The Latest

  • An image of a man leaving a Chipotle. He is holding a brown bag.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Tracking the same-store sales of 21 major restaurant chains

    Sales at pizza and casual dining brands have struggled, while QSR giants like McDonald’s and Starbucks saw anemic changes and fast casuals Cava and Chipotle made big gains. 

    Updated March 20, 2025
  • A waiter holding a plate of salmon on mashed potatoes, ready to be served to guests.
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    SolStock via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

    Always in season: Frozen wild Alaska seafood delivers fresh taste and flexibility

    Consumers seek to increase seafood consumption, and they prefer wild-caught products from Alaska.

  • Pedestrians walk by a Chipotle restaurant in San Francisco, California
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Chipotle’s same-store sales wobble on economic uncertainty

    The fast casual giant — a sales overperformer in 2024 — said its comparable transactions fell in what could be an early warning of anemic diner spending.

  • The sign on a Red Robin restaurant.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    GJ Hart resigns as Red Robin CEO

    Hart, who led the brand through the first two years of its “North Star” reinvention plan, will be replaced by Board Chairman David Pace.

    Updated April 24, 2025
  • The exterior of a Del Taco with several empty parking lots out front
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    Permission granted by Del Taco
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    Del Taco’s new meal boxes mirror Taco Bell deal

    The value bundles — which are priced between $5 and $9 — come as the chain battles shrinking same-store sales.

  • Chairs and tables outside a restaurant beneath a rectangular "Kitchen 1883" sign.
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    Screenshot: Google Maps

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    Kroger to close 2 restaurants

    The grocer is shuttering Kitchen 1883 eateries in Union, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, but plans to continue operating a third location in a supermarket next to its headquarters.

  • An iamge of a delivery driver in front of a Nando's restaurant.
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    Catherine Ivill via Getty Images
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    Nando’s Peri-Peri hires Ruby Tuesday vet as CEO

    Kimberly Grant, who is also former CEO of Jose Andres Group, will oversee the chain’s growth as it opens more company-owned locations in the U.S.

  • Omar Epps as the Sauce Boss in a Zaxbys campaign
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    Courtesy of Zaxbys
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    Q&A

    Zaxbys’ CMO on breaking through the chicken category with ‘sauce’

    The chain’s first work from Goodby Silverstein & Partners introduces a brand character that speaks to both signature sauces and cool charisma.

  • A white man in gray pants, a polo, a blue windowpane checked sportcoat and a baseball cap stands in front of a salad restaurant.
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    Courtesy of Salad and Go
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    Salad and Go hires former Krispy Kreme head as CEO

    The salad chain’s central kitchen operating model bears a resemblance to the doughnut maker’s hub-and-spoke structure, which Mike Tattersfield has seven years of experience leading.

  • An image of three mobile app images of Uber Eats
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    Permission granted by Uber
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    FTC lawsuit: Uber made it too hard to cancel Uber One subscriptions

    Uber contests the allegations, which include claims the delivery platform signed consumers up without their consent and charged them too early, according to a complaint filed Monday.

  • An image of a Cava logo
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Cava is poised to outperform restaurant industry, analysts say

    The Mediterranean fast casual chain is the clear segment leader, and is on course for 1,200 stores by 2033, TD Cowen estimated.

  • A view of a KFC restaurant in Vallejo, California.
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    Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
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    How KFC’s customer listening program helps it nail the first experience

    The program is designed to collect data from a range of sources, disseminate findings across the company and coordinate teams to solve customer pain points, KFC COO Rob Swain said.

  • A close up image of a round red sign that says "Chipotle Mexican Grill."
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    Courtesy of Chipotle/Photograph by Media Wisdom Photography Ltd
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    Chipotle is going to Mexico

    Alsea, a restaurant operator with 4,700 restaurants in Latin America and Europe, will build the chain’s first Mexico location by early 2026.

  • Kentucky Fried Chicken's 2024 $5 value deals: A chicken nuggets combo, a famous bowl with mashed potatoes and nuggets, and a 2-piece combo.
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    Courtesy of KFC
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    KFC’s US sales fall behind Raising Cane’s, Wingstop

    Sales at most American QSR chicken chains rose in 2024, but fell 4% at KFC, according to a Circana report on the 50 largest U.S. restaurant brands.

  • Wawa
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    Retrieved from Wawa.
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    10 notable c-store foodservice launches this past month

    Convenience retailers debuted fresh takes on sandwiches, smoothies and more in March and April. Here’s what caught our attention.

  • An image of a building with a sign that says "Sweetgreen."
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen COO Rossann Williams resigns

    Williams will remain with the chain until June as an advisor after stepping down from a role she held for over a year.

  • A group of people stand behind a blue ribbon while a person in the center holds giant red scissors about to cut the ribbon.
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    Permission granted by 7 Brew
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    7 Brew opens first walk-thru location in Walmart

    The coffee chain’s partnership with the mega retailer will help diversify 7 Brew’s development model as it works toward becoming a nationwide brand.

  • Andrea Joy Campbell speaking into a microphone
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    Araya Doheny via Getty Images
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    Massachusetts slaps Dunkin’, McDonald’s, Subway operators with $226K in child labor fines

    Franchisees allegedly employed minors without proper permits, and kept them working too long and without proper supervision, according to the state attorney general. 

  • Four people eat and talk in a restaurant brown, wood-paneled restaurant booth.
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    Circana: Restaurant traffic stalled in 2024, but diner spending rose 2%

    Starbucks, McDonald’s and Burger King all had flat spending, but Circana’s David Portalatin said “flat is the new up” given current macroeconomic trends.

  • 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 Nuggets return, teasing more Crispy Chicken menu items

    After a strong initial performance, the chain is using the Nuggets LTO as a test run for adding Crispy Chicken to its regular menu next year.

  • A photograph of a brick building with signage that says "Krystal"
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    Permission granted by Krystal
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    Krystal to open first Texas travel center location

    The QSR is focusing on non-traditional locations like travel centers, c-stores and airports as part of a strategy to add high-traffic restaurants to its portfolio.

    Updated April 17, 2025
  • A picture of Burger King signs.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    57-unit Burger King operator goes bankrupt

    Despite high performance metrics, Consolidated Burger Holdings has faced traffic declines and revenue losses since the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • 7-Eleven
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    Courtesy of 7-Eleven
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    7-Eleven to open 1,300 new stores through 2030

    The retailer also expects to roughly double the number of stores that include a QSR, from 1,080 to 2,100, as it gears up for a 2026 IPO.

  • A banner image for Scooter's Coffee's loyalty program.
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    Courtesy of Scooter's Coffee
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    Scooter’s Coffee switches to points-based loyalty

    The new program is designed to expand the range of products available for redemption and boost ordering through Scooter’s digital channels.

  • A person holds out a hand to take a brown bag from a person holding it out.
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    Antonio_Diaz via Getty Images
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    NRA: Consumers want more takeout, but lack the cash

    Millennials and Gen Z consumers largely view takeout as a vital part of their lifestyles, per a National Restaurant Association report.

  • Chili's Fast Food Financing pop-up
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    Courtesy of Chili's Grill & Bar
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    Chili’s pop-up finances fast food meals in latest dig at rising prices

    A store emulating payday loan retailers doles out gift cards to “approved” visitors and serves a new burger positioned against the Quarter Pounder.