The Latest
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Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Tracking the same-store sales of 21 major restaurant chains
Very few chains — not even Chipotle and Domino’s — were immune from same-store sales slides reported in Q1 2025 as consumers spend less.
Updated May 21, 2025 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
How Applebee’s turned traffic positive
New entrees and value plays helped the chain hit positive same-store sales for the first time in years, while dual-branding with IHOP promises longer-term positive results.
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Courtesy of McDonald's
McDonald’s chicken, loyalty and value end same-store sales slump
A strong combination of value offerings, LTOs and new menu items drove sales growth in the U.S. for Q2, executives said.
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Courtesy of Serve Robotics
Little Caesars offers robotic delivery in LA with Serve
The deal is part of Serve and Uber Eats’ plan to deploy upwards of 2,000 delivery robots by the end of 2025.
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Courtesy of Noodles & Company
Noodles & Company promotes COO to CEO
Joe Christina, who joined the company in February, will replace Drew Madsen, who led the brand’s sweeping menu overhaul.
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Courtesy of Qdoba
Qdoba secures $527M fund to support growth
The investment was led by Apollo S3, a subsidiary of the private equity firm that sold Qdoba to Butterfly in 2022.
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Yum Brands turns to AI to aggregate social media, third-party reviews
The Byte system of AI technologies is helping power advanced Voice of the Customer tools while improving the drive-thru experience, executives said on a Q2 2025 earnings call.
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Courtesy of Taco Bell
KFC and Pizza Hut drag Yum’s US earnings, again
Yum hopes the strategies that have powered Taco Bell’s positive same-store sales streak could help reverse KFC’s lackluster performance.
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Courtesy of Smashburger
Smashburger promotes president to CEO
Jim Sullivan, who was brought on in 2024 as chief development officer, will focus on reversing the brand’s declining storecount through non-traditional development.
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Tomsmith585 via Getty Images
Philz Coffee sold to private equity firm
Though terms of the deal were not disclosed by the company, San Francisco-based news outlets reported a sale price of $145 million for the popular chain.
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Casual dining real estate faces perfect storm and high vacancies
Property sales for some footprints collapsed as fast casual formats grew, leaving landlords with few buyers and costly renovations.
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Scott Olson via Getty Images
Bloomin’ Brands hires new CFO among a series of leadership changes
The company also created an executive position for strategy and transformation to help improve the performance of Outback Steakhouse.
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Courtesy of Domino's Pizza
How Domino’s new ads hit at fast food burger chains in fight over value
New spots visualize how a slice of pizza stacks up to a similarly priced slice of a burger to boost a long-standing deal and reach value-focused consumers.
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Courtesy of Dine Brands
Topgolf spinoff delayed amid CEO’s departure
Artie Starrs, who has led the company since 2021, will leave his post in the fall to become the top executive at an undisclosed company.
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Spencer Platt via Getty Images
4 takeaways from Starbucks’ customer experience plans
The company is laying the foundations to make Starbucks “once again the gold standard in customer service” and is planning to revamp its loyalty program next year, CEO Brian Niccol said.
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Courtesy of Wingstop
Wingstop eyes loyalty program pilot for Q4
The fast casual chain will leverage learnings from 60 million digital customers as part of its upcoming launch to create a differentiated membership program.
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Courtesy of Shake Shack
Shake Shack to spend more on ads to sustain sales growth
CEO Rob Lynch said the brand should embrace a more aggressive marketing strategy to set it apart from fast food burger chains.
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Permission granted by Wayback Franchising
Why Wayback Burgers’ parent is moving into multi-brand franchising
Jake’s Franchising renamed itself Wayback Franchising and launched Hubspoke Brands to offer franchisees more concepts and growth opportunities.
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Courtesy of Wingstop
Wingstop’s smart kitchen system cuts ticket time nearly in half
The fast casual chain’s digital kitchen display system, now deployed in at least 1,000 restaurants, is increasing comparable sales and improving accuracy.
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Permission granted by Taco Bell/Diversified Restaurant Group
How Yum Brands predicts the ‘it’ beverage of the future
The company is turning to data science and prediction markets as consumer demand for beverages creates opportunities for new dayparts and concepts.
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Courtesy of Starbucks
Starbucks teases protein drinks, new food
After simplifying its menu, the coffee giant will focus on experiential beverages, artisanal foods and non-coffee drinks.
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Permission granted by Fat Brands
DOJ drops charges against Fat Brands, Andy Wiederhorn
The original indictment alleged misconduct over a loan scheme involving $47 million transferred from Fat and Fog Cutter Capital to Wiederhorn.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
Starbucks pledges $500M in additional labor as sales slide continues
The coffee chain’s same-store sales dropped for the sixth consecutive quarter, but CEO Brian Niccol said the brand is seeing positive indicators in its operational metrics.
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Retrieved from McDonald's on July 24, 2025
How McDonald’s dug into nostalgia and reignited the chicken wars
The return of the chain’s Snack Wrap has spurred competitors including Popeyes and Taco Bell to launch and advertise around similar offerings.
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Nikola Stojadinovic via Getty Images
DC city council limits tipped wage hikes
The municipality voted to cap the tipped wage at 75% of the city’s minimum wage, gutting a law passed by referendum in 2022 to end the tip credit.
