Dunkin' closes over 680 underperforming stores

Closing these locations will allow franchisees to redeploy capital into a NextGen remodel, build new restaurants or relocate to higher-traffic areas where a drive-thru can be added.  

By Julie Littman • Oct. 29, 2020

White Castle will partially close all restaurants every presidential Election Day

Staff who are scheduled to work between 7 and 11 a.m. on Nov. 3 in its restaurants, manufacturing plants or office will be paid for the four-hour break so they can vote.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 28, 2020

Indoor dining to cease in Chicago Friday

After reaching 40% dine-in capacity on Oct. 1, restaurants in the Windy City must reclose their dining rooms due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 28, 2020

White Castle is bringing Flippy the robot to 10 more restaurants

The robot optimizes staffing during hard-to-fill, late-night shifts at the 24-hour restaurant, and integrates with delivery applications to sync order completion with driver pickup times.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 27, 2020

Rubio's among the largest fast casual chains to declare bankruptcy this year

The company joins a growing list of restaurants, including Ruby Tuesday, Sizzler USA, California Pizza Kitchen and CEC Entertainment, to file for Chapter 11 during the pandemic. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 27, 2020

Burger King parent to modernize 10K drive-thrus by 2022

Restaurant Brands International will add over 40,000 digital screens to Burger King and Tim Hortons brands that will provide predictive technology, contactless payment options and integrate with loyalty programs.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 27, 2020

Saladworks expands grocery footprint with The Giant Company

The fast-casual salad franchise already has several locations in other grocery stores, including ShopRite, and has plans for at least 10 more by early next year.

By Jessica Dumont • Oct. 26, 2020

Independent restaurants go dark to keep the lights on

The Independent Restaurant Coalition estimates that as many as 85% of mom-and-pop restaurants could close by the end of 2020. But some of them are finding new life in virtual brands and ghost kitchens. 

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 26, 2020

Bankrupt Ruby Tuesday granted 2-month rent deferral

A judge will allow the casual chain to not pay rent for 60 days after hearing the company's plan to provide landlords with a cut of a $22.5 million retirement plan trust fund it will liquidate as part of Chapter 11 proceedings. ​

By Julie Littman • Oct. 23, 2020

New restaurant openings return to pre-pandemic levels, Yelp says

About 6,600 food establishments opened each in August and September, while 210,000 temporarily closed businesses reopened during Q3, according to the latest Yelp Economic Average report.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 23, 2020

72% of franchisees have enhanced delivery, drive-thru amid the pandemic, study shows

The shift toward delivery and online ordering — which now make up 39% of sales compared to 20% in 2019 — is expected to be long lasting especially as consumer adoption grows, according to TD Bank.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 22, 2020

Chipotle could exceed $2.5B in digital sales in 2020

The fast casual chain's digital sales grew just over 200% to $776 million during the third quarter and made up nearly half of total sales. So far this year, digital sales are almost $2 billion.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 22, 2020

Restaurant operating profits will rise 15% in 2021, Moody's predicts

Conditions are expected to continue to slowly improve in the next 12 to 18 months due to easing dine-in restrictions, but the ratings agency also cautioned that more closures are on the horizon. 

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 21, 2020

Former Sweetgreen employee alleges he was sexually harassed, misgendered

The plaintiff, a transgender man, said a co-worker "showed him pornographic pictures, told other employees they were dating and that the plaintiff was her property," according to the complaint. 

By Lisa Burden • Oct. 20, 2020

Wisconsin Applebee's franchisee is latest to file Chapter 11

The franchisee, which operates 25 units, was appointed a receiver last week, but instead chose to file for bankruptcy to keep its restaurants open and 600 employees on the job. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 20, 2020

Del Taco is planning a drive-thru-only restaurant model

With the Mexican QSR recouping lost dine-in sales through off-premise channels, the chain is in the final stages of a new prototype that removes the dining room and requires less real estate. 

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 19, 2020

How ghost kitchens are helping major restaurants recoup lost revenue

Chains like Famous Dave's and Brinker International were already moving toward delivery-only concepts pre-pandemic, allowing them to more quickly deploy and expand these concepts compared to other restaurants.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 19, 2020

P.F. Chang's continues takeout-only expansion with NYC launch

CEO Damola Adamolekun said its three new To Go locations in the Big Apple is part of a larger strategy to reach a more urban population.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 19, 2020

NYC releases heater guidance as city faces new restaurant closures, impending winter

Mayor Bill de Blasio has approved the use of electric, gas and propane heaters for outdoor dining following Gov. Andrew Cuomo's new "Cluster Action Plan" to close or reduce dining capacity in neighborhoods with high COVID-19 cases. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 16, 2020

Jack in the Box serves up plant-based, 'unchicken' sandwich

The chain is the latest QSR to add an alternative protein item to their menu, which appeals to the growing flexitarian trend and can help drive diner interest and traffic. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 16, 2020

Wisconsin judge reinstates 25% capacity limit on bars, restaurants

The judge denied a request on Monday to extend a temporary hold on Gov. Tony Ever's restrictions, which were put into place a week ago, arguing that it was unclear if businesses were actually being hurt by the measure.

By Alicia Kelso • Updated Oct. 21, 2020

Starbucks to hold execs accountable for new racial diversity goals

The company aims to have 30% representation for Black, indigenous and people of color at the corporate level and 40% at the retail and manufacturing level by 2025.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 15, 2020

Taco Bell adds DoorDash as a delivery partner

The new partnership, which will cover 75% of Taco Bell's U.S. locations, continues Yum's strategy to grow delivery after its exclusive partnership with Grubhub ended abruptly during the summer.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 14, 2020

Casual dining curbside pickup times beat QSR, report shows

Olive Garden, Applebee's and Panera — which earned high speed and customer satisfaction scores from Rakuten Ready — benefit from large real estate footprints with designated parking spots and strong technology infrastructure.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 13, 2020

7 months later: Where the restaurant industry stands

With sales down to 2016 levels, restaurants have a lot of ground to make up, but pent-up demand for dining in is still high and technological innovations can help bring consumers back.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 13, 2020