Menu Development: Page 2

  • An image of various chicken cantina items offered by Taco Bell
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell targets $3M AUV

    The brand wants its Cantina Chicken Menu and beverage orders to each account for $5 billion in yearly sales by the end of the decade.

    By • March 4, 2025
  • A picture of a restaurant interior. Empty tables, white tile, green walls.
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    Courtesy of Perkins
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    Perkins to open Orlando flagship with cocktails, new menu

    By modernizing store decor and menu items, Perkins hopes to keep its brand fresh and draw new diners. 

    By • March 4, 2025
  • A photograph of chefs in a kitchen. Explore the Trendline➔
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    sam edwards via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Menu development

    Restaurants big and small are experimenting with their menus to align with the preferences of on-the-go diners and mitigate the impact of rising food costs, supply chain disruption and shrinking consumer discretionary funds. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • An nighttime image of a restaurant with the signage "Tom's Watch Bar"
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    Permission granted by Tom's Watch Bar
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    How Tom’s Watch Bar offers guests ‘the best seat in the house’

    Building off of double-digit revenue and sales growth, the 13-unit chain will more than double its store count over the next two years.

    By • March 3, 2025
  • 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 launches stuffed crust pizza, encroaching on Pizza Hut

    Internal research showed as many as 13 million Domino’s customers ordered stuffed crust pizza from competitors each year.

    By • March 3, 2025
  • An Outback Steakhouse restaurant on a cold day.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Bloomin’ slows US growth to focus on Outback turnaround

    With same-store sales slipping, Bloomin’ is changing its strategy, trimming its menu and devolving power to brand presidents.

    By • Feb. 27, 2025
  • A Starbucks barista pours foamed milk into a cup.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks cuts less popular drinks, plans 30% menu reduction

    Several Frappucinos, the Royal English Breakfast Latte and the White Hot Chocolate are getting the axe next month to reduce complexity and make space for experimentation.

    By • Feb. 26, 2025
  • A photo of an IHOP sign
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    Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
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    IHOP in-houses creative as part of bid to return to cultural relevance

    A Guinness World Record attempt that involves creating 20,000 pancakes is the first major marketing effort under new leadership. 

    By Peter Adams • Feb. 26, 2025
  • An image of fried chicken with hot sauce on top.
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    Courtesy of Dave's Hot Chicken
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    Dave’s Hot Chicken debuts catering program

    The company expects the channel, offered via ezCater, to make up as much as 10% of its business within a year.

    By • Feb. 25, 2025
  • A rendering of a building with a logo that says Golden Corral Favorites
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    Permission granted by Golden Corral
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    Golden Corral reinvents its fast casual spinoff

    Over a year after it launched Homeward Kitchen, the buffet chain will rebrand it as Golden Corral Favorites, with a menu highlighting signature items.

    By • Feb. 25, 2025
  • A photograph of a yellow sign with Denny's in red.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Denny’s adds surcharge to meals with eggs

    The price of this additional charge will be determined on a market-by-market and restaurant-by-restaurant basis reflecting the bird flu’s regional impact.

    By • Feb. 25, 2025
  • A beige building with a yellow "M" and white "McDonald's" sign.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s adds Krispy Kreme doughnuts in NYC, bagel sandwiches nationwide

    The menu moves could help the Golden Arches recover from a traffic shortfall triggered by an E. coli outbreak late last year.

    By • Feb. 25, 2025
  • A photo of a smiling person sitting at a table, about to bite into a burrito. A sign on the wall behind them says Laredo Taco.
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    Courtesy of 7-Eleven
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    3 foodservice moves 7-Eleven has already made in 2025

    While North America’s largest c-store retailer begins building hundreds of food-focused stores, it’s also making more immediate changes to its menu.

    By Jessica Loder • Feb. 24, 2025
  • Wendy's
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    Thai Phi Le/Restaurant Dive
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    Wendy’s will expand chicken, beverages and value in 2025

    The burger chain will also enhance its loyalty platform with limited-time offers only available through the app.

