Financials

  • The Wendy's logo displayed near a Wendy's restaurant on June 18, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
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    Brandon Bell / Staff via Getty Images
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    Wendy’s claims bankrupt franchisee has no right to continue running 314 units

    The franchisor said Meritage Hospitality Group does not have the right to ask for support for ongoing operations after Wendy’s terminated its franchise agreements.

    By • Sept. 22, 2026
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    RiverNorthPhotography via Getty Images
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    Inside an award-winning Wendy’s operator’s bankruptcy crisis

    Meritage Hospitality Group, which once had more than 350 restaurants, faced declining revenue and sales amid ongoing challenges with Wendy’s system.

    By • Sept. 22, 2026
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    Trendline

    Restaurant Financing

    With ongoing macroeconomic pressures facing restaurants, operators are entering into alternative financing, mergers and acquisitions and even bankruptcy to sustain their businesses. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
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    Courtesy of Yardbird
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    Yardbird files for bankruptcy

    The fried chicken and bar concept shuttered several locations in 2025 and 2026 as sales results diverged across its system.

    By • Updated 10 hours ago
  • An image ofa brick colored building with a logl of a red-headed girl with pigtails.
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    Courtesy of Wendy's
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    Major Wendy’s franchisee declares bankruptcy

    Meritage Hospitality Group, which operates 314 Wendy’s units, has closed at least 60 units and opted out or altered the breakfast daypart to improve store-level EBITDA.

    By • Sept. 18, 2026
  • An image of a restaurant that has a white sign with "Chili's" on the front and side.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Why Chili’s is ready to open new stores

    While the casual giant saw its same-store sales explode, its unit count stayed stagnant. Now, Brinker International is investing in growing its storebase again.

    By • Sept. 18, 2026
  • A close up photograph of a red out of business sign hanging on a store window.
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    Getty Images
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    Why multi-unit restaurant franchisee bankruptcies are surging in 2026

    High labor and food costs and slumping sales have caused franchisee bankruptcies to reach pre-pandemic levels, but various strategies could help mitigate the problem.

    By Danielle McLean • Sept. 16, 2026
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    Courtesy of Einstein Bros. Bagels
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    Einstein Bros. Bagels staffs up C-suite for national growth

    The breakfast chain hired several executives to lead development, people and finance as it works to open 300 stores in three years.

    By • Sept. 16, 2026
  • A zoomed in image of a smartphone with a on orange app square that says "Grubhub" in white.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    DoorDash buys Grubhub campus unit for $300M

    DoorDash will continue to expand Grubhub’s former campus dining operations, and Wonder will use money from the deal and an investment to sustain growth.

    By • Sept. 15, 2026
  • An image of a sky blue Pollo Tropical restaurant
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    Courtesy of Fiesta Restaurant Group
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    Pollo Tropical owner secures $325M investment

    Authentic Restaurant Brands said the funding from Trimontium would bring new resources to “hometown hero” brands.

    By • Sept. 11, 2026
  • A sign that says "Since 1956 Jersey Miek's Subs"
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    4 key numbers shed light on Jersey Mike’s strategy

    The sandwich chain is investing in digital marketing and significant unit growth in its first months as a public company.

    By • Sept. 9, 2026
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    Courtesy of Huddle House
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    Huddle House woos multi-unit operators with franchising discounts

    Plagued by net closures and low unit volumes in recent years, the chain is looking for franchisees willing to build new restaurants quickly.

    By • Sept. 2, 2026
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    Retrieved from Pizza Hut.
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    It’s official: Yum has sold Pizza Hut for $1.5B

    Taco Bell’s parent will focus on its other brands, while Pizza Hut can begin a turnaround sheltered from the immediate pressures of public markets.

    By • Sept. 1, 2026
  • A close up photograph of several bowls with food from Roti Modern Mediterranean
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    Courtesy of Roti Modern Mediterranean
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    Opinion

    The future of restaurant growth is not a brand. It is a portfolio.

    Creating a platform of chains provides more flexibility as competition for consumer dollars rises, writes Edible Brands’ CEO Somia Farid Silber.

    By Somia Farid Silber • Aug. 28, 2026
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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
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    Permission granted by Dutch Bros
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    By the numbers: Inside Dutch Bros’ growth strategy

    From a strong leadership pipeline to healthy quarterly openings, the drive-thru coffee chain is seeing positive momentum across several parts of its business. 

    By • Updated Aug. 20, 2026
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    Courtesy of Smoothie King
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    Smoothie King sales soar after flatbread launch

    Chicken Flatbreads helped increase July same-store sales by 9%, marking the brand’s best month this year to date.

    By • Aug. 14, 2026
  • An interior of a restaurant with signs that say Applebee's and IHOP
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    Permission granted by Dine Brands
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    How Dine’s dual-brands can stave off closures

    Conversions to dual branding could generate sales lifts at struggling stores, helping IHOP and Applebee's avoid closures.

    By • Aug. 13, 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
  • 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
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    wdstock via Getty Images
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    Gen Restaurant Group mulls $100M offer for its BBQ chain

    Selling its restaurant business would allow Gen to pivot to CPG, where it can grow with lower development expenditure. 

    By • Aug. 10, 2026
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    Permission granted by First Watch
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    Inside First Watch’s ‘spend more to earn more’ strategy

    Despite increased marketing, food and development costs, the chain is seeing an uptick in sales, revenue and opportunities to reach new customers. 

    By • Aug. 10, 2026
  • An evening shot of a Portillo's restaurant
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    Courtesy of Portillo's
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    Portillo’s cuts 18% of corporate workforce

    The July 31 reduction was meant to simplify its corporate structure to allow for better focus, nimbler operations and improved restaurant-level support.

    By • Aug. 7, 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 red sign with white lettering that says Wendy's below a logo of a girl with red hair and blue hair ties sits in a parking lot under a tree.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Wendy’s CEO moving with ‘urgency’ to revamp brand

    Robert Wright, who rejoined the chain in May, is already drafting a strategy that will focus on menu, marketing, digital, operations and restaurants to improve the chain’s sales and traffic.

    By • Aug. 7, 2026
  • A car at a window picking up an order from a restaurant
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    Permission granted by Salad and Go
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    Dutch Bros buys 65 former Salad and Go units

    The coffee chain will convert units in Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas as part of its strategy to reach 2,029 units in 2029.

    By • Aug. 6, 2026