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

    Q3 2025 saw more evidence of a casual dining resurgence, as fast casual sales continued to slow and QSRs posted divergent results.

    Updated 18 hours ago
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    Permission granted by Terminix
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    Sponsored by Terminix®

    Protecting your brand and operations from the hidden threat of pests

    Learn why proactive pest exclusion is essential for restaurant executives.

  • Exterior of a supermarket with a sign that says "Coborn's Market & Table."
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    Courtesy of Roers Companies
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    New Coborn’s store to focus on in-store dining

    The grocer is working with a pair of restaurateurs to develop a restaurant and a food court at a location set to open next year in suburban Minneapolis.

  • A picture of the interior of a coffeehouse.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks anticipates Gen Z Thanksgiving traffic surge

    A whopping 70% of the cohort plans to visit a coffeehouse over the holiday, a trend the chain hopes to capitalize on through its renewed on-premise focus.

  • An exterior image of a Shake Shack restaurant
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Shake Shack CFO to step down

    The chain has remade much of its C-suite since hiring Rob Lynch as CEO in 2024, and will set up a new financial operations office as Katie Fogerty departs.

  • A Cracker Barrel sign hangs on the outside of a restaurant.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Cracker Barrel CEO survives ouster attempt, board shrinks

    Sardar Biglari’s latest jab at the casual chain’s leadership failed to remove CEO Julie Masino, but succeeded in ousting board member Gilbert Dávila.

  • A photo of the interior of Sadie's diner.
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    Permission granted by Paragon Solutions
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    4 c-stores turning up the heat on breakfast

    From Kwik Trip’s in-house bakeries to Wawa’s LTOs, convenience stores nationwide are capitalizing on the buoyant breakfast market.

  • An image of a beige building wiht both Fatburger and Round Table Pizza signage
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    Permission granted by Fat Brands
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    Fat Brands risks bankruptcy as lenders demand payment on $1.3B debt

    The restaurant company defaulted on its obligations earlier this year and lacks the cash to pay its creditors up front, according to an SEC filing.

  • 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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    Opinion

    Speed isn’t enough anymore. Why QSR brands need to dial up the emotion.

    Chains need to focus on experiences, rituals and spaces that foster connection, writes Lotte van Uum, creative director of spatial design at FutureBrand.

  • A photo of crinkle fries in a box that says Sonic and two burgers next to each other in front of a blue backdrop.
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    Permission granted by Sonic Drive-In
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    NRA: Value, comfort will define 2026 menu trends

    Operators looking to take advantage of buzzy food items, like protein add-ons or smash burgers, will have to balance operational complexity with demand.

  • Toast, juice and bowls spread out against a white background.
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    Courtesy of Toastique
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    Toastique to open first Arizona location next month

    The fast casual brand is the latest restaurant chain to enter this part of the Sun Belt, indicating confidence in the region’s growth despite macro headwinds.

  • McDonald's Grinch meal
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s lets the Grinch take over with holiday campaign

    Along with a meal inspired by the Dr. Seuss icon, the seasonal effort features a TV spot, creator-led gaming program and Times Square ads. 

  • Jack in the Box
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    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.

  • A photo of a breakfast combo meal including a cup, three breakfast sandwiches and a container of hash browns on a wrapping paper that says "Rutter's" on a white background.
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    Permission granted by Rutter's
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    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.

  • Oakberry bowls and smoothies.
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    Courtesy of Oakberry
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    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.

  • An evening photo of Topfgolf with backlit lights and a white sign that says Topgolf.
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    Courtesy of Topgolf
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    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.

    M&A
  • An image of a small restaurant with people gathered around. Thereis 7 Brew signage.
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    Permission granted by 7 Brew
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    Why private equity is buying restaurant franchisees

    Improved conditions for financing, driven largely by lower interest rates, are fueling acquisitions.

  • 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 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.

  • An image of a person standing and smiling. The person is wearing a navy blue suit.
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    Courtesy of GoTo Foods
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    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.

  • Four colorful drinks on a table.
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    Courtesy of Panera Bread
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    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. 

  • 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 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
  • A image of a sign in red that says Cold Stone Creamery.
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    RiverNorthPhotography via Getty Images
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    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.

  • An image of a hand holding a smartphone and on the right a burger.
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    Courtesy of Culver's
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    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.

  • An evening image of a building that says Papa Murphy's
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    The image by Rick Obst is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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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.”

  • A photograph of a Denny's sign over some trees.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    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.

  • A person wearing a green apron hands off a reusable red cup to another person inside a coffee shop
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    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.