Popeyes chicken sandwich spurs best quarter in 20 years

Despite selling out after 14 days, the popular menu item helped increase store traffic 218% in July and attract new guests during the third quarter. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 28, 2019

Impossible Whopper drives 5% of Burger King's Q3 US comp sales

The sandwich helped drive the chain's strongest U.S. growth rate since 2015, and could kick-start the creation of a plant-based platform both domestically and abroad for the restaurant. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 28, 2019

Explore the 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

Shift Change: Rave Restaurant Group appoints new CEO, Your Pizza hires first CMO

This week's Shift Change also highlights executives at Restaurant Brands International, Global Franchise Group, Paris Baguette and Muscle Maker Grill.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 25, 2019

&pizza teams with Lyft for late-night ride-share benefits

The fast casual pizzeria's three-month pilot is just one of many benefits restaurants like Starbucks, Noodles & Company and Chipotle are adding to attract and retain employees. 

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 24, 2019

Lunch Break: White Castle's COO shares how its tech, culture help labor retention

Wearables with real-time data updates and 40-hour weeks for GMs are helping the burger chain grow talent, Jeff Carper said, but as the labor shortage grows, it is eyeing cafeteria-style payment and additional benefits.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 23, 2019

Chipotle to build 60 Chipotlanes by year's end

The company expects digital to become a $1 billion business, and mobile pickup lanes will be a growing part of the chain's strategy as it evaluates real estate needs. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 23, 2019

Burger King lets spirits taste test new Ghost Whopper at seance

In a creative stunt, a medium invited spirits to inhabit his body and try the brand's new Halloween burger.

By Barry Levine • Oct. 22, 2019

Burger King India sales grew 66%, report says

The chain, which has found a niche with pricing and its vegetarian menu, plans to open 500 units by fiscal year 2023, which will better position it against McDonald's.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 22, 2019

Arkansas Pei Wei ignored complaints of managers' sexual harassment, EEOC alleges

The sexually hostile work environment the managers created forced two workers to quit, the agency alleged in its lawsuit.

By Riia O'Donnell • Oct. 21, 2019

Passport to success: How restaurants can make international expansion work

From Popeyes to Wendy's, U.S. QSRs are crowding foreign markets in places like China and the Middle East. Check out our interactive maps to see how many stores they've planted overseas and learn about the strategies needed to expand abroad.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 21, 2019

Lunch Break: Taziki's CEO Dan Simpson talks delivery and data control

Should restaurants partner with third-party platforms or build out their own fleet of drivers? For Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe, the answer was both. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 18, 2019

Shift Change: Dunkin' CMO resigns

This week's Shift Change also highlights new executives at Tropical Smoothie Cafe and departures at Waitr Holdings. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 18, 2019

Impossible Whopper trial drove 18% traffic growth at Burger King

Barclays compared traffic at the chain's St. Louis restaurants where it trialed the burger to area McDonald's locations and Kansas City Burger Kings — neither of which saw comparable gains. 

By Lauren Manning • Oct. 17, 2019

Chipotle dishes up degree program to prepare workers for '21st century' jobs

Unlike its guacamole, the benefit will come at no cost. The restaurant will cover 100% of tuition costs for 75 types of business and technology degrees.

By Valerie Bolden-Barrett , Katie Clarey • Oct. 17, 2019

Starbucks outspends pumpkin spice competitors in advertising, adds print to mix

The chain got a jump start on the popular fall flavor trend in August, bringing back its themed drinks and supporting ads.

By Dianna Christe and Chantal Tode • Oct. 17, 2019

Burger King splices doorbell footage into video ad for Uber Eats delivery

The King visited hundreds of Los Angeles homes that had Amazon Ring doorbell cameras, and agency MullenLowe assembled footage into an ad.

By Robert Williams • Oct. 16, 2019

Dunkin' CMO who helped spearhead rebrand exits after 2 years

Stepping down Dec. 1, Tony Weisman will assist in the CMO replacement search, which is effective immediately.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 16, 2019

Taco Bell recalls 2.3M pounds of beef on heels of tortilla shortage

The chain pulled the product from 21 states this week over possible metal shaving contamination, which could hurt its brand perception. 

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 16, 2019

Uber will lay off about 350 employees across Eats, rest of system

This downsizing marks the firm's third round of layoffs since August, adding up to over 1,000 job cuts, but CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said it's "the last wave."

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 15, 2019

Taco Bell beefs up World Series campaign with sports betting

The fast food chain updated its "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion to include real-money bets in states where sports betting is legal.

By Robert Williams • Oct. 15, 2019

Domino's franchisee delivers $800K settlement in drivers' underpayment suit

The settlement highlights a number of concerns — including tip credits and uniform deductions — that employers should note.

By Jennifer Carsen • Oct. 15, 2019

Cracker Barrel buys Maple Street Biscuit Company for $36M

The casual dining chain will convert its fast casual Holler and Dash concept, which investors have called "an ill-conceived project destined to fail," to Maple Street concepts in the near future.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 11, 2019

Chick-fil-A must close first UK restaurant after pilot period, shopping center orders

Following pressure from local gay rights groups, the popular chicken chain — which opened a store in Reading, England, only eight days ago — will not be permitted to stay in the Oracle shopping center beyond its six-month test.

By Julie Littman • Updated Oct. 18, 2019

How Wendy's plans to get breakfast right this time

The restaurant expects the morning daypart to make up 10% of its daily sales, and its breakfast strategy will use less labor and lower food costs compared to previous attempts.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 11, 2019

Shift Change: Red Robin appoints board chair, Subway hires 4 execs

This week's Shift Change also highlights new executives at Taco Bell, Dunkin' Brands, Good Times Restaurants and Tim Hortons. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 11, 2019