Consumer Trends

  • A hand lifts a slice of stuffed crust pizza topped with pepperoni and peppers. The slice trails strings of melted mozzarella.
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    Courtesy of Domino's
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    Q2 2026’s restaurant winners and losers

    Coffee is in, pizza is out, and some legacy QSR chains are struggling with much-needed turnarounds. 

    By • Sept. 1, 2026
  • Three pumpkin themed coffee drinks from Starbucks. Two are iced, one is hot and has whipped cream.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks’ pumpkin spice launch breaks records, again

    The Pumpkin Spice Latte, combined with new drinks and an emphasis on food attachment, powered the coffee giant’s strongest-ever fall menu debut.

    By • Sept. 1, 2026
  • 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
  • labor law
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    Kevin Dietsch / Staff via Getty Images
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    Starbucks faces another union boycott, activist investor pressure

    Pro-labor investors want the chain to split its board chair and CEO roles as Starbucks Workers United asks consumers to join its contract fight.

    By • Aug. 31, 2026
  • Man Pays Restaurant Bill with Credit Card
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    Getty Images
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    Gen Z is boosting restaurant traffic

    Bars and independents are outperforming chains, and consumers are shifting from grocers to restaurants, according to Bank of America data.

    By • Aug. 28, 2026
  • Four Cold Brews, three with flavored cold foam toppings.
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    How Gen Z, millennials drive beverage-only restaurant visits

    Consumers want more coffee variety but seem bearish on dirty sodas, despite the fact that beverage-only occasions are concentrated in the afternoon, per a National Restaurant Association report.

    By • Aug. 27, 2026
  • Yellow storefront of Buffalo Wild Wings near Las Vegas
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    Thai Phi Le/Restaurant Dive
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    Buffalo Wild Wings hires coffee exec as COO

    Ahmed Awadallah, who brings significant cafe and QSR experience to the sports bar chain, will focus on operational excellence.

    By • Aug. 26, 2026
  • A promotional collage for Burger King's new nuggets.
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    Courtesy of Burger King
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    Burger King scraps ‘rubbery’ chicken nuggets for new recipe

    The RBI chain updated its breading, marinade, sauces and packaging in a comprehensive overhaul to make its nuggets juicier and crispier.

    By • Aug. 25, 2026
  • A rendering if a red and orange building with El Pollo Loco signage.
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    Courtesy of El Pollo Loco
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    El Pollo looks to speed up growth, menu innovation after turnaround

    CEO Elizabeth Williams said the chain is doubling its pace of development relative to last year and considering adding more fried chicken. 

    By • Aug. 24, 2026
  • A close up photograph of a partial Starbucks siren logo as seen from the top of an office building.
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    David Ryder via Getty Images
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    Starbucks Unicorn Frappucino drives biggest sales weekend ever

    The chain spent months building anticipation for the drink, which was available for just two days and drove 28.5% higher traffic than a typical Saturday.

    By • Aug. 24, 2026
  • Two pizza makers work together in a busy pizzeria
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    Fuse Img via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by PredictHQ

    Why holiday staffing starts with better demand forecasting

    Predict holiday rush patterns to ace restaurant staffing and protect your revenue.

    Aug. 24, 2026
  • Adam, a robot made by Richtech Robotics, makes an espresso drink at the National Restaurant Association Show in May 2025.
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    Aneurin Canham-Clyne/Restaurant Dive
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    Opinion

    Restaurants can’t automate hospitality

    As the world embraces AI solutions to optimize business, operators need to remember that many diners prioritize authentic, tangible experiences over digitally-powered efficiency, writes Tab Commerce’s James Tice.

    By James Tice • Aug. 21, 2026
  • A daytime image of a building with beige bricks and a Tropical Smoothie Cafe sign.
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    Permission granted by Tropical Smoothie Cafe
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    Why Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s CFO champions CX

    Experience improvements encourage “guests to come back more often, spend more often and recommend us to others,” CFO Chris Sasser said.

