The Latest

  • Grubbrr's kiosks on display at the National Restaurant Association Show in 2024.
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    Aneurin Canham-Clyne/Restaurant Dive
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    9 restaurant industry trade shows to attend in 2025

    The coming year is brimming with restaurant conferences and trade shows covering key issues for the business sector, from franchising strategy to economic forecasts.

  • A photograph of a brick building with a red sign and white letters that says Chipotle.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Chipotle invests in firm that makes plant-based meat from duckweed

    The restaurant chain’s venture fund is also backing efforts reduce cow-based methane emissions.  

  • An image of a restaurant with tables that showcases a pretzel, ice cream and cookie concept.
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    Permission granted by Fat Brands
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    Fat Brands will grow a new tri-branded snack concept

    The company combined Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery and Pretzelmaker at a unit in Texas, with plans to open more.

  • An image of Krispy Krunchy Chicken display at NACS
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    Permission granted by Krispy Krunchy Chicken
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    Krispy Krunchy Chicken names new CFO

    Jim Zielke brings more than three decades of restaurant leadership experience to the c-store-focused concept.

  • 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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    NewSaetiew via Getty Images
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    QSR traffic turns positive in Q4, report shows

    A push toward more restaurant value offerings appears to be paying off, with spikes in traffic seen in October and November, according to Revenue Management Solutions data.

  • A man stands on a stage talking
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    Julie Littman/Restaurant Dive
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    Portillo’s tests computer vision to boost drive-thru times

    Managers will see a screen flashing red if a car has sat for four minutes, allowing them to redeploy labor and move guests faster through the drive-thru.

  • People sit in a coffee shop.
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    Adam Gray via Getty Images
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    Starbucks reverses open-door policy as it pursues coffeehouse environment

    Under the new policy, customers will have to make a purchase if they want to hang out in Starbucks coffee shops or use its bathrooms.

  • An image of a building with a sign that says "Sweetgreen."
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen CTO shares the chain’s data-focused approach to CX

    CTO Wouleta Ayele discussed why she designs experiences by working backwards from an ideal outcome at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show conference.

  • Panera Bread storefront
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    Permission granted by Panera Bread
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    Panera hires marketing, culinary executives

    Robin Seward joins the chain as senior vice president, brand and innovation, while Scott Uehlein was hired as vice president of culinary.

  • An image of a store sign that says Shake Shack. To the left is a green neon sign of a burger
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    How Shake Shack plans to triple its unit count

    The chain is targeting 1,500 company-owned units by enhancing leadership, boosting operations and entering new markets, executives said at ICR. 

  • The facade of a Baskin-Robins restaurant.
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    Robert Way via Getty Images
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    Baskin-Robbins’ new loyalty program aims to balance simplicity and variety

    Baskin-Robbins Rewards, which launched in December, aims to make it easy for customers to earn rewards while offering a variety of redemption options.

    Updated Jan. 15, 2025
  • An exterior pink building with Saucy by KFC signage
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    Permission granted by Saucy by KFC
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    KFC taps CEO from Taco Bell North America

    Scott Mezvinsky inherits the chain as it invests in marketing and its tech-centric Saucy concept in a bid to stand out from buzzy chicken rivals. 

  • A photo of the upgraded coffee service in a 7-Eleven in Laurel, MD.
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    Jessica Loder/C-Store Dive/Restaurant Dive
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    Column

    3 Big Numbers: C-stores zero in on coffee consumers

    Wawa, Casey’s and 7-Eleven all are either updating their coffee programs or employing promotions to draw in more caffeine aficionados.

  • A building with a drive-thru that is blue and white. Signage says Just Salad.
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    Courtesy of Just Salad
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    Just Salad joins the drive-thru game

    A New Jersey outpost is the first of multiple drive-thru units the fast casual chain plans to open in 2025.

  • bartaco family packs
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    Permission granted by bartaco
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    Bartaco promotes president to CEO

    Anthony Valletta takes the reins from Scott Lawton, who co-founded the chain in 2010 and guided it through major pandemic-induced staffing changes.

  • A Papa Johns worker delivers fresh dough and ingredients from a truck.
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    Courtesy of Papa Johns
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    Why Papa Johns wants market density, not more territories

    The pizza chain’s biggest growth opportunities lie in markets where it already has a presence, executives told investors in December.

  • A exterior shot of the blue and yellow building with CosMc's signage
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    Permission granted by CosMc's
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    McDonald’s to shutter 3 CosMc’s, open 2 more

    The chain said its beverage-centric concept works better in smaller locations and will close larger restaurants that were converted from McDonald’s units.

  • An image ofa man wearing a blue suit in front of a gray background
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    Permission granted by Shake Shack
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    Shake Shack appoints chief information and technology officer

    Rite Aid alum Justin Mennen brings over two decades of experience to the fast casual chain, which is developing a loyalty program.

  • An image of a brick building with a red and white striped sign that says "Rita's Ice, Custard, Happiness"
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    The image by Ser Amantio di Nicolao is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Private equity firm buys majority stake in Rita’s Italian Ice

    The investment from Maple Park Capital Partners will support the 575-unit chain’s ongoing expansion into new regions, including Texas and Michigan.

  • An image of burritos and other items from virtual brand Man vs Fries
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    Permission granted by Virtual Dining Concepts
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    CPK adds virtual brand to menu

    The pizza chain plans to fulfill digital orders for Man Vs Fries at 118 locations, with a secret menu for dine-in guests.

  • An image of three Krispy Kreme doughnuts and six in a box.
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    Permission granted by McDonald's/Krispy Kreme
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    Krispy Kreme promotes 4 executives as part of expansion push

    The appointments include a new chief operating officer, chief growth officer, president of international and chief product officer.

  • A Starbucks store stands in Manhattan on January 30, 2024 in New York City.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Starbucks hands Anomaly US creative duties in blow to WPP: report

    WPP, which only won the account in October, established a bespoke Team Starbucks unit to support the coffee chain’s turnaround plan.

  • A Qdoba store around dusk.
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    Permission granted by Qdoba
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    Qdoba signs another 77 store agreements

    The brand is looking to speed up its franchised growth and shrink Chipotle’s lead on the strength of its same-store sales and development incentives.

  • Bloomin' Brands is promoting Pat Hafner, currently VP of operations at Carrabba's, to president of the Italian brand.
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    Permission granted by Bloomin' Brands
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    Bloomin’ appoints EVP, president of Outback Steakhouse

    Pat Hafner, president of Carrabba’s, has worked at Bloomin’ Brands in various capacities for nearly 30 years.

  • An image of the inside of a Paris Baguette with tables and chairs.
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    Permission granted by Paris Baguette
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    How Paris Baguette is bringing back the neighborhood bakery

    The chain, which offers fresh-baked goodies, drinks and cakes, signed over 160 franchise deals in 2024 and aims to sign another 200 this year.