Menu Development

  • A close up imae of a white sign with Cracker Barrel logo and Uncle Herschal mascot.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Cracker Barrel reports steepest traffic decline since botched rebrand

    Despite focusing on menu quality and value, the chain reported a 10% traffic drop nearly six months after it attempted to remove its iconic Uncle Herschel from its branding.

    By • March 5, 2026
  • A close up image of three burritos from Del Taco.
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    Courtesy of Del Taco
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    Del Taco unveils 18-month turnaround plan

    Under its Project Sunrise roadmap, the chain will focus on quality and consistency of menu items, bold innovation to drive trial, expansion of catering and a more impactful loyalty program.

    By • March 5, 2026
  • A chef prepares a seasonal Easter dish with pickeled egg dyed prupose and served with a watercress salad and olive oil dressing
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    Getty Images
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    How spring holidays can boost restaurant sales

    Savvy planning for St. Patrick’s Day and Easter visits can help restaurants recover after a challenging winter season.

    By Danielle McLean • March 4, 2026
  • Papa Johns Cool Ranch Papadia sandwiches in various packaging and contexts.
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    Courtesy of Papa Johns
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    Papa Johns will drop Papadias, Papa Bites from menu

    While the two items drove incremental sales in past quarters, they can disrupt operational rhythm and create more complexities, CEO Todd Penegor said.

    By • Feb. 27, 2026
  • An image of a building with a sign that says "Sweetgreen."
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen may change its pricing after disaster quarter

    The salad chain suffered the worst quarter among major fast casual restaurants. It is now rethinking everything from core prices to its menu’s emphasis on bowls.

    By • Feb. 27, 2026
  • IHOP pancakes
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    Courtesy of IHOP
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    IHOP promotes pancakes with low-tech aesthetics, experiential play

    In a tie-up with musician Mr. Fantasy, the chain is plastering high-traffic areas with old-school flyers reminiscent of the early internet. 

    By Sara Karlovitch • Feb. 26, 2026
  • A sign marks the location of an Outback Steakhouse restaurant on November 02, 2021 in Skokie, Illinois.
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    Scott Olson / Staff via Getty Images
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    Outback posts first traffic growth in 5 years

    New steaks improved guest satisfaction, and fresh investments in facilities, labor and marketing could help build the brand’s transaction momentum.

    By • Feb. 25, 2026
  • An image of a McDonald's sign
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    JillianCain via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s launches supersized Big Arch Burger in US

    The limited-time offer is part of the chain’s strategy to help drive sales and traffic by boosting food quality.

    By • Feb. 25, 2026
  • An image of various sandwiches, soups and salads from Panera.
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    Courtesy of Panera Bread
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    Panera debuts Mix & Match value menu

    Two years after introducing its Value Duets, the chain now offers 10 items for $4.99 as part of a strategy to improve its value proposition.

    By • Feb. 25, 2026
  • Couche-Tard
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    Retrieved from Couche-Tard.
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    Inside the 18-month reset reviving Couche-Tard’s US food business

    After a hot start in 2020, Circle K’s Fresh Food, Fast program slowed. Executives are now fine-tuning the offering through operational improvements and menu updates to spark new growth.

    By Brett Dworski • Feb. 23, 2026
  • 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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    Domino’s wants to double its market share

    CEO Russel Weiner thinks the chain can capture half of the QSR pizza market at the expense of Pizza Hut and Papa Johns.

    By • Feb. 23, 2026
  • A person holds their arms out to showcase various sandwiches, salads and burgers from Habit Burger
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    Courtesy of Habit Burger & Grill
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    Habit Burger launches core menu update

    The menu additions and upgrades could help the fast casual chain grow same-store sales, which were down 1% in 2025.

    By • Feb. 17, 2026
  • A promotional image for Wendy's 2-for-$3 breakfast bundles.
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    Courtesy of Wendy's
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    Wendy’s pulls back on breakfast hours

    The chain is allowing franchisees to focus more on lunch and late-night hours as same-store sales logs its steepest decline in roughly six years.

    By • Feb. 13, 2026
  • Five fancy drinks at McDonald's against a dark blue background.
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s is adding energy drinks, craft sodas to McCafe line

    The beverages, inspired by the chain’s defunct CosMc’s spinoff, were “highly successful” in a 500-store test and will be deployed nationwide this year. 

    By • Feb. 13, 2026
  • 7-Eleven
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    Brett Dworski/Restaurant Dive
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    C-store foodservice innovation is off to a hot start in 2026

    Casey’s, 7-Eleven, Rutter’s and other players have bolted out of the gate this year with new sandwiches, pizzas and more, increasing competition against QSRs. 

    By Brett Dworski • Feb. 11, 2026
  • Bambu drink counter inside Walmart's Batavia, Illinois store.
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    Courtesy of Bambu
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    Walmart links up with Vietnamese beverage restaurant

    The retailer continues to grow its roster of in-store quick-service restaurant offerings with the opening of a drink station inside an Illinois store. 

    By Peyton Bigora • Feb. 10, 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 adopts new growth plan as sales slide

    The chain will increase the cadence of LTOs, boost menu innovation, relaunch its rewards program and accelerate unit growth.

    By • Feb. 4, 2026
  • 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
  • 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