    By Kristen Doerer • Aug. 21, 2026
  • The exterior of a Panera Bread restaurant.
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    Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
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    Panera overhauls rewards program

    The shift to points-based loyalty with premium tiers offers consumers more consistent value and greater control of redemption.

    By • Aug. 19, 2026
  • A promotional image for Whataburger's $4 sandwiches
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    Courtesy of Whataburger
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    Whataburger adds $4 value menu

    Low-priced options could attract diners in new markets and sustain sales in core trade areas.

    By • Aug. 18, 2026
  • Shell
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    Retrieved from Shell.
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    Shell taps McDonald’s loyalty base to drive fuel trips, rewards sign-ups

    A new promotion gives the QSR chain’s loyalty members discounts at Shell-branded gas stations through mid-September.

    By Brett Dworski • Aug. 18, 2026
  • A photo of a Cava location in a brick endcap retail space.
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    Courtesy of Cava
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    Cava’s investment in value and wages pays off

    The fast casual brand’s longstanding effort to underprice inflation has helped it drive sales growth in lower-income trade areas.

    By • Aug. 12, 2026
  • A view of a Wendy's restaurant on May 12, 2021 in Pinole, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Wendy’s new CEO pushes for experience consistency as part of turnaround

    The company hasn’t “consistently delivered the experience customers expect from Wendy's,” CEO Bob Wright said. To fix that problem, he is looking at operations.

    By Bryan Wassel • Aug. 12, 2026
  • An image of a red, turquoise and white restaurant with Moe's signage
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    Courtesy of Moe's Southwest Grill
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    Why a major Moe’s operator filed for bankruptcy

    Quality Fresca spent years stabilizing its business post-COVID, but inflation and consumer shifts in 2025 undid the 38-store franchisee’s work. 

    By • Aug. 11, 2026
  • Three rectangular pizzas with Domino's brand packaging.
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    Courtesy of Domino's Pizza
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    Domino’s adds rectangular personal pizza

    The Detroit-style pizza, dubbed the Domino, will help the brand capture meal occasions ranging from afternoon snacks to midnight meals. 

    By • Aug. 11, 2026
  • QDOBA Burrito
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    Courtesy of QDOBA
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    Jalapeños served at Qdoba, Chipotle tied to Salmonella outbreak

    Both chains stopped serving potentially contaminated peppers after hundreds of consumers across 27 states fell ill.

    By • Updated Aug. 10, 2026
  • A close-up photograph of coure wraps on a yellow table in front of an orange titled background.
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen says turnaround is working, despite soft sales

    Improvements in value perception, transactions and throughput were derailed by worries about Cyclospora, though the brand doesn’t serve iceberg lettuce.

    By • Aug. 7, 2026
  • A black and purple restaurant exterior.
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    Duane Prokop via Getty Images
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    Taco Bell, Taylor Farms Cyclospora case count hits 6K

    The vast majority of the individuals sickened in the outbreak fell ill before Taco Bell and Taylor Farms removed potentially contaminated lettuce.

    By • Aug. 6, 2026
  • a drive-thru coffee shop with 7 Brew branding at dusk.
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    Courtesy of 7 Brew
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    7 Brew debuts app, overhauls loyalty system

    The new app could aid the coffee brand’s growth by driving sales and raising the quality and volume of consumer data it collects.

    By • Aug. 6, 2026
  • A picture of Burger King signs.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Burger King sales surge, but Popeyes faces uphill battle

    While Burger King’s revival has gained momentum in recent months, Popeyes has continued to struggle despite its turnaround efforts — but RBI has hope for the chicken chain’s sluggish sales.

    By • Aug. 6, 2026
  • Six drinks, all colorful, comprising the vanguard of McDonald's post-CosMc's premium drinks lineup.
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s CEO blames US traffic drop on execution problems

    The Golden Arches is acting with urgency to correct value issues and operational inefficiencies in the U.S. after a sales miss, executives said.

    By • Aug. 4, 2026