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Tracking the same-store sales of 21 major restaurant chains
Major publicly traded restaurant chains had a strange Q2 for comps growth, from Chili’s 23% jump to Sweetgreen’s 7.6% shortfall.
Updated Aug. 18, 2025 -
Permission granted by Scale Computingᵀᴹ
Sponsored by Scale ComputingᵀᴹBuilt for the rush: inside the new digital kitchen
Why edge computing is becoming restaurants’ secret ingredient for uptime and reliability.
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Jack in the Box posts worst sales quarter in years, again
Falling traffic and unfavorable menu mix hurt the burger chain, but executives hope that retraining its entire system will improve consistency and sales.
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Permission granted by Rutter's
How 3 retailers are upgrading meal bundles
Love’s, EG America and Rutter’s have all developed complex strategies for tying their in-house food with other products. Here are a few of their tips.
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Courtesy of Oakberry
Oakberry signs 100-store Texas franchising deal
The development agreement would more than double the açaí chain’s presence in the U.S. and focuses on high-traffic, high-visibility locations in metro areas.
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Courtesy of Topgolf
Callaway sells majority stake in Topgolf for $770M
Leonard Green & Partners purchased a 60% stake in the chain, which is valued at $1.1 billion, and will oversee its next phase of growth.
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Permission granted by 7 Brew
Why private equity is buying restaurant franchisees
Improved conditions for financing, driven largely by lower interest rates, are fueling acquisitions.
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Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Papa Johns CFO gains dual role, salary bump
Appointing its finance chief Ravi Thanawala to the dual role of CFO and president could signal additional belt-tightening by the pizza chain, Cowen Partners’ Shawn Cole said.
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Courtesy of GoTo Foods
Auntie Anne’s hires Chili’s vet as chief brand officer
Nathan Baldwin joins GoTo Food’s pretzel chain in the midst of a brand refresh and push to develop more streetside locations and co-branded restaurants.
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Courtesy of Panera Bread
Panera plans to reach $7B in sales by 2028
The chain’s multi-part strategic plan includes investments in beverage and bakery items and front-of-house labor.
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Permission granted by Freddy's
Freddy’s operator declares bankruptcy
M&M Custard filed for Chapter 11 after expanding into the Chicago market, where stores struggled to gain traction.
Updated Nov. 17, 2025 -
RiverNorthPhotography via Getty Images
MTY Food Group considering full, partial sale
Cold Stone’s parent said it is reviewing various alternatives, but may continue to operate as normal, and made no assurances that a transaction would occur.
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Courtesy of Culver's
Culver’s unveils rewards program
The Delicious Rewards program offers 10 points for every dollar spent, birthday rewards and other future benefits, like offering menu development input.
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Why Papa Murphy’s rebuilt its loyalty program around a single rule
“Every pizza earns points,” Papa Murphy’s Jason Focht said. “It's easy to understand, easy to message and easy to execute across all of our channels, including web apps and in-store.”
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Will restaurants see more M&A and IPO activity in 2026?
Next year may be marked by a high volume of deals for both high-performing growth concepts and distressed assets, as challenger brands look for capital and ailing systems seek turnarounds.
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Courtesy of Starbucks
Starbucks’ holiday launch marks biggest sales day ever in North America
Traffic spiked nearly 38% on Nov. 6, the day of the chain’s holiday rollout, which included the highly popular release of the Bearista cup, according to Placer.ai data.
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Courtesy of Yum Brands/Pizza Hut
ColumnFueling Up: Pizza Hut might be up for sale. Could a c-store chain take a slice?
Retailers are competing with QSRs and focusing on fresh food more than ever. Following RaceTrac’s recent deal for Potbelly, who says a c-store buyer is out of the question?
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Courtesy of IHOP
Inside Dine’s push for value, dual-branded development
Applebee’s and IHOP are making sales and traffic gains after the company emphasized both brands’ low-priced menu items this year.
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Courtesy of Sweetgreen
Sweetgreen opens first drive-thru location with automated makeline
The Costa Mesa, California, store features an automated Infinite Kitchen makeline and a digital pickup Sweetlane, combining two of its major technology pushes.
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Courtesy of Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut dishes out holiday value in multichannel campaign
The pizza chain supports its value-oriented holiday messaging with comedic ads, in-person events and digital games.
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Starbucks Workers United launches 65-store strike
The union said its members are prepared for the longest and most serious strike in the brand’s history, aimed at pushing Starbucks to agree to more favorable contract terms.
Updated Nov. 13, 2025 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Why Panera’s CEO prioritizes hospitality over tech
Paul Carbone said the chain is improving order accuracy and store layouts, rather than deploying “technology that’s looking for a problem to solve.”
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Courtesy of Culver's
How Culver’s home-grown franchisees power its growth
By turning long-tenured GMs into owner-operators, the chain ensures a steady supply of franchisees who are committed to the brand and have significant operational experience.
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Courtesy of Dave & Buster's
Dave & Buster’s rolls out revamped menu
The menu, which includes 100 food and beverage items, yielded strong check growth during its pilot phase.
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Courtesy of P.F. Chang's
P.F. Chang’s hires CEO
Jim Mazany brings decades of restaurant executive experience to the Asian chain, which is poised to ramp up growth and refine its fast casual concept.
Updated Nov. 11, 2025 -
Brandon Bell / Staff via Getty Images
Wendy’s doubles down on marketing effectiveness as part of turnaround
The QSR’s partnership with consultant Creed UnCo aims to clarify what drives purchasing decisions and refine messaging around value.
