The Latest

  • An image of a man leaving a Chipotle. He is holding a brown bag.
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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 sign on a Chipotle restaurant.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Chipotle appoints Fernando Machado as chief brand officer

    The former CMO at companies including Burger King and Activision Blizzard takes a role last held by longtime brand marketer Chris Brandt.

  • An image of a co-branded Applebee's, IHOP restaurant
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    Courtesy of Dine Brands
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    Applebee’s franchisees sue chain over dual-branding exclusivity

    Operators in Texas claim adding Applebee’s to existing IHOP restaurants broke development exclusivity agreements.

  • mcdonalds signage against a blue sky
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    Kevin Frayer via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s US CIO to depart, successor named

    Mustafa Husain, former VP of restaurant technology engineering, will replace Valerie Ashbaugh starting May 1.

  • An image of a darkened Red Lobster with empthy booths.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    More than a rough patch: Recent restaurant closures signal market correction

    Persistent traffic declines, rising costs and an oversaturated market are forcing brands to make tough decisions, and robust chains are taking advantage of the moment, experts say.

  • A selection of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's food with new branding
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    Courtesy of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.
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    Hardee’s operator files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy

    ARC Burger’s 77 stores have been closed since December, following a lawsuit by Hardee’s against the operator.

  • A drone carrying an orange pizza delivery bag.
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    Courtesy of Flytrex
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    Flytrex, Little Caesars deploy new drone for larger orders

    The Sky2 drone can carry family-sized pizza delivery orders and will begin delivering from a Texas location.

  • Bags of Blue Bottle coffee are on a store shelf
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Nestlé sells Blue Bottle Coffee to Centurium Capital

    The deal with the Chinese coffee giant includes the brand's cafes and the majority of its CPG business, a spokesperson confirmed.

    M&A
  • Children and consumers eat ice cream outside a Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams location.
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    Permission granted by Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
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    Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams scoops up Ben & Jerry’s CEO

    David Stever, who spent decades at the Vermont-based creamery, joins Jeni’s as it prepares for a new era of franchised national expansion.

  • A photo of several sandwiches on a wooden table with a green and white box behind them that says Speedy Cafe Sandwiches.
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    Courtesy of 7-Eleven
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    7-Eleven adding catering to restaurant locations

    The company has partnered with ezCater on bulk ordering at Speedy Café and Laredo Taco locations, further supporting its foodservice ambitions.

  • An exterior of a building.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    DOL proposes new joint employer rule

    The rule would create “a single nationwide standard” for the Fair Labor Standards Act and other laws, the U.S. Department of Labor said.

    Updated April 22, 2026
  • A Domino's worker loads an order into a car.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Why old school pizza delivery won’t disappear, despite third-party dominance

    Platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash can bring new visibility and customers to pizza chains. But first-party delivery still often remains supreme.

  • A close up photograph of a partial Starbucks siren logo as seen from the top of an office building.
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    David Ryder via Getty Images
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    Starbucks Nashville HQ will cost $100M, employ 2K workers

    The chain will relocate some teams and hire new workers to staff a regional headquarters with proximity to key suppliers and expected growth markets.

  • An image of a table setting in a restuarnat with a black reserved sign on the right foreground
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    Getty Images
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    Why restaurants are anxious about OpenTable’s new terms

    The reservation platform said its partners must agree to make OpenTable their primary table management system, leading to confusion and concern over exclusivity.

  • A White Castle burger kiosk at Boston's Logan Airport.
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    Permission granted by White Castle
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    White Castle to deploy 1K slider kiosks

    The chain will work with Automated Retail Technologies to bring the robotic technology to areas off-limits to traditional QSRs.

  • A promotional image for Hut Rewards
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    Courtesy of Pizza Hut
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    Pizza Hut shifts loyalty program toward experience and exclusivity

    The pizza giant is adding merchandise drops, digital games and experiential rewards to boost consumer engagement.

  • A woman grins at her phone while eating a Subway sandwich in a promotion image for the chain's MVP Rewards.
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    Courtesy of Subway
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    Diners are becoming less loyal: Tillster

    Leading brands in the restaurant sector could face greater competition from c-stores and grocery chains.

  • A rendering of a building prototype that is red and beige with Smoothie King sigange
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    Permission granted by Smoothie King
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    Smoothie King to add flatbreads, high-protein food items

    The rollout is part of a brand evolution plan that includes store redesigns and national advertising to support the chain’s aggressive growth strategy. 

  • A sign that says "Since 1956 Jersey Miek's Subs"
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Jersey Mike’s could go public

    Rapid store growth and strong unit volumes have made the sandwich chain a restaurant sector success story. Will that track record yield a successful IPO?

  • A sign on a Chipotle restaurant.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    A look at how Chipotle’s loyalty relaunch could affect customer behavior

    Value is key to the loyalty revamp, and the approach could drive in-restaurant traffic and help the company win over less frequent customers.

  • A photo of a Cava location in a brick endcap retail space.
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    Courtesy of Cava
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    Cava opens first St. Louis location in Midwestern growth push

    Cava could reach 500 restaurants nationwide later this year, thanks in part to new market entries and infill in areas where it has a modest presence.

  • A photograph of two arms holding up a plate of prawns above a wooden table full of food.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Who’s Hungry? What GroundTruth’s first-party data says about today’s restaurant visitors.

    Most diners eat at places within 10 miles of their homes, so operators should target customers closest to their restaurants before expanding outward, GroundTruth’s Hayden Erwin says.

  • A Dairy Queen location
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Dairy Queen expands drive-thru voice AI test

    Franchisees will now have access to Presto’s technology after a pilot yielded positive results at company-owned stores.

  • A photograph of a fast food employee handing a paper bag to a person in a car.
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    Permission granted by Hi Auto
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    Hi Auto’s latest tech targets the drive-thru pickup window

    The company has partnered with three brands, including Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, to beta test technology that will monitor guest and employee interactions at the pickup window.

  • A person stands at a podium
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    Jim Vondruska/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Chicago’s tip credit elimination plan is back, for now

    Chicago city councilors failed to overturn a mayoral veto of the council’s tipped wage freeze on Wednesday.