Impossible Whopper trial drove 18% traffic growth at Burger King

Barclays compared traffic at the chain's St. Louis restaurants where it trialed the burger to area McDonald's locations and Kansas City Burger Kings — neither of which saw comparable gains. 

By Lauren Manning • Oct. 17, 2019

62% of diners fear restaurant data breaches, report says

New research shows 40% of consumers are frustrated by the number of steps required to order food online. Operators need to strike a balance between seamless digital ordering and security.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 11, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Restaurant Dive

Check out a selection of articles about some of the biggest trends — from the rise of dessert concepts to a cohort of Mexican chains trying to overtake Chipotle  — shaping the restaurant industry in 2024.

By Restaurant Dive staff

DoorDash snags 13% lead over Grubhub in share of spend

DoorDash is dominating the delivery segment with 35% market share after big moves, including new partners, increased ad presence and its acquisition of Caviar. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 10, 2019

Diners want mobile ordering, but only 18% of restaurant apps offer it

This disconnect could be detrimental to growing off-premise with 91% of consumers placing delivery orders via a brand's app or website in the last year, a National Restaurant Association study shows.

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 3, 2019

Restaurant gift card sales rose 10% in 2018

QSRs increased gift card sales by 18%, but had the lowest average value at about $18 per card, according to a new report from Paytronix.

By Lauren Manning , Julie Littman • Sept. 24, 2019

Tim Hortons pulls plug on Beyond Meat, for now

The coffee and donut chain removed its plant-based sandwiches and burgers from Ontario and British Columbia Tuesday, the final two Canadian markets where Tim Hortons sold the products.

By Lauren Manning • Updated Jan. 29, 2020

Panera adds menu category: grain bowls

The addition is the fast casual cafe's largest product launch of 2019 and caps off a year that included new breakfast options and a dinner pilot. 

By Julie Littman • Sept. 18, 2019

Restaurants are only getting smaller, and that's by design

With fewer customers eating at restaurants, operators are eyeing more compact locations with dedicated areas for takeout orders.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 16, 2019

Philadelphia chains required to add salt warnings to menus

Restaurants with 15 or more locations must now label items with high sodium content in a move by the city to try to curb high rates of hypertension.

By Lauren Manning • Sept. 16, 2019

QSRs see greater growth in reviews than any other industry

96% of QSR locations now receive online reviews, outpacing all other industries. Here’s what businesses need to know.

Sept. 16, 2019

Just Salad cuts steak in favor of Beyond Meat

The fast casual chain will now serve Beyond Beef Meatballs instead of grilled steak as part of its sustainability push. 

By Lauren Manning • Sept. 13, 2019

Chicken sandwich wars boosted Popeyes traffic 218%

The viral frenzy after its sandwich launch drove 10.1 million visits to Chick-fil-A, Zaxby's, KFC and its own brand during the last weekend of August.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 12, 2019

63% of millennials seek plant-based, unprocessed food

A new study could spell trouble for restaurants selling alternative meats since manufacturers like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have complicated ingredient lists. 

By Lauren Manning • Sept. 10, 2019

Wendy's breakfast menu arrives next month

The fast food chain has been in and out of the morning daypart since the 1980s, but with McDonald's struggling to grow breakfast, now could be the time for the smaller chain to make its mark.

By Julie Littman • Updated Feb. 4, 2020

Restaurant sales projected to break 3-year slump, rise 3.7%

The industry is finding renewed growth thanks in large part to the popularity of food delivery and big innovation investments from major players.

By Lauren Manning • Sept. 9, 2019

KFC's Beyond Fried Chicken sells out in less than 5 hours

The chain is the first U.S. QSR to pilot plant-based poultry and is evaluating the results of its single-store test to determine potential rollout plans.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Aug. 27, 2019

Diners are delivery platform-loyal, study says

A Toast report suggests that restaurants should team with multiple third-party delivery partners to diversify their customer bases and stay competitive.   

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 26, 2019

McDonald's enters the chicken sandwich wars

The QSR giant is testing a Crispy Sandwich and Deluxe Sandwich starting Monday in Houston and Knoxville, Tennessee. 

By Alicia Kelso • Updated Dec. 2, 2019

Over 50% of consumers don't know how brands use their data, report says

The new survey from Acquia also finds that 65% of customers would stop engaging with a brand that's dishonest about its data usage. 

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 20, 2019

Restaurant spending to hit record $863B in 2019

U.S. Census Bureau data predicts overall industry sales will increase 4% this year, as QSRs use tech to avoid friction with customers set on convenience.

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 20, 2019

Restaurants rethink marketing, but Facebook remains king

A Toast report found that 67% of restaurant professionals plan to pay for social media ads this year, with 91% advertising on Facebook and 78% on Instagram.

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 15, 2019

Chick-fil-A tops QSRs in brand intimacy, report says

The chain's focus on customer service and its loyalty program have built a strong fan base despite criticism for its donations to anti-LGBTQ groups.

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 15, 2019

Pizza Hut's closure plans could cede foot traffic to Little Caesars

From April to August, Pizza Hut led in share of visits with 36%, followed by Little Caesars at 31%, Domino's at 24% and Papa John's with 10%. 

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 14, 2019

Chipotle is America's favorite Mexican food chain, survey finds

The chain topped rankings for food safety and overall cleanliness, suggesting that its food safety woes may be behind it. 

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 13, 2019

Vinyl gloves used at major QSRs linked to health risks, study says

Gloves used at McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's contain chemicals that can cause reproductive issues in adults and brain development delays in children, according to the report.

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 12, 2019