McDonald’s will wind down CosMc’s, test drinks

 The Golden Arches will start shuttering its beverage innovation spinoff’s units in late June, just 18 months after its first location opened. 

Darden closes one-third of Bahama Breeze restaurants

The company closed 15 Bahama Breeze locations across eight states in May, as part of a push for its smaller brands to focus on high-performing units. 

BP Pulse is bringing EV chargers to Waffle House

Chosen sites in the Southeast and the Sunbelt will get six electric vehicle charging bays, with the first locations coming online next year.

The restaurant industry’s Q1 2025 winners and losers

Consumer price sensitivity led to declines at Chipotle, McDonald’s and other QSRs, while Chili’s and Cava were among a handful of companies to see traffic and sales gains.

Why dashboard dining and weekend restaurant visits are on the rise

Consumer trends are contradictory, according to a Technomic presentation at the National Restaurant Association Show. Both on-premise group dining and solo car dining are growing.

Smoothie King appoints CFO as president

In his expanded role, Gavin Felder will oversee day-to-day management and retain his financial responsibilities at the fast-growing smoothie chain.

Why El Pollo Loco’s rebrand invites diners to ‘Get Loco’

CMO Jill Adams shares how a new tagline serves as a “call to action” and a play to engage with consumers around their passions.

Shake Shack bets on 10 casino locations with PENN Entertainment

The fast casual chain, which already operates in three casinos, will open its first restaurants with the entertainment company in 2026.

Independent restaurants urge Congress to exempt service charges from taxes, not just tips

The “No Tax on Tips” provision in a proposed budget reconciliation package only benefits customer-facing staff, not dishwashers or other back-of-house workers, the IRC said.

LTOs and value are key to solving restaurant traffic downturn: Technomic

With consumers bracing for tariff impacts, limited-time offerings will likely grow in importance alongside budget-focused menu items.

Chili’s CMO on how ‘culture pops’ supercharge the chain’s sales

The casual dining chain’s executives have cited marketing as a key factor behind two straight quarters of same-store sales growth of more than 31%.

Analysts at NRA Show: Tariffs could make H2 gloomier for restaurants

As costs rise, fast food chains are losing pricing advantages relative to fast casual and even full-service chains.

Krispy Kreme sued by investors over McDonald’s rollout pause

The lawsuit claims the chain failed to disclose profitability issues it was having with the QSR partnership, which subsequently led to a steep decline in stock prices after Q1 2025 earnings.

Cava has big plans for its loyalty program

Loyalty is bringing consumers into the restaurant’s ecosystem, while its emphasis on hospitality builds relationships, according to CEO Brett Schulman.

SeoulSpice heads to Chicago, plots national expansion

With trouble brewing in its home market, the Korean fast casual chain plants its first flag outside of Washington, D.C.

How Cava beat traffic gravity in Q1

The brand’s 10.8% comparable sales growth outperformed rival fast casuals, with Chipotle and Sweetgreen posting flat-to-negative sales.

Kent Companies rolling out food-focused c-store format

Locations feature a made-to-order kitchen, a drive-thru, a beer and ice cave, two-bay car washes and a dog wash.

Chuck E. Cheese sued by West Virginia workers over sexual harassment, retaliation

 A manager at the family eatertainment brand allegedly retaliated against an assistant manager for reporting sexual harassment of women employees.

Jack in the Box deploys kiosks at 1,500 restaurants

The chain, which posted negative same-store sales for the quarter, boasted a 18% digital sales mix, just shy of its 20% goal.

Twin Hospitality Group hires CPK vet as CEO

Kim Boerema, who has over 30 years of restaurant experience, succeeds Joe Hummel, who resigned in April after Fat Brands spun off Twin Hospitality in a January IPO.

Updated May 15, 2025

DoorDash, Wing bring drone delivery to Charlotte

Panera is among a handful of restaurants now offering drone delivery from a shopping center in the North Carolina city.

Uber Eats, OpenTable reservation integration will launch this fall

Users will be able to book a reservation from the Uber Eats app through a “Dine Out” tab, which will feature various local dine-in restaurants.

Tariffs, immigration policy put US restaurants at ‘significant risk’: Fitch

High consumer price sensitivity leaves brands with little room to offset the costs of tariffs and labor market disruptions.

Starbucks union workers strike over dress code changes

Baristas at more than 50 cafes have walked off the job over new clothing policies, which they say deviate from agreements made at the bargaining table.

Vegan full-service chain Planta goes bankrupt

Rising costs, falling consumer demand and structural changes in the restaurant industry left the brand with insufficient cash flow.