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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Starbucks teases protein drinks, new food

After simplifying its menu, the coffee giant will focus on experiential beverages, artisanal foods and non-coffee drinks.

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.

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.

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.

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.

White Castle offers robot delivery in Chicago with Uber Eats, Coco

The slider chain said delivery robots may help it reduce parking lot congestion and speed up service.

Why BJ’s CEO is betting on menu innovation to revive the brand

Starting with its pizza, the chain is updating ingredients and flavors to boost guest satisfaction, which has waned in recent years.

PopUp Bagels bakes up 300-unit franchise pipeline

The company, which has only a handful of stores, plans to hit 100 units by the end of 2027.

KFC US hires chief growth officer

Tiffany Furman joins the chain from The Habit Burger & Grill, where she helped oversee the brand’s transformation after its acquisition by Yum.

Shipley Do-Nuts sold to Levine Leichtman

The chain’s new owners grew Tropical Smoothie Cafe into a brand valued at $2 billion. Now they want to repeat that success with the doughnut maker.

Wahlburgers expands into Detroit airport

Airports are becoming a key growth channel for the burger chain, which also has locations in casinos, naval bases, ballparks and racecourses.

Chipotle to boost catering with high-efficiency equipment rollout

The chain will test a new catering system in 60 restaurants and expects the channel, which only makes up about 1% to 2% of orders, to be a significant growth opportunity.