Operations: Page 2

  • An image of a light blue building with a sign that says "The original Hooters"
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    Courtesy of Hooters Inc.
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    New Hooters owners plan restaurant revitalization

    Hooters Inc. and Hoot Owl Restaurants will upgrade 100 newly acquired company-owned locations and streamline the menu with better ingredients.

    By • Nov. 4, 2025
  • Person looking at charts and graphs on a tablet
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    iStock | Igor Suka

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    Sponsored by Facteus

    Market research meets reality: How verified spend data is transforming restaurant decision-making

    Your dashboards look steady and surveys show loyalty—yet a competitor just took your share. See what’s really happening, and from whom.

    By Andrew Donsbach • Nov. 3, 2025
  • Homeroom Restaurant in Oakland, California Explore the Trendline➔
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    Permission granted by Homeroom
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    Trendline

    Independent restaurants

    Dining room refreshes, menu innovation and other unique offerings can help independents stand out from competitors, win new customers and keep existing ones coming back. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • Marathon runners in Nashville
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Why the NYC marathon provides a golden playbook for restaurants nationwide

    Restaurant operators are running a long-distance financial race every day, focused on increasing profitability, but need to be nimble enough to take advantage of major traffic drivers in their cities, writes Julie Powell, senior director of marketing insights and intelligence at Toast. 

    By Julie Powell • Oct. 31, 2025
  • An image of the Shake Shack logo on a window.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Shake Shack grows traffic with ad spend, operational improvements

    The brand’s traffic gains were most pronounced outside the Northeast, validating its national development strategy, CFO Katie Fogerty said.

    By • Oct. 31, 2025
  • Zaxbys first Arizona unit, a restaurant with white walls and blue awnings
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    Courtesy of Zaxbys
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    Zaxbys eyes non-traditional growth following first military base deal

    Non-traditional locations could help complement Zaxbys’ growing international footprint and add more high-volume units to the chain’s system.

    By • Oct. 29, 2025
  • A photo of food items on an automated production line.
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    Permission granted by Kwik Trip
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    Making food in house: The business case for c-store commissaries

    Retailers like EG America, Weigel’s and Kwik Trip have built their own facilities to control the quality and consistency of their foodservice programs — and the payoffs are compelling.

    By Amanda Baltazar • Oct. 29, 2025
  • An image of a happy hour sign at a restaurant.
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    Getty Images
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    Majority of US diners think menu prices are too high

    Buy-one-get-one offers as well as discounts are among the top incentives helping drive guests back to restaurants, according to a YouGov report.

    By • Oct. 28, 2025
  • A Qdoba store around dusk.
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    Permission granted by Qdoba
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    These 5 chains built significant franchised pipelines

    From Cilantro Taco Grill to PopUp Bagels, emerging chains plan to add hundreds of units and expand rapidly across the country with new operators.

    By , • Oct. 28, 2025
  • Kelly McCulloch smiles at the camera. She is Inspire Brands chief people officer.
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    Courtesy of Inspire
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    Inspire hires Yum vet to lead HR operations

    Kelly McCulloch brings over two decades of QSR HR experience to her new position, where she will oversee a global system that includes 650,000 workers.

    By • Oct. 28, 2025
  • Mobile screenshots of OpenTable's rewards program
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    Permission granted by OpenTable
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    OpenTable relaunches loyalty program

    Diners unlock Gold status after completing six reservations during a 12-month period, gaining access to six-months free of Uber One and priority status for last-minute reservations.

    By • Oct. 27, 2025
  • Rebel
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    Permission granted by GSP Retail
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    Rebel brings Hatch Chicken QSR to the Midwest

    The restaurant opened last month inside a 4,700-square-foot Rebel c-store in Romeoville, Illinois, about 35 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.

    By Brett Dworski • Oct. 27, 2025
  • An image of a digital menu board that says "Extra Value Meals are back" on the other panel there is a photo of an egg sandwich and a $5.
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    Permission granted by McDonald's
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    Toast: Burger, burrito, cold brew prices on the rise

    Football season staples like beer and wings saw slower price increases, which could play to the advantage of casual chains, according to a Toast analysis.

