Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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Courtesy of Peet's Coffee
How do coffee chains design, market and analyze their seasonal LTOs?
While flexibility is important, many brands plan coffee LTOs more than a year in advance, meaning next year’s holiday drinks are already in the works at places like Peet’s and Dutch Bros.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Nov. 19, 2024 -
Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
What restaurants, suppliers can learn from McDonald’s E.coli outbreak
The fast food giant’s initial response to the outbreak was quick, but guest sentiment suffered from a lack of direct consumer messaging.
Julie Littman and Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 12, 2024 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Why consumers, not restaurants, are dictating value
Guests with tighter budgets are seeking out more affordable options, and restaurants — desperate for their dollars — are responding with a battle for the best value offer.
Julie Littman • Updated Sept. 23, 2024 -
Courtesy of Chipotle
Brian Niccol was hired to transform Starbucks. Is that possible?
Niccol must contend with the coffee chain’s growing brand identity and consumer perception problems, and balance its “third place” value proposition with efficient digital fulfillment.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Sept. 9, 2024 -
Permission granted by The Original Rainbow Cone
Dessert concepts are seeing record growth. But are they just a fad?
To stay relevant, chains like The Original Rainbow Cone and Dirty Dough are expanding their menus beyond their core offerings.
Julie Littman • Aug. 12, 2024 -
Permission granted by District Taco
How 4 chains are chasing Chipotle
From small regional brands to old challengers undergoing an overhaul, Mexican brands are relying on menu differentiation and franchising to catch the segment leader.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 31, 2024 -
Aneurin Canham-Clyne/Restaurant Dive
Compass Coffee responds to union drive with mass hiring
The union plans to challenge the voter eligibility of scores of workers the Washington, D.C.-based chain added to its roster ahead of a scheduled mid-July election.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • June 28, 2024 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
How a bad real estate deal sunk Red Lobster
Trouble began in 2014 when the chain’s owner sold its real estate in a sale-leaseback, putting the seafood brand on the hook for millions in rent.
Julie Littman • June 10, 2024 -
Permission granted by Holly Costanzo
Workers at DC’s Wydown cafes got organized. Then they lost everything.
The owners of the two-unit coffee chain shut down operations in the middle of a union drive, leaving workers fighting for severance.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • May 29, 2024 -
Permission granted by Chipotle
Chipotle leverages RFID technology, increases overall visibility
Executive Carlos Londono spoke about the company’s operations and its efforts to bring the technology to all of its 3,500 restaurants.
Alejandra Carranza • May 15, 2024 -
Permission granted by Clean Juice
Juice chains are winning new consumers with food offerings
Brands are retooling their kitchens to accommodate new recipes, such as bowls and wraps, to attract broader demographics and expand occasions.
Julie Littman • March 28, 2024 -
Permission granted by Beyond Juicery + Eatery
How juice chains are shifting operations to create more profitability
Beyond Juicery and Main Squeeze did in-depth analyses on how franchisees could improve profitability from the cost of goods to construction.
Julie Littman • March 27, 2024 -
Permission granted by Nekter Juice Bar
What’s driving juice chains’ aggressive growth
Brands like Nekter Juice Bar, Main Squeeze Juice and Juice it Up are pushing into new markets and opening stores as demand rises for healthy foods.
Julie Littman • March 26, 2024 -
Courtesy of Beyond Meat
Plant-based meat needs to beef up its messaging in 2024
Between slumping sales and shifting consumer mindsets, 2023 proved difficult for the sector. Here’s what analysts and experts say the category can do to recalibrate.
Elizabeth Flood • Feb. 14, 2024 -
Michael Thomas via Getty Images
Cost pressures may drive restaurant franchisee bankruptcies in 2024
Issues with margins or cash flow due to supply shocks, labor shortages and other disruptions can push operators into covenant default over their debts, experts said.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Jan. 30, 2024 -
Permission granted by Wings & Rings
Return-to-office traffic is fueling a catering boom in 2024
Chains like Cracker Barrel, BJs and Wings & Rings will continue to lean into the profitable channel this year after seeing double-digit growth in 2023.
Julie Littman • Jan. 29, 2024 -
Retrieved from Maizano on November 27, 2023
7 restaurant industry trends to watch in 2024
Development costs will remain high and service fees could frustrate diners, but personalized offers and labor-saving tech may give brands an edge.
Emma Liem Beckett, Aneurin Canham-Clyne and Julie Littman • Jan. 10, 2024 -
LeoPatrizi via Getty Images
Personalization will rule restaurant loyalty programs in 2024
Major chains are using real-time consumer data and artificial intelligence to provide more personalized perks, which may grow engagement even as diners’ emotional attachment to brands dips.
Danielle McLean • Jan. 4, 2024 -
Permission granted by Schnuck Markets
Foodservice ‘renaissance’: How grocers are spicing up their deli and premade meals
As supermarkets increasingly replace restaurant meals, they’re looking to offer better prices alongside flavor innovation, deals and new shopping experiences.
Catherine Douglas Moran • Nov. 7, 2023 -
Permission granted by Shane Woolley
Coffee could become a union industry in Boston
UNITE HERE has organized four Boston cafe chains. Now, it wants to use a standard contract to spur more unionization and drive up wages in the city’s coffee sector.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Aug. 24, 2023 -
Courtesy of Shane Woolley/Restaurant Dive
It’s not just Starbucks: Why cafes are hotbeds for unionizing
Workers at dozens of cafes in cities from Seattle to Boston are organizing, a trend experts attribute to low wages, college education and strong social bonds among employees.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 26, 2023 -
Permission granted by Dunkin'
6 campaigns that broke through the creative rut of H1 2023
Though tightened advertiser budgets have spurred a sense of dullness, bets on buzzy tech, experiential displays and major refreshes from chains like Dunkin’ and Burger King seized the moment.
Peter Adams and Jessica Deyo • July 17, 2023 -
Carlos Osorio/AP
Why delivery robots face a regulatory ‘nightmare’
Laws for sidewalk-roaming bots have taken hold across states. But variances in each bill complicate the industry's expansion plans.
Max Garland • May 3, 2023 -
Permission granted by First Watch
Rise and shine: Why breakfast chains are booming
Early bird foot traffic from remote and hybrid workers is boosting same-store sales growth at A.M. eateries, fueling sizable expansion pipelines.
Julie Littman • March 21, 2023 -
Permission granted by Wendy's
Ghost kitchens need to go omnichannel if they want to survive, experts say
After a year of dashed expansion plans, closures and high-profile regulatory infractions, segment players may need brand awareness and expanded access points to thrive.
Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Jan. 31, 2023
