Consumer Trends

  • Burger
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    Allie Beau

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    Sponsored by Schweid & Sons

    4 generations, 1 legendary burger

    “Every time someone eats a Schweid & Sons burger,” Jamie says, “they taste 4 generations of dedication.”

    Dec. 8, 2025
  • An image of a building with a sign that says "Sweetgreen."
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    A market of extremes: How 2026 will impact restaurant winners and losers

    Price compression has intensified competition between restaurant sectors, as executives look back on a bifurcated year.

    By • Dec. 5, 2025
  • An image of several people eating hamburgers and french fries from a generic fast food restaurant. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Loyalty & Rewards Strategy

    Capturing — and keeping — loyal customers is more crucial than ever as diner price sensitivity puts pressure on restaurants.

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • A photograph of various cold brew coffee beverages at Sonic.
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    Permission granted by Sonic
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    Sonic tests cold coffee lineup

    The cold caffeine arms race is pushing Sonic to add everything from plain iced coffee to a soft-serve coffee milkshake to its menu.

    By • Dec. 5, 2025
  • A bright pink restaurant interior with big digital display signs.
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    Courtesy of KFC
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    KFC’s Saucy to open 3 more units

    The expansion signals Yum Brands sees the drinks- and tenders-focused concept as an important part of its KFC turnaround.

    By • Dec. 3, 2025
  • A Subway restaurant interior with white and green countertops and digital menu boards.
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    Courtesy of Subway
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    Subway resurrects Sub Club after 20 years

    Consumers who buy three footlong sandwiches earn a fourth one free, offering a major discount for value-conscious customers. 

    By • Dec. 1, 2025
  • A hand drops sauce from a spoon onto plates of food.
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    Getty Images
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    Toast: Solo dining reservations jumped 22% in Q3

    Data shows a shift toward the breakfast daypart and weekdays, but weekend dinner occasions still comprise the bulk of full-service reservations.

    By • Nov. 26, 2025
  • A picture of the interior of a coffeehouse.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks anticipates Gen Z Thanksgiving traffic surge

    A whopping 70% of the cohort plans to visit a coffeehouse over the holiday, a trend the chain hopes to capitalize on through its renewed on-premise focus.

    By • Nov. 25, 2025
  • A photo of the interior of Sadie's diner.
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    Permission granted by Paragon Solutions
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    4 c-stores turning up the heat on breakfast

    From Kwik Trip’s in-house bakeries to Wawa’s LTOs, convenience stores nationwide are capitalizing on the buoyant breakfast market.

    By Michael Brady • Nov. 25, 2025
  • An arm reaches out of a gray car to collect a bag of food while an employee with blue gloves hands off the bag.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Speed isn’t enough anymore. Why QSR brands need to dial up the emotion.

    Chains need to focus on experiences, rituals and spaces that foster connection, writes Lotte van Uum, creative director of spatial design at FutureBrand.

    By Lotte van Uum • Nov. 24, 2025
  • A photo of crinkle fries in a box that says Sonic and two burgers next to each other in front of a blue backdrop.
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    Permission granted by Sonic Drive-In
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    NRA: Value, comfort will define 2026 menu trends

    Operators looking to take advantage of buzzy food items, like protein add-ons or smash burgers, will have to balance operational complexity with demand.

    By • Nov. 21, 2025
  • A photo of a breakfast combo meal including a cup, three breakfast sandwiches and a container of hash browns on a wrapping paper that says "Rutter's" on a white background.
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    Permission granted by Rutter's
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    How 3 retailers are upgrading meal bundles

    Love’s, EG America and Rutter’s have all developed complex strategies for tying their in-house food with other products. Here are a few of their tips.

    By Christine Blank • Nov. 20, 2025
  • Jack in the Box
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Jack in the Box posts worst sales quarter in years, again

    Falling traffic and unfavorable menu mix hurt the burger chain, but executives hope that retraining its entire system will improve consistency and sales.

    By • Nov. 20, 2025
  • An evening image of a building that says Papa Murphy's
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    The image by Rick Obst is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Why Papa Murphy’s rebuilt its loyalty program around a single rule

    “Every pizza earns points,” Papa Murphy’s Jason Focht said. “It's easy to understand, easy to message and easy to execute across all of our channels, including web apps and in-store.”

    By Bryan Wassel • Nov. 17, 2025
  • Culver's restaurant exterior
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    Courtesy of Culver's
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    How Culver’s home-grown franchisees power its growth

    By turning long-tenured GMs into owner-operators, the chain ensures a steady supply of franchisees who are committed to the brand and have significant operational experience.

    By • Nov. 12, 2025
  • A photograph of a drive thru window with a red sign that says "Sorry, We are closed. Thanks for your patronage over the years. Wendys."
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    FireAtDusk via Getty Images
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    Wendy’s could close hundreds of restaurants

    With McDonald’s and Burger King posting same-store sales gains, Wendy’s is under pressure to raise its average unit volume.

    By • Nov. 10, 2025
  • A picture of a hand giving a iced coffee drink to another person.
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    Permission granted by Dutch Bros
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    Dutch Bros to take breakfast nationwide in 2026

    The drive-thru coffee chain is putting pressure on legacy competitors with its goal to be a one-stop shop in the morning daypart.

    By • Nov. 7, 2025
  • People walking in front of a Sweetgreen on Aug.8, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Sweetgreen battered by 9.5% same-store sales drop

    The salad chain suffered one of the worst third quarters among publicly traded fast casuals, as young consumers in core markets pulled back and value plays ate into margins.

    By • Nov. 7, 2025
  • Outback Steakhouse exterior
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    Courtesy of Bloomin' Brands
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    Bloomin’ to invest $50M in Outback Steakhouse overhaul in 2026

    The turnaround will touch everything from steak quality to marketing, and the cost will be partly offset by productivity investments.

    By • Nov. 6, 2025
  • A lighted McDonald's sign at dusk reading 'Extra Value Meals are back.'
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s Extra Value Meals insulated sales from diner price sensitivity

    Reductions in combo meal prices helped McDonald’s offset consumer pullback in the U.S. in Q3, and the chain will double down on its value efforts.

    By • Nov. 5, 2025
  • An image of a Cava logo
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    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.

    By • Nov. 5, 2025
  • Marathon runners in Nashville
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    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. 

    By Julie Powell • Oct. 31, 2025
  • An image of the Shake Shack logo on a window.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    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.

    By • Oct. 31, 2025
  • An image of three large platters in the forefront with various food items. I nthe bagkround there are three cups, chips and tortillas.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    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.”

    By • Oct. 30, 2025
  • An empty Starbucks redesigned with lots of green and open space.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    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. 

    By • Oct. 30, 2025
  • An aerial view of a building with white "Chili'"s sign alongside a red pepper.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    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.

    By • Oct. 29, 2025