    By • Oct. 27, 2025
  • A man stands at a bar checking out.
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    Getty Images
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    Hospitality guests’ No. 1 AI concern: the loss of human touch

    “When consumers express concern about losing the human touch in hospitality, they aren’t rejecting the technology; they’re rejecting cold service,” Reputation’s Liz Carter said.

    By Kristen Doerer • Oct. 24, 2025
  • A photo of a convenience store in the background with fuel pumps in the foreground. A sign on the building says "Wawa."
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    Jessica Loder/Restaurant Dive
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    Wawa increases coffee program customization

    Customers can use ordering touchscreens in stores to control how much milk, sweeteners and flavors they add to their beverages.

    By Jessica Loder • Oct. 23, 2025
  • A Starbucks barista pours foamed milk into a cup.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks poised to hire around 8K assistant mangers

    The chain is testing the assistant manager role — a step between hourly shift supervisor and salaried manager — at 62 stores to fine-tune the position before expanding it to nearly all U.S. and Canadian stores.

    By • Oct. 22, 2025
  • An app screen showing reservation information.
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    Courtesy of Yelp
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    Yelp adds AI Host and Receptionist to restaurant toolbox

     The customizable solutions can answer diner questions, ask follow-ups and book reservations, reflecting restaurant interest in voice technology.  

    By • Oct. 21, 2025
  • Various burgers from Rutter's limited-time-only menu
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    Courtesy of Rutter's
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    Inside one c-store chain’s bold and greasy foodservice playbook

    As convenience chains ramp up their made-to-order menus, here’s how Pennsylvania chain Rutter’s is winning over customers with indulgent dishes like The Hangover Burger.

    By Jeff Wells • Oct. 21, 2025
  • An exterior photo of a Taim restaurant.
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    Courtesy of Taim Mediterranean Kitchen
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    Deep Dive

    4 brands growing in Cava’s shadow

    As the Mediterranean fast casual segment grows, franchised chains like Taim and Taziki’s are competing to see who will emerge as Cava’s main challenger.

    By • Oct. 20, 2025
  • A White Castle restaurant at night.
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    Courtesy of White Castle
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    White Castle opens new prototype in Ohio

    The new unit takes a page out of Chick-fil-A’s playbook with a drive-thru hospitality door and features new tech like a robotic fry cook, drive-thru voice AI and self-order kiosks.

    By • Oct. 16, 2025
  • fireside
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    Permission granted by Fireside Market
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    Fireside Market launches food-focused c-store design

    The 9,700-square-foot store in Slinger, Wisconsin, features a drive-thru and will serve as a model for future locations, a spokesperson said.

    By Brett Dworski • Oct. 15, 2025
  • An image of a building with red and orange signage. The sign says El Pollo Loco.
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    Courtesy of El Pollo Loco
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    El Pollo Loco opens 500th restaurant

    The Colorado Springs location is the third in Colorado and shows the chain’s rapid expansion outside of its home state of California.

    By • Oct. 15, 2025
  • An image of a white building with First Watch signage
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    Permission granted by First Watch
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    How First Watch’s expansion is outpacing casual dining growth

    The breakfast chain recently reached 600 units and anticipates opening nearly 60 restaurants in 2025 — making it one of a handful of casual chains to boast positive unit growth this year.

    By • Oct. 15, 2025
  • A diamond sign with red and blue and a white words that say "Domino's"
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Domino’s posts biggest US comparable sales growth in 6 quarters

    The chain has had two consecutive quarters of growth driven by deal promotions and the popularity of Parmesan Stuffed Crust.

    By • Oct. 14, 2025
  • An evening image of a building that says Papa Murphy's
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    The image by Rick Obst is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Papa Murphy’s shutters underperforming stores

    The take-and-bake pizza chain has faced significant competition from other pizza brands that have invested heavily in aggressive marketing campaigns.

    By • Oct. 14, 2025
  • Food worker in a blue shirt hands a takeout bag to a customer.
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    Smallhands Creative

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    Sponsored by Toast

    How 75% off-premise traffic is reshaping restaurant operations

    Here’s what the off-premise evolution means for operators—and how they’re adapting to succeed.

    Oct. 13, 2025