    By • Feb. 13, 2025
  • A man wearing a cowboy hat rides a giant margarita shaker.
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    Courtesy of Brinker International
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    Chili’s rides with NASCAR, Lifetime to push margaritas with music, TV

    Two very different campaigns look to broaden the company’s consumer base in an effort to continue its wave of success.

    By Sara Karlovitch • Feb. 13, 2025
  • An image of a light brown building with a small tree out front that lost its leaves. The signage says California Pizza Kitchen.
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    Permission granted by California Pizza Kitchen
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    From vending machines to airports: How CPK is reaching more diners

    California Pizza Kitchen is also investing in a virtual brand partnership and expansion of consumer packaged goods to reach more diners.

    By • Feb. 12, 2025
  • An image of a chicken big mac sold by a McDonald's duplicate set up by the chain to promote the sandwich
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s will bring back snackwraps, chicken strips to boost sales

    The Golden Arches will emphasize menu innovation in the chicken category this year to recover traffic momentum that was stalled by its E. coli outbreak. 

    By • Feb. 10, 2025
  • Am image of a sign on a window that says "Meal Deal" and shows a chicken sandwich and burger with nuggest, fries and a Coca-Cola.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    NRA: 95% of restaurant operators say diners are more value-conscious

    Forty-seven percent of operators are planning to offer discounts or value promotions this year, per National Restaurant Association research.

    By • Feb. 10, 2025
  • Chipotle
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Chipotle builds 2025 around ‘total guest experience,’ CEO says

    The company will continue to roll out kitchen equipment and mobile order-focused Chipotlanes to keep order throughput high.

    By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 6, 2025
  • A promotional image for Chipotle's smoked brisket menu item. Text on the image reads, "Limited time only Smoked Brisket Chipotle"The image shows a burrito bowl with rice, beans, meat and peppers on the left. On the right is sliced beef with a cup of dipping sauce and sliced peppers.
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    Permission granted by Chipotle
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    Chipotle’s LTOs drove 7% same-store sales bump in 2024

    Chicken Al Pastor and Smoked Brisket boosted traffic at the chain, which plans to roll out Chipotle Honey Chicken — its best-performing test LTO — this year.

    By • Feb. 5, 2025
  • A mocktail, made with cranberry juice, red grapefruit juice and sweetened with some simple syrup with a salted glass
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    Clarkandcompany via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    How nonalcoholic beverages are driving the next wave of profits

    Expanded zero-proof menus are attractive to Gen Z, who drink 20% less than millennials, and yield better margins than traditional cocktail offerings, writes Sidework CEO Rishabh Kewalramani.

    By Rishabh Kewalramani • Feb. 5, 2025
  • A photograph of a sign with black letters that says "Waffle House." Each letter is in a box with a yellow background.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Waffle House adds 50-cent surcharge due to egg shortage

    Egg prices are expected to rise 20% this year due to the impact of bird flu, and operators and chains are finding ways to make up the cost.

    By • Feb. 4, 2025
  • Overly busy restaurant
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    JazzIRT via Getty Images
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    What’s the restaurant outlook for 2025?

    Price-sensitive diners and rising food and labor costs are pushing chains to refine their value propositions, setting the stage for cutthroat competition.

    By • Jan. 31, 2025
  • Sabrina Carpenter appears in a Dunkin ad
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    Courtesy of Dunkin'
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    Q&A

    Dunkin’ CMO on building a ‘cinematic universe’ to capture attention

    Jill McVicar Nelson explains what the brand has learned from its Super Bowl ads and how it’s facing uneasiness around TikTok’s future.

    By Chris Kelly • Jan. 30, 2025
  • A nighttime photo of Chili's building with green and red neon signage
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    Courtesy of Brinker International
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    How Chili’s boosted comparable sales by 31%

    Value-oriented ads and marketing for its Triple Dipper menu boosted the chain’s traffic by nearly 20%, driving a record-breaking quarterly performance.

    By • Jan. 30, 2025
  • Chipotle opens its first Chipotlane Digital Kitchen in Ohio in December 2021.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    2025 could be fast casual’s year, again

    Long-term trends in consumer preference have put fast casual chains in a position to leverage price sensitivity, digital touchpoints and an appetite for human connection.

    By • Jan. 27, 2025