CKE appoints IHOP alum as Hardee’s president

Alisa Gmelich brings over 30 years of brand experience to her new role, where she will oversee growth, guest experience improvements and menu optimization.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 8, 2026

Souplantation parent will open first CA restaurant since 2020

The chain, which closed all of its locations during Chapter 7 liquidation six years ago, will open a Sweet Tomatoes in Fountain Valley by 2027.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 8, 2026

McDonald’s navigates pushback over Next initiatives

Franchisees were reportedly surprised by remodel costs, per Bloomberg, and McDonald’s has been sued for using a pricing tool that allegedly determined what customers would be willing to pay.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 8, 2026

KFC expands into snacking with Go Buckets

The low-cost menu item includes six varieties and is aimed at helping the chain expand its afternoon daypart.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 7, 2026

Why restaurants face pushback, risk when integrating AI tools

Employee and consumer concerns over inaccuracy and inefficiency have proven true at some chains, so operators must slow-roll AI tools to ensure they solve more problems than they create, experts said. 

By Danielle McLean • Oct. 7, 2026

Kura Sushi adds tiers to loyalty program

The sushi chain joins a growing list of brands, including Charleys, Panera and Tropical Smoothie Cafe, to adopt the model alongside flexible rewards. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 7, 2026

Restaurant industry events to attend in 2027

Next year will be jam-packed with restaurant conferences and trade shows that will cover key topics for the sector, ranging from franchising and menu development to economic forecasts.

By Restaurant Dive Staff • Oct. 6, 2026

McDonald’s disputes reports that it uses AI to set prices

The chain provides franchisees with tools, resources and recommendations for pricing, but operators ultimately make menu price decisions. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 5, 2026

Why restaurants’ worst disaster losses come after the damage is done

Operators need a plan for what happens after an extreme weather event or man-made accident, but most don’t have one, experts say.

By Michael Brady • Oct. 5, 2026

Papa Johns’ CMO on how the brand is reasserting itself as delivery evolves

Newly appointed Global CMO Chris Lyn-Sue digs into the chain’s Walmart Express Delivery partnership and his plans for the rest of the year.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 5, 2026

How restaurants can mitigate rising fuel costs

Evaluating delivery frequency and leveraging route optimization and scenario planning can help brands combat higher transportation expenses, experts say.

By Alejandra Carranza • Oct. 5, 2026

Chicken Salad Chick targets Northeast for growth

The fast casual chain has signed deals in New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia where consumer demand remains strong.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 2, 2026

Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings updates menu, rewards program

The 850-unit chain added seven items and launched a campaign to persuade consumers to choose hot sandwiches over cold grab-and-go.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 2, 2026

DoorDash overhauls operating system for restaurants to deepen consumer relationships

The delivery giant is tying together customer data from a variety of ordering channels in a move it says can increase sales and frequency.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Oct. 1, 2026

Smashburger grills up 2 new chicken sandwiches

The fast casual burger chain has seen sales and revenue growth in recent quarters after focusing on improved operations and hospitality.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 1, 2026

How Sweetgreen’s Gen Z focus is paying off

The chain pushed its wraps on social media to capture young consumers’ attention. Now, one out of five transactions include a wrap and repeat visits remain strong.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 30, 2026

Subway’s CMO on finding room to grow between competitors in QSR

“The challenges are real, which is why we're taking such a big swing now,” Jeff Klein said of the chain’s new brand platform starring Will Arnett.

By Chris Kelly • Sept. 30, 2026

El Pollo Loco hires Shake Shack vet as COO

Damon Thomas joins the chain as operations chief alongside Tara Hinkle, who is now the chain’s chief development officer, to support expansion into New York and beyond.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 30, 2026

7 Brew’s $123M bid for at least 60 Salad and Go units is approved

The drive-thru locations will be converted to 7 Brews over time, allowing the chain to accelerate its growth toward 1,000 units.

By Julie Littman • Updated Sept. 29, 2026

Inside McDonald’s ambitious plans to upgrade its menu, technology, and restaurants

The fast food chain wants to be a first-choice restaurant, and will invest across its system to solidify that position over the next decade.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 29, 2026

Dave & Buster’s shakes up agencies amid bid to rebuild brand relevance

Gut and Mediaplus are joining the chain’s roster to develop more distinctive marketing and better connect national scale to local activities.

By Peter Adams • Sept. 29, 2026

McDonald’s turns to AI for drive-thru, inventory management, order accuracy

McDonald’s will roll out ArchIQ, an artificial intelligence platform to power restaurant operations, as part of its Next strategy.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 25, 2026

Yard House becomes Darden’s third billion-dollar brand

The full-service concept, which posted 10% growth in same-store sales during fiscal Q1 2027, plans to open 13 new stores during the ongoing fiscal year.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 25, 2026

McDonald’s is designing bigger burgers, chicken bowls and new beverages

The fast food giant plans to increase its market share with chicken and beverages as it expands those platforms while doubling down on beef.

By Julie Littman • Updated Sept. 24, 2026

Starbucks shutters 250 underperforming stores

The brand said the closures would impact locations that can’t deliver the coffeehouse experience or financial performance it expects.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Sept. 24, 2026