Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists


  • People enter a McDonald's restaurant that has posters on the windows advertising meal deals.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Why consumers, not restaurants, are dictating value

    Guests with tighter budgets are seeking out more affordable options, and restaurants — desperate for their dollars — are responding with a battle for the best value offer. 

    Julie Littman • Updated Sept. 23, 2024
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Brian Niccol was hired to transform Starbucks. Is that possible?

    Niccol must contend with the coffee chain’s growing brand identity and consumer perception problems, and balance its “third place” value proposition with efficient digital fulfillment.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Sept. 9, 2024
  • A photograph of a pink building with white polka dots with a sign that says "The Original Rainbow Cone."
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    Permission granted by The Original Rainbow Cone
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    Dessert concepts are seeing record growth. But are they just a fad?

    To stay relevant, chains like The Original Rainbow Cone and Dirty Dough are expanding their menus beyond their core offerings.

    Julie Littman • Aug. 12, 2024
  • A building with a white exterior and branding for District Taco
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    Permission granted by District Taco
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    How 4 chains are chasing Chipotle

    From small regional brands to old challengers undergoing an overhaul, Mexican brands are relying on menu differentiation and franchising to catch the segment leader.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 31, 2024
  • A white sign with black text reading 'Compass Coffee' in front of and below a lighted neon saying reading 'Georgetown'
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    Aneurin Canham-Clyne/Restaurant Dive
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    Compass Coffee responds to union drive with mass hiring

    The union plans to challenge the voter eligibility of scores of workers the Washington, D.C.-based chain added to its roster ahead of a scheduled mid-July election.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • June 28, 2024
  • An image of a white and red building with Red Lobster signage on the front.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    How a bad real estate deal sunk Red Lobster

    Trouble began in 2014 when the chain’s owner sold its real estate in a sale-leaseback, putting the seafood brand on the hook for millions in rent.

    Julie Littman • June 10, 2024
  • Three people stand outside a closed coffee shop holding signs.
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    Permission granted by Holly Costanzo
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    Workers at DC’s Wydown cafes got organized. Then they lost everything.

    The owners of the two-unit coffee chain shut down operations in the middle of a union drive, leaving workers fighting for severance.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • May 29, 2024
  • A restaurant employee using RFID to scan a box with a barcode.
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    Permission granted by Chipotle
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    Chipotle leverages RFID technology, increases overall visibility

    Executive Carlos Londono spoke about the company’s operations and its efforts to bring the technology to all of its 3,500 restaurants.

    Alejandra Carranza • May 15, 2024
  • A selection of food items from Clean Juice
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    Permission granted by Clean Juice
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    Juice chains are winning new consumers with food offerings

    Brands are retooling their kitchens to accommodate new recipes, such as bowls and wraps, to attract broader demographics and expand occasions.

    Julie Littman • March 28, 2024
  • An exterior shot of a Beyond Juicery
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    Permission granted by Beyond Juicery + Eatery
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    How juice chains are shifting operations to create more profitability

    Beyond Juicery and Main Squeeze did in-depth analyses on how franchisees could improve profitability from the cost of goods to construction.

    Julie Littman • March 27, 2024
  • Inside a Nekter Juice Bar
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    Permission granted by Nekter Juice Bar
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    What’s driving juice chains’ aggressive growth

    Brands like Nekter Juice Bar, Main Squeeze Juice and Juice it Up are pushing into new markets and opening stores as demand rises for healthy foods.

    Julie Littman • March 26, 2024
  • Sliders featuring Beyond Chicken in various preparations with a flag of the company logo in a bun sit on a counter.
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    Courtesy of Beyond Meat
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    Plant-based meat needs to beef up its messaging in 2024

    Between slumping sales and shifting consumer mindsets, 2023 proved difficult for the sector. Here’s what analysts and experts say the category can do to recalibrate.

