO Russel Weiner thinks the chain can capture half of the QSR pizza market at the expense of Pizza Hut and Papa Johns.
-
Subway to remove free footlong offer from Sub Club
On April 1, the company will allow members to earn a $2 reward for every 400 points accumulated.
-
Topgolf hires David McKillips as CEO
McKillips, former president and CEO of Chuck E. Cheese’s parent, will focus on the chain’s growth strategy now that it has been spun off from Callaway.
-
Toast courts fast food restaurants
The company is entering the drive-thru business in a bid to attract more of the quick-service sector to its customer rolls.
-
NRA: Tariffs, immigration and swipe fees will define restaurant politics in 2026
The National Restaurant Association said restaurants need stable trade policy, protections for immigrant workers and lower swipe fees.
-
Wendy’s is ‘undervalued’ and could face takeover by Nelson Peltz
The former Wendy’s board chair is considering taking action at the chain, where stock prices have fallen 60% over the past five years.
-
Why Jack in the Box bets parking lot paint can cure sales
The chain hopes improvements to product quality and restaurant cosmetics will reverse sliding same-store sales and help prepare for a full remodel program.
-
How Wingstop plans to weather traffic slides and winter storms
The company expects investments in speed of service and in loyalty systems will reverse a third quarter of comparable sales declines.
-
Fat Brands sued by lender over cash use during bankruptcy
352 Capital contests Fat’s plan to use management fees and other cash under securitization receivables to fund operations during Chapter 11 proceedings.
-
Jack in the Box’s board battle is getting serious
With proxy advisors saying investors have “persuasive cause” to oppose the re-election of board chair David Goebel, Sardar Biglari’s months-long effort to shake up the brand’s board may be gaining momentum.
-
NRA: Over 25% of restaurant operators use AI
Marketing is the top area where automation is being used, followed by administrative tasks, according to a National Restaurant Association report.
-
Deep Dive
How QSRs are building on value marketing with pop culture, nostalgia
Fast food marketers including McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s will have to move beyond price-point value to drive sales and traffic.
-
Habit Burger launches core menu update
The menu additions and upgrades could help the fast casual chain grow same-store sales, which were down 1% in 2025.
-
NRA: Restaurant, foodservice to surpass $1.5 trillion in sales
While challenges related to the economy and food and labor costs will persist, the National Restaurant Association said operators are cautiously optimistic.
-
McDonald’s positions loyalty app at the center of its tech ambitions
Active loyalty members are the “single most important digital metric” for McDonald’s, EVP and CFO Ian Borden said.
-
Wendy’s pulls back on breakfast hours
The chain is allowing franchisees to focus more on lunch and late-night hours as same-store sales logs its steepest decline in roughly six years.
-
McDonald’s is adding energy drinks, craft sodas to McCafe line
The beverages, inspired by the chain’s defunct CosMc’s spinoff, were “highly successful” in a 500-store test and will be deployed nationwide this year.
-
Sweetgreen names Wpromote paid media AOR as brand looks to reignite growth
Wpromote is tasked with balancing a cohesive national strategy with more market-specific opportunities as Sweetgreen combats a sales slump.