The Latest

  • An image of a man wearing a blue shirt with arms crossed.
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    Permission granted by Rusty Taco
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    Q&A // Meet the exec

    How Rusty Taco’s president is plotting sustainable growth

    Daniel Smith, who joined the chain earlier this year, is restructuring corporate to assist operators, boost franchise communication and optimize its business.

  • Japanese food from Pepper Lunch on big hot slabs of iron. Yum.
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    Permission granted by Pepper Lunch
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    ‘Experiential’ brand Pepper Lunch signs West Coast expansion deal

    The deal is a significant expansion of Pepper Lunch’s presence in the U.S. and covers parts of Southern California and Nevada.

  • An image of a sign with a red apple and the word Applebee's
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    Andrew Burton via Getty Images
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    Applebee’s franchisee files for bankruptcy after creditor lawsuit

    Louisiana Apple’s major creditor, City National Bank of Florida, claimed the operator and the brand transferred control of its restaurants in a breach of credit agreements. 

  • An image of three noodle dishes from Noodles & Company
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    Permission granted by Noodles & Company
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    Noodles & Company brings new flavors to menu with 3 dishes

    The fast casual chain’s transformation will touch two-thirds of the menu and will fill in flavor gaps with items like Chipotle Chicken Cavatappi. 

  • A couple looks at food delivery packaging on the left. On the right a mobile app displays generic branding and discounts for a restaurant.
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    Courtesy of Toast
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    Toast adds branded apps and text marketing

    The company said its new features can help restaurants drive traffic and frequency, and that apps are more effective than websites.

  • A renderite image of a Perkins storefront.
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    Courtesy of Perkins
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    Perkins debuts fast casual unit

    The smaller unit balances Perkins’ traditional fare with breakfast sandwiches and a lighter menu section.

  • Am image of a sign on a window that says "Meal Deal" and shows a chicken sandwich and burger with nuggest, fries and a Coca-Cola.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Did McDonald’s $5 Value Meal bring customers back? Here’s what the data shows.

    Traffic rose in the days following the promotion launch, but customers still view pricing negatively at McDonald’s.

  • EG Group
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    Retrieved from Cumberland Farms website.
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    EG America reveals 3 new foodservice concepts

    A Cumberland Farms store in Massachusetts is now home to the retailer’s first Alanza Pizza, Burger Baby and Wing Trip locations.

  • A worker takes orders from customers in the drive-thru lane at a Chick-fil-A restaurant.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Study: Chick-fil-A leads in drive-thru satisfaction, Taco Bell in speed

    Intouch Insight’s drive-thru study found across-the-board improvements in chains’ speed. The firm added Raising Cane’s to its ranking for the first time.

  • A farmer holds a coffee plant bearing fruit
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks buys more innovation farms to create climate-proof coffee

    Farmers in Costa Rica and Guatemala will test drones, hybrid crop varieties and more as the company aims to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the region.

  • Two autonomous vehicles with Avride and Uber branding
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    Courtesy of Avride
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    Uber Eats to deliver with Avride robots in Austin

    The deal is the latest in a string of partnerships between the delivery giant and robotics developers, and includes sidewalk robots and robotaxis.

  • Overly busy restaurant
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    JazzIRT via Getty Images
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    The restaurant labor market in 6 key statistics

    Turnover has fallen in H1 2024, while unemployment and total jobs in restaurants remained steady, indicating a return to pre-pandemic labor market dynamics.

    Updated Oct. 7, 2024
  • A Jack in the Box sign looms ominously from behind a hedge.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Jack in the Box CFO is leaving

    Brand veteran Dawn Hooper will serve as interim CFO for the third time since 2020 after Brian Scott departs in November for a position outside the restaurant industry.

  • Del Taco items against a white background.
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    Courtesy of Del Taco
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    Del Taco rolls out meal combos starting at $4.49

    The Mexican QSR chain’s new combo meals could help improve consumer value perceptions as 2024’s discount wars continue.

  • DoorDash Ads Manager images
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    Courtesy of DoorDash
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    Chipotle, Sweetgreen leverage DoorDash’s new ad platform for restaurants

    The delivery aggregator also added offsite capabilities and sponsored brand placements for CPG brands as delivery providers race to improve ad offerings.

  • An image of a chicken big mac sold by a McDonald's duplicate set up by the chain to promote the sandwich
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    Courtesy of McDonald's
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    McDonald’s takes Chicken Big Mac national

    The sandwich, which is available starting Oct. 10 while supplies last, could help the chain recover traffic and sales. It swaps the Big Mac’s beef patties for tempura-coated chicken.

  • A building with a brown facade and a yellow sign that says "Barberitos."
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    Courtesy of Woworks
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    Woworks opens first Barberitos redesign in Florida

    Two years after Woworks bought the fast casual brand, a newly imagined storefront opened in Temple Terrace, Florida, in September.

  • A photo of food items in a warming case in either wrappers or boxes. The boxes read "Hatch chicken."
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    Permission granted by Rebel
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    Rebel introduces Hatch Chicken QSR

    The proprietary eatery features a variety of chicken and sides and is expected to expand to 20 additional stores next year.

  • A beige building with a green sign and white lettering that says "Panera Bread."
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Panera undertakes more corporate layoffs

    An unspecified number of employees have been cut from its St. Louis and Newton, Massachusetts support centers, marking its second layoff round in 11 months.

  • An image of a refreshed Subway.
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    Courtesy of Subway
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    Employee sues Subway, franchisee for wage theft

    A lawsuit filed by a California worker alleges that an operator routinely failed to pay her overtime and that she was denied sick leave for years.

  • Shake Shack food with Worth It tagline
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    Retrieved from Shake Shack on October 01, 2024
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    Shake Shack touts premium ingredients in multichannel ‘Worth It’ ads

    Commercials that leverage slow-motion footage and a voice-over about how the chain lives up to the hype arrive as competitors focus on affordability. 

  • A Subway restaurant interior with white and green countertops and digital menu boards.
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    Courtesy of Subway
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    Subway has signed commitments for 10K restaurants globally

    Over the past three years, the chain signed over 20 master franchise agreements that will push the sandwich chain close to 50,000 units.

  • An image of people sitting at tables eating barbecue. The walls say "Dickey's."
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    Courtesy of Dickey's Barbecue Pit
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    Dickey’s to cease expanding non-barbecue brands

    Virtual brands grew over the past four years, but never had the same success of Dickey’s Barbecue, said Roland Dickey Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group.

  • A man, who really needs collar stays or a tie, grinning and wearing a white shirt under a navy or black sportcoat.
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    Courtesy of Arby's
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    Arby’s names president, CMO

    David Graves joined Arby’s from Yum Brands, with Inspire Brands leadership highlighting his reputation for transforming brands.