    Elizabeth Flood • Feb. 14, 2024
  • Pick-up zone at Burger King
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    Michael Thomas via Getty Images
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    Cost pressures may drive restaurant franchisee bankruptcies in 2024

    Issues with margins or cash flow due to supply shocks, labor shortages and other disruptions can push operators into covenant default over their debts, experts said.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Jan. 30, 2024
  • Wings & Rings catering wing box
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    Permission granted by Wings & Rings
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    Return-to-office traffic is fueling a catering boom in 2024

    Chains like Cracker Barrel, BJs and Wings & Rings will continue to lean into the profitable channel this year after seeing double-digit growth in 2023.

    Julie Littman • Jan. 29, 2024
  • An in-store bar.
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    Retrieved from Maizano on November 27, 2023
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    7 restaurant industry trends to watch in 2024

    Development costs will remain high and service fees could frustrate diners, but personalized offers and labor-saving tech may give brands an edge.

    Emma Liem Beckett, Aneurin Canham-Clyne and Julie Littman • Jan. 10, 2024
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    LeoPatrizi via Getty Images
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    Personalization will rule restaurant loyalty programs in 2024

    Major chains are using real-time consumer data and artificial intelligence to provide more personalized perks, which may grow engagement even as diners’ emotional attachment to brands dips. 

    Danielle McLean • Jan. 4, 2024
  • A tech-driven salad bar in a grocery store.
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    Permission granted by Schnuck Markets
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    Foodservice ‘renaissance’: How grocers are spicing up their deli and premade meals

    As supermarkets increasingly replace restaurant meals, they’re looking to offer better prices alongside flavor innovation, deals and new shopping experiences.

    Catherine Douglas Moran • Nov. 7, 2023
  • Diesel Cafe, in Davis Square in Somerville, Mass.
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    Permission granted by Shane Woolley
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    Coffee could become a union industry in Boston

    UNITE HERE has organized four Boston cafe chains. Now, it wants to use a standard contract to spur more unionization and drive up wages in the city’s coffee sector. 

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Aug. 24, 2023
  • An image of a copper sign that says Block
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    Courtesy of Shane Woolley/Restaurant Dive
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    It’s not just Starbucks: Why cafes are hotbeds for unionizing

    Workers at dozens of cafes in cities from Seattle to Boston are organizing, a trend experts attribute to low wages, college education and strong social bonds among employees.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 26, 2023
  • Actor Ben Affleck, wearing a blue plaid shirt and dark coat, stands in front of a Dunkin' sipping a coffee.
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    Permission granted by Dunkin'
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    6 campaigns that broke through the creative rut of H1 2023

    Though tightened advertiser budgets have spurred a sense of dullness, bets on buzzy tech, experiential displays and major refreshes from chains like Dunkin’ and Burger King seized the moment.

    Peter Adams and Jessica Deyo • July 17, 2023
  • A delivery robot crosses a busy street.
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    Carlos Osorio/AP

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    Why delivery robots face a regulatory ‘nightmare’

    Laws for sidewalk-roaming bots have taken hold across states. But variances in each bill complicate the industry's expansion plans.

    Max Garland • May 3, 2023
  • A photograph of a First Watch restaurant
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    Permission granted by First Watch
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    Rise and shine: Why breakfast chains are booming

    Early bird foot traffic from remote and hybrid workers is boosting same-store sales growth at A.M. eateries, fueling sizable expansion pipelines.

    Julie Littman • March 21, 2023
  • Wendy's ghost kitchen
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    Permission granted by Wendy's
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    Ghost kitchens need to go omnichannel if they want to survive, experts say

    After a year of dashed expansion plans, closures and high-profile regulatory infractions, segment players may need brand awareness and expanded access points to thrive.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Jan. 31, 2023
  • An image of a woman at open sign.
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    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
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    While chains seek multi-unit franchisees, small operators have room to grow in 2023

    Franchisees will continue to push franchisors to boost store-level profitability as many brace for high development and operating costs.

    Julie Littman • Jan. 30, 2023
  • A man and woman looking at receipts inside a cafe
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    Ridofranz via Getty Images
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    5 trends that will shape the restaurant industry in 2023

    Restaurants will experiment with dynamic menu pricing, cater to diners who are trading down and move away from ghost kitchens as inflation pressures the bottom line, experts predict.

    Emma Liem Beckett, Aneurin Canham-Clyne and Julie Littman • Jan. 5, 2023