Menu Development

  • A Starbucks barista hands a customer a coffee
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    3 takeaways from Starbucks’ Investor Day

    From whitespace for 5,000 more stores to a chatbot that designs customized drinks, Starbucks has big plans now that it has returned to growth.

    By • Jan. 30, 2026
  • Two people working in the restaurant My 2 Cents.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    What’s the restaurant industry outlook for 2026?

    After a bruising year, restaurants face another spell of serious uncertainty. But there are bright spots in beverage innovation and casual dining, and diner spending may improve.

    By • Jan. 30, 2026
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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
  • 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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    How Chili’s menu innovation is growing its same-store sales

    Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman said upgraded dishes like Skillet Quesos and nachos are driving higher sales than previous iterations.

    By • Jan. 29, 2026
  • A person in a white shirt hold up a stick of meat while a person at a table takes a portion of meat off the stick. Another person is taking a photograph with a smartphone
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    Courtesy of Fogo de Chao
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    Deep Dive

    Casual chains need to prioritize experience to win in 2026

    Restaurant brands that offer affordability alongside a positive guest experience will thrive this year, and customers will keep coming back, experts say.

    By • Jan. 29, 2026
  • An image of two pan pizzas in front of a green background. On the right is a green pizza box.
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    Permission granted by Papa Johns
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    Papa Johns debuts Pan Pizza

    The new menu category took years of research and development to perfect and could help the pizza chain compete against segment leader Domino’s.

    By • Jan. 28, 2026
  • Several Chipotle items with the brand's version of chicken al pastor.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle bets Chicken al Pastor will bring consumers back

    The fast casual giant is increasing the frequency of its protein LTOs in a bid to drive trial, relevance and traffic. 

    By • Jan. 27, 2026
  • A person in a white sweater holds a drug injection pen.
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    Getty Images
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    GLP-1 users are still dining out

    Companies like Krispy Kreme, Darden and Fogo de Chao have seen little change in frequency from these guests, and Circana data shows just a 1% dip in orders per trip.

    By • Jan. 26, 2026
  • A person holding an order of Taco Bell chicken nuggets, nacho fries and a drink.
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets are back

    After a big year for Crispy Chicken products, Taco Bell is continuing to leverage menu items, like nuggets, to drive same-store sales growth.

    By • Jan. 22, 2026
  • An image of various cold beverages from Taco Bell.
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Deep Dive

    Drink up: Restaurants will spend more on beverage innovation in 2026

    Mocktails, energy drinks and premium caffeine options are set to sweep through restaurant menus this year. 

    By • Jan. 21, 2026
  • A photograph of a burger, fries and drink on a table with a neon sign of a cowboy in the background.
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    Courtesy of Five Guys
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    Five Guys opens Las Vegas restaurant with full bar

    The 10,000-square-foot location offers all-day breakfast and a beverage menu that includes beer, wine, frozen cocktails and specialty alcoholic drinks.

    By • Jan. 16, 2026
  • A photograph of various hamburgers and nuggets from Wendy’s.
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    Courtesy of Wendy’s
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    Wendy’s expands value menu with Biggie Deals

    The menu offers combos at a $4, $6 and $8 price points and builds off of its Biggie Bag by allowing for more customization.

    By • Jan. 14, 2026
  • An image of two red boxes. The one on the right has wrapped burgers while the box on the left has various toppings like lettuce, pickes and tommatoes.
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    Permission granted by Five Guys
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    Five Guys expands catering through ezCater

    Employers can order packages from small group bundles to large build-your-own bars from the burger chain across 800 locations nationwide.

    By • Jan. 13, 2026
  • krispy krunchy chicken
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    Retrieved from Krispy Krunchy Chicken.
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    How innovation is fueling the fried chicken wars at c-stores

    There’s huge demand for fried chicken menu items in the U.S. But standing out requires c-stores and QSRs to diversify their menus and make it easier for employees to execute.

    By Danielle McLean • Jan. 13, 2026
  • An image of various burritos and other items from Taco Bell.
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    Permission granted by Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell expands new value menu nationwide

    The brand’s Luxe lineup, which features 10 items priced at $3 or less, contains a mix of classics and new items aimed at budget-conscious consumers. 

    By Christopher Doering • Jan. 13, 2026
  • A burger, a soda and a basket of chips.
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    Courtesy of Chili's
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    Restaurant winners and losers in 2025

    Chili’s, coffee brands and Taco Bell did well, while fast casual chains struggled and Sweetgreen saw its worst year as a public firm.

    By • Jan. 12, 2026
  • An image of back-of-house workers preparing meals in a kitchen. Their faces are blurred
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    Hispanolistic via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    6 restaurant trends to watch in 2026

    Restaurants may face cost savings challenges and sales declines amid  continued supply chain disruptions, but can leverage consumer demand for cheaper menu items and experiential meals to stand out.

    By , , • Jan. 8, 2026
  • Three Dunkin' drinks with a brown drink in the foreground and a green drink and orange drink in the background.
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    Courtesy of Dunkin'
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    Dunkin’ adds protein milk to menu

    The protein-heavy version of dairy milk allows the brand to appeal to consumer health preferences without adding many SKUs.

    By • Jan. 8, 2026
  • A frosted soda and two floats from Chick-fil-A in old-school soda fountain glasses.
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    Courtesy of Chick-fil-A
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    Chick-fil-A adds floats, frosted sodas to permanent menu

    Mixing the brand’s soft serve with sodas gives Chick-fil-A an easy way to add new beverage platforms without increased complexity or equipment costs.

    By • Jan. 5, 2026
  • An image of a fork piercing a steak that sits on a white plate.
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    RapidEye via Getty Images
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    How restaurants are navigating tariff-related costs this holiday season

    Operators are getting creative when crafting menus, setting prices, scheduling staff, and finding new revenue amid surging expenses exacerbated by tariffs.

    By Danielle McLean • Dec. 22, 2025
  • A Sweetgreen salad and an order of air fried potatoes.
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    4 restaurant menu strategy fails in 2025

    From french fries that clogged up core operations to unprofitable doughnuts, national chains tried and abandoned a wide range of menu tactics to woo diners in 2025.

    By • Dec. 19, 2025
  • A cup of chicken from Chipotle
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle adds protein snack cups

    The fast casual giant framed the new items, which offer four-ounce portions of meat for about $4, as both a health and value play.

    By • Dec. 18, 2025
  • A photo of the exterior of a store in Japan. A sign above the storesays 7-Eleven.
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    Permission granted by Frank Beard
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    Column

    The Road Ahead: What if c-stores don’t need to become QSRs?

    The success of Japan’s convenience stores demonstrates the opportunity in selling food designed for everyday living, not just indulgent moments.

    By Frank Beard • Dec. 15, 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 updates franchising standards over value

    The chain will begin assessing pricing decisions by its operators in January to ensure that the system continues to provide the ideal customer experience. 

    By • Dec. 9, 2025
  • An image of a sausage slider and pretzel bites from White Castle
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    Permission granted by White Castle
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    White Castle tests sausage sliders, pretzel bites

    Guests in three markets will help the chain determine if it will add the Cheddar Smoked Sausage Slider and Pretzel Nibblers to its nationwide menu.

    By • Dec. 9, 2025
  • Potbelly Sandwich Shop in National Harbor, Maryland, taken by Julie Littman of Restaurant Dive
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    Julie Littman/Restaurant Dive
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    The most impactful c-store foodservice moves of 2025

    While many retailers upped their food capabilities this year, a few investments stood out for their boldness and industry-wide influence.

    By Brett Dworski • Dec. 9, 2025