Dine Brands to open 80 dual-branded US restaurants by end of 2026

CEO John Peyton said there is white space opportunity in the U.S. to open about 900 co-branded Applebee’s/IHOP locations, which reap up to twice the sales of standard units.

Cava’s traffic growth stalls as fast casual market cools

The brand does not plan to use discounts as a traffic driver, CFO Tricia Tolivar said, noting that it is confident in its holistic value proposition.

Wingstop’s comparable sales slump worsens

Reduced spending by Hispanic and low-income consumers led to a decline in sales that exceeded expectations.

RBI appoints new Popeyes US president, Burger King US COO

Peter Perdue has been promoted to Popeyes U.S. and Canada president, and Nicolas Henrich is now Burger King U.S. chief operating officer.

Denny’s sells itself for $620M

TriArtisan Capital, Yadav Enterprises and Treville Capital Group will buy the chain in an all-cash transaction that will take the casual dining chain private.

Yum Brands may sell Pizza Hut

After seven quarters of same-store sales declines, Yum says the brand might do better under a different structure or new ownership.

Starbucks sells majority stake in China business for $4B

Boyu Capital will form a joint venture with the coffee chain to grow the brand from 8,000 units in the country to 20,000 over time.

New Hooters owners plan restaurant revitalization

Hooters Inc. and Hoot Owl Restaurants will upgrade 100 newly acquired company-owned locations and streamline the menu with better ingredients.

7 Brew, Flynn Group strike 160-store development deal

The agreement is the first step in Flynn’s push to increase its investment in scaling potential breakout brands.

Church’s Texas Chicken hires Jimmy John’s vet as development chief

Bobby Morena will help the chicken QSR reach its goal of $2 billion in systemwide sales through domestic franchising growth.

Uber, Toast enter multi-year strategic global partnership

The companies will focus on product innovation and other initiatives that could help restaurants retain and grow their customer bases.

Chili’s wants to win 2026 with remodels, chicken sandwiches

After a wildly successful 2025, Brinker’s flagship brand wants to convert value wins into a durable advantage — but it will need more than savvy marketing. 

Shake Shack grows traffic with ad spend, operational improvements

The brand’s traffic gains were most pronounced outside the Northeast, validating its national development strategy, CFO Katie Fogerty said.

Why the NYC marathon provides a golden playbook for restaurants nationwide

Restaurant operators are running a long-distance financial race every day, focused on increasing profitability, but need to be nimble enough to take advantage of major traffic drivers in their cities, writes Julie Powell, senior director of marketing insights and intelligence at Toast. 

Starbucks stanches the same-store sales bleeding

Comparable sales growth was driven by an increase in average ticket, but investments in service helped turn U.S. transactions positive in September. 

Chipotle faces worrying consumer headwinds

Despite consumer pullback and a value advantage over fast casual competitors, CEO Scott Boatwright said “value as a price point is not and will not be a Chipotle strategy.”

P.F. Chang’s CMO on igniting a new brand platform, holiday campaign

Sonika Patel explains how the chain is centering the dining experience with a “Light the Fire” platform and seasonal push on digital and CTV.

Chili’s dramatic sales growth continues with 13% traffic jump

Chili’s marketing, which sets the chain in direct price competition with QSRs, delivered a sixth-straight quarter of double-digit same-store sales growth.

Zaxbys eyes non-traditional growth following first military base deal

Non-traditional locations could help complement Zaxbys’ growing international footprint and add more high-volume units to the chain’s system.

Taco Bell brings Live Más Café to Texas

A Taco Bell with a Live Más Café in Irvine, California, that opened in September is already selling upwards of 900 drinks a day. 

Making food in house: The business case for c-store commissaries

Retailers like EG America, Weigel’s and Kwik Trip have built their own facilities to control the quality and consistency of their foodservice programs — and the payoffs are compelling.

Majority of US diners think menu prices are too high

Buy-one-get-one offers as well as discounts are among the top incentives helping drive guests back to restaurants, according to a YouGov report.

These 5 chains built significant franchised pipelines

From Cilantro Taco Grill to PopUp Bagels, emerging chains plan to add hundreds of units and expand rapidly across the country with new operators.

Inspire hires Yum vet to lead HR operations

Kelly McCulloch brings over two decades of QSR HR experience to her new position, where she will oversee a global system that includes 650,000 workers.

Toast: Burger, burrito, cold brew prices on the rise

Football season staples like beer and wings saw slower price increases, which could play to the advantage of casual chains, according to a Toast analysis.