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  • An aerial image of a brown building with a red and yellow logo that says "Golden Corral Favorites."
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    Permission granted by Golden Corral
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    Why Golden Corral rebranded its fast casual concept

    Homeward Kitchen required too many resources to raise brand awareness, so the chain reopened it using the Golden Corral logo.

  • An evening shot of a building with white and red coloring and signage that says "Portillo's."
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    Courtesy of Portillo's
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    Portillo’s appoints Gene Lee to board

    The fast casual chain made the former Darden CEO a director as part of its agreement with Engaged Capital.

  • Guests play arcade games at Dave & Buster's.
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    Mark Davis via Getty Images
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    Dave & Buster’s dials back some of its ‘confusing’ experience changes

    The company is reversing course on proposed changes, like flexible game pricing, with an eye toward simplification, according to CEO Kevin Sheehan.

  • A photograph of a brick building with signage that says "Fuzzy's Tacos and Margs."
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    Permission granted by Fuzzy's Taco Shop
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    Fuzzy’s to open first full-service restaurant

    Fuzzy’s Tacos and Margs will offer tableside service, a taco-focused menu and a new slate of beverages in Sugar Land, Texas, next week.

    Updated June 13, 2025
  • A black and white image of a person wearing a suit and smiling in front of of a gray background.
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    Permission granted by Ascent Hospitality Management
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    Ascent Hospitality appoints technology chief

    Brian Wallunas has more than 20 years of experience in hospitality and technology. He has overseen digital transformations at brands such as Domino’s and Arby’s.

  • An Outback Steakhouse restaurant on a cold day.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Restaurants develop a taste for AI as economic outlook sours

    BJ’s Restaurants, Cracker Barrel and Bloomin’ Brands pursue efficiency and productivity gains with AI initiatives.

  • A photograph of a person wearing a navy blue suit.
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    Courtesy of 7 Brew
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    7 Brew hires first supply chain chief

    Christopher Held, who worked at Inspire Brands for six years, will help scale operations, optimize supply chain and ensure product consistency at the fast-growing coffee chain.

  • Patrons at a Chicago Starbucks after the coffee chain on Feb. 25, 2025.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Starbucks deploys virtual assistant to improve workflows

    Green Dot Assist will help staff look up various ingredients for drinks, troubleshoot equipment and help managers staff last-minute callouts.

  • An image of a white room packed with pink and orange robots.
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    Courtesy of Coco Robotics
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    Coco Robotics raises $80M in funding to fuel expansion

    The delivery bot firm will use the funding to enter into additional partnerships, grow its fleet and advance its AI system.

  • A Starbucks worker in a green apron and a black shirt.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks cafes are getting more managers

    The cafe chain is launching a full-time assistant manager program, which will be systemwide in 2026, to fill a critical gap in store-level leadership.

  • An Uber driver on a red moped delivers items to a customer.
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    Permission granted by Uber Health
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    Uber grocery executive named to lead delivery operations

    Susan Anderson, who formerly led the company’s grocery and retail operations, is now serving as its global head of delivery.

  • A man in an orange sweatshirt next to a corner of a building that has a circle sign with the words "insomnia cookies."
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Krispy Kreme sells remaining stake in Insomnia Cookies Holdings for $75M

    The doughnut chain will use the cash net proceeds to pay down debt following the transaction.

    Updated June 11, 2025
    M&A
  • A photograph of four salads on a checkered table.
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    Courtesy of Califorinia Pizza Kitchen
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    California Pizza Kitchen adds 3 salads to permanent menu

    The offerings come months after it partnered with Man Vs Fries to add a virtual menu.

  • An image of a brown building with a "Texas Roadhouse" signage
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    Northwalker. (2022). Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
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    Texas Roadhouse CFO leaves after 2 years

    The Kentucky-based company named Keith Humpich as interim CFO after Chris Monroe left to return to the Lone Star State.

  • A photograph of three chicken sandwiches
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    Courtesy of Culver's
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    Culver’s revamps chicken sandwiches

    The chain will update three chicken sandwiches on June 16, just as rivals Popeyes and McDonald’s launch new items in the popular category.

  • A view of an empty fast food restaurant
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    umcher via Getty Images
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    Las Vegas restaurant operator ordered to pay more than $215K for alleged racial slurs against Black line cook

    Olives, Inc., allegedly took no remedial or disciplinary action after an HR manager came to the “spurious” conclusion there was no “malicious intent” behind the conduct.

  • A photograph of a turquoise building with "Caribou Coffee" on the outside signage.
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    Permission granted by Caribou Coffee
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    Caribou Coffee opens first standalone Texas unit

    The chain, which opened four locations in North Carolina last year, is expanding further into the Southeast and beyond its Midwest roots.

    Updated June 10, 2025
  • Culver's ButterBurger fast food drive-thru restaurant in Illinois
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    Patty Colabuono via Getty Images
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    Slurs, stalking and shoddy pay: Culver’s franchise settles slew of EEOC claims

    The settlement includes one case alleging sexual orientation-based discrimination, despite EEOC’s recent enforcement shifts affecting LGBTQ+ workers.

  • A rendering of a storefront with blue banner that says Auntie Anne's
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    Courtesy of Auntie Anne's
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    Auntie Anne’s unveils refreshed store design

    A bolder color palette and new logo are meant to attract Gen Z and millennials, while other elements will improve operations and support long-term growth.

  • A person smiling at the camera
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    Courtesy of Taco John's
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    Taco John’s hires GoTo Foods vet as COO

    Jackie Secor, who has over 25 years of restaurant experience, joins the 350-unit chain as it expands into new and existing markets.

  • Burritobar's barbacoa bowl. Slow cooked, pulled beef on top of a variety of Tex-Mex ingredients.
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    Courtesy of Burritobar
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    Barrio Burrito Bar surpasses 1,500 franchisee commitments

    With an additional 370 units signed across four territories, the Tex-Mex chain is on its way to becoming one of the fastest-growing brands on the East Coast.

  • Chipotle burrito and app on the beach
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle’s brand chief on turning up the heat where brand meets culture

    The chain plans to meaningfully ramp up marketing spend as it seeks to bounce back from its first same-store sales decrease since the pandemic.

  • An image of an orange bag with Grubhub and pizza boxes.
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    Permission granted by Grubhub
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    Grubhub launches multi-store ordering

    The feature, which coincides with further expansion into alcohol delivery, allows customers to order from two eligible merchants in a single order.

  • An image of an orange building with a logo that says BJ's
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    Julie Littman/Restaurant Dive
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    BJ’s Restaurants appoints CEO

    Lyle D. Tick, current president and chief concept officer, was promoted to the top executive post after being with the company since September. 

    Updated June 6, 2025
  • A robot table busser with a cat face on a tablet screen.
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    Aneurin Canham-Clyne/Restaurant Dive
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    The many faces of automation at the NRA Show

    This year artificial intelligence appeared in forms ranging from a cat-eared delivery robot to a generated analytics dashboard.