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 24 major restaurant chains

    Q4 2025 saw more evidence of a casual dining resurgence, as fast casual sales continued to slow and QSRs posted divergent results.

    Updated March 10, 2026
  • A man, appearing stressed, sits at a cluttered counter with multiple screens and order slips. A sign reads "Too many apps, too many orders, not enough time," highlighting his overwhelmed state in a busy restaurant setting.
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    Permission granted by Tillster
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    Sponsored by Tillster

    The tech that grew restaurants is now breaking them

    What scaled fast now strains ops, hurts loyalty, and slows service—enter Tech 2.0

  • Overly busy restaurant
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    Getty Images
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    The restaurant labor market in 6 key statistics

    Turnover has fluctuated over the last year, while total jobs and wage growth are relatively slow and unemployment has returned to pre-pandemic rates.

    Updated May 11, 2026
  • An 18-wheeler drives down a highway. The cab of the truck is dark blue and the trailer has writing on the side that says "McLane. Food & Service drive us."
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    Courtesy of Aurora Innovation
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    McLane expanding driverless truck runs in Texas

    The supplier is automating long-haul transport between Dallas and Houston, with additional routes focused on restaurants to be added later this year.

  • An interior of a restaurant with signs that say Applebee's and IHOP
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    Permission granted by Dine Brands
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    Dine Brands focuses on new unit growth, dual-brand expansion

    The company more than doubled its new unit count during the first quarter, driven by dual-branded openings, relocations and single-concept openings at Applebee’s and IHOP.

  • People walking in front of a Sweetgreen on Aug.8, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Sweetgreen sales wilt in another punishing quarter

    The brand launched wraps to supplement its core bowl and salad business, following its worst quarterly same-store sales performance.

  • Papa Johns Toy Story collaboration
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    Courtesy of Papa Johns
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    Q&A

    Papa Johns’ CMO on driving cultural relevance with a ‘Toy Story’ tie-up

    Jenna Bromberg digs into recent moves around marketing co-ops and agency partners and how the chain is working with Google Cloud on AI.

  • A Chuck E. Cheese sign.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    CEC Entertainment adds Texas Roadhouse vet as CFO

    Chris Monroe will oversee the finance and real estate teams for Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company as it looks to expand.

  • A photograh of a beige stone building with four windows out front. It has a yello face and while McDonald's logo.
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    Neal McNeil via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s value, menu innovation drive positive Q1 comparable sales

    Traffic could build in the U.S. with the second-quarter launch of an Under $3 Menu and beverage expansion.

  • An image of two pan pizzas in front of a green background. On the right is a green pizza box.
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    Permission granted by Papa Johns
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    Papa Johns suffers major 6.4% comp sales drop

    The chain hopes new menu items, operational improvements and local advertising cooperatives can fend off Domino’s value offensive.

  • A picture of a hand giving a iced coffee drink to another person.
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    Permission granted by Dutch Bros
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    How Dutch Bros doubled its brand awareness in 18 months

    Mobile ordering, loyalty upgrades, a new breakfast menu and increased density in key markets accelerated sales growth for the brand.

  • An image of a person smiling and wearing a blue blazer and white shirt
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    Courtesy of Shake Shack
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    Shake Shack appoints former Portillo’s CFO as it finance chief

    Michelle Hook will oversee financial operations at the fast casual chain as it works toward reaching 1,500 units.

  • A rendering of a Subway restaurant with tables and green walls.
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    Courtesy of Subway
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    Subway closed at least 729 stores in 2025

    This marks the beleaguered chain’s steepest decline since 2021, driven by oversaturation and a low average unit volume.

  • Refuel
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    Permission granted by Refuel Operating Company
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    Refuel to open its first Whataburger

    The South Carolina-based retailer will debut the burger QSR adjacent to an upcoming c-store in Kenedy, Texas, later this year.

  • A marketing image for Burger King's reworked Whopper
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    Courtesy of Burger King
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    Burger King’s sales jumped, Popeyes slumped in Q1

    Years of investment in the burger brand’s operations and menu have won consumers back, but a loss of focus on service and the core menu hurt the chicken chain.

  • An evening shot of a building with white and red coloring and signage that says "Portillo's."
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    Courtesy of Portillo's
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    Portillo’s CFO departs

    Michelle Hook will pursue another opportunity after serving in her position for five years and playing an important role in Portillo’s 2021 IPO.

  • A bucket of chicken tenders, nuggets and french fries.
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    Courtesy of KFC
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    KFC expands $10 bucket deal across weekdays

    The brand is positioning the bucket deals as a value-oriented solution for weekday dinners, which could help it drive traffic.

  • Two people walk towards a Taco Bell restaurant
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Taco Bell grows loyalty and digital sales

    The brand’s loyalty program is resonating with consumers and driving them to engage with the brand more frequently, Yum Brands CEO said.

  • A daytime photogrpah of a white building that has an orange sign that says Popeyes Louisina Kitchen
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    Walter Cicchetti via Getty Images
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    Popeyes wraps join core menu

    This move strengthens the chain’s snacking offerings and could help it capture more occasions as it struggles to improve sluggish sales.

  • A concept image of a chicken restaurant.
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    Courtesy of Huey Magoo's
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    Huey Magoo’s cuts drive-thru build costs by 40%

    The regional chicken tender chain is looking to increase the flexibility of its real estate development strategy.

  • A photograph of a window with two posters that say McCafe.
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s updates McCafé branding ahead of beverage expansion

    The chain updated the font style and coloring on its McCafé cups to better showcase its forthcoming crafted sodas, refreshers and energy drinks.

  • An exterior image of a Shake Shack restaurant
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Shake Shack’s tech chief forges a practical AI strategy

    CITO Justin Mennen is prioritizing efficiency with a mix of enterprise-built and custom AI products.

  • A photograph of a beige brick building with a sign that says Culver's
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    krblokhin via Getty Images
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    Culver’s to add computer vision to 1K restaurants

    Through a partnership with Berry AI, the fast food chain will use the technology to measure service execution, vehicle flow and throughput to improve accuracy and speed of service.

  • A smiling white man in a blue v-neck sweater in front of a stark white background.
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen hires Amazon, Starbucks alum as development chief

    The embattled fast casual chain’s newest C-suite appointment may signal a shift toward experiential store design.

  • A sign on a Chipotle restaurant.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Chipotle expands drone pilot, accelerates equipment package deployment

    New technology and the chain’s high-efficiency equipment package are helping teams perform better and improve hospitality, boosting sales.

  • People sit inside a store drinking coffee. The sign of the store says Starbucks Coffee.
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    DKart via Getty Images
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    Starbucks’ loyalty update is driving frequency as membership grows

    Starbucks Rewards is no longer “a coupon book,” CEO Brian Niccol said. “We had to stop doing all that discounting. This needed to be about engagement.”