Corporate Operations

  • A "Market Plate" from Just Salad
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    Courtesy of Just Salad
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    Just Salad serves up dinner plates

    Following in Sweetgreen’s footsteps, the fast casual chain wants to boost its dinner daypart with heartier meals.

    By • March 20, 2025
  • A Chili's Burger framed by fries and a drink.
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    Courtesy of Brinker
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    The restaurant industry’s Q4 2024 winners and losers

    Consumer price sensitivity has hit brands unevenly, with Applebee’s and Starbucks suffering extended traffic declines while Chili’s pumped its traffic up with a strong value offer. 

    By • March 20, 2025
  • A photograph of chefs in a kitchen. Explore the Trendline➔
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    sam edwards via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Menu development

    Restaurants big and small are experimenting with their menus to align with the preferences of on-the-go diners and mitigate the impact of rising food costs, supply chain disruption and shrinking consumer discretionary funds. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • An image of a gray building with a black sign that says "&pizza"
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    Permission granted by &pizza
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    &pizza pivots to franchising

    Pizzas formulated for off-premise dining could help &pizza escape the problems of the fast casual pizza sector as it grows beyond the East Coast.

    By • March 20, 2025
  • A Walmart storefront showcases its refreshed brand identity, with a new typeface and the spark logo set apart as a standalone asset.
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    Permission granted by Walmart
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    Walmart links with chain to open made-to-order pizza restaurants

    Nozzleman Pizza plans to debut locations inside more than a dozen of the retailer’s stores this year.

    By Catherine Douglas Moran • March 19, 2025
  • A close up look at a digital beverage menu and kiosks at Taco Bell's Live Mas Cafe
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    Permission granted by Taco Bell/Diversified Restaurant Group
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    Yum Brands, Nvidia will deploy new AI at 500 restaurants

    The restaurant giant is working with the tech company to develop proprietary tech systems including back-of-house computer vision.

    By • March 19, 2025
  • Maverik
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    Brett Dworski/Restaurant Dive
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    Deep Dive

    Inside Maverik’s decision to cut Kum & Go’s foodservice program

    The move, which coincided with nixing the Iowa retailer's mobile ordering platform, underscores the culturally dissonant integration between the companies, several former corporate staffers say.

    By Brett Dworski • March 18, 2025
  • The exterior of a Cava in Chicago
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    Permission granted by Cava
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    Cava opens first Indiana unit

    The growing Mediterranean brand is looking at cities like Indianapolis, Detroit and Pittsburgh as fresh markets for development in 2025.

    By • March 17, 2025
  • Coffee drips into a white ceramic mug emblazoned with the Starbucks logo
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Brian Niccol’s 6-month update on Starbucks turnaround plan

    The coffee chain’s CEO said investments in store experience are ramping up, but union members say the brand isn’t spending enough on hourly workers.

    By • Updated March 13, 2025
  • 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 creates ‘restaurant experience’ team to sharpen menu innovation

    The Golden Arches’ new team replaces its customer experience unit and includes three cohorts dedicated to chicken, beef and beverage/dessert.

    By • March 11, 2025
  • A gray and beige fast food building with red and white brand markings for the chain Jollibee
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    Courtesy of Jollibee
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    Jollibee to ramp up US growth with franchising program

    With an AUV of about $4.3 million, the Filipino chicken chain’s unit economics could make it compelling for multi-unit operators.

    By • March 11, 2025
  • Patrons at a Chicago Starbucks after the coffee chain on Feb. 25, 2025.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    These 6 restaurant companies have laid off thousands in 2025

    Staff reductions hit every corner of the restaurant industry, from Grubhub’s elimination of 500 workers to Starbucks’ 1,100 corporate job cuts.

    By • March 10, 2025
  • An image of a bar and seating area inside Pinstripes
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    Permission granted by Pinstripes
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    Pinstripes keeps itself afloat with $7.5M loan

    The troubled eatertainment chain was suspended from the New York Stock Exchange and won’t appeal its delisting, as its lender takes an 85% share in the company. 

    By • March 7, 2025
  • Wendy's Global Next Gen store design features a pick-up window for delivery orders and in-store shelving for digital pick-up orders.
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    Courtesy of Wendy's
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    Wendy’s wants to open 1K stores in 3 years

    The burger brand is planning to globalize its supply chain and build up geographical strongholds outside the U.S.

    By • March 6, 2025
  • A rendering of a restaurant that is both an Applebee's and an IHOP
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    Courtesy of Dine Brands
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    Applebee’s hopes renovations, dual-branding will prevent more closures

    Dine Brands will remodel 30 restaurants it acquired from franchisees last year to help revive the ailing casual dining chain.

    By • March 5, 2025
  • An image of various chicken cantina items offered by Taco Bell
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell targets $3M AUV

    The brand wants its Cantina Chicken Menu and beverage orders to each account for $5 billion in yearly sales by the end of the decade.

    By • March 4, 2025
  • A hand lifts a slice of stuffed crust pizza topped with pepperoni and peppers. The slice trails strings of melted mozzarella.
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    Courtesy of Domino's
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    Domino’s launches stuffed crust pizza, encroaching on Pizza Hut

    Internal research showed as many as 13 million Domino’s customers ordered stuffed crust pizza from competitors each year.

    By • March 3, 2025
  • An Outback Steakhouse restaurant on a cold day.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Bloomin’ slows US growth to focus on Outback turnaround

    With same-store sales slipping, Bloomin’ is changing its strategy, trimming its menu and devolving power to brand presidents.

    By • Feb. 27, 2025
  • A Starbucks barista pours foamed milk into a cup.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks cuts less popular drinks, plans 30% menu reduction

    Several Frappucinos, the Royal English Breakfast Latte and the White Hot Chocolate are getting the axe next month to reduce complexity and make space for experimentation.

    By • Feb. 26, 2025
  • Wooden seats and tables inside a Cava. In the background there is a make line with digital menu boards.
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    Courtesy of Cava
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    Cava’s traffic growth streak continues

    CFO Tricia Tolivar attributed its sales success to a mix of factors ranging from improved in-store experience to low price increases.

    By • Feb. 26, 2025
  • A photograph of a black sign that says "Starbucks Coffee Company" in front of a brick building.
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    David Ryder via Getty Images
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    Starbucks lays off 1,100 corporate workers

    The coffee giant is cutting about 6.9% of its non-retail staff, and is shifting corporate hiring to prioritize in-office roles.

    By • Feb. 24, 2025
  • An image of Pinstripes
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    Courtesy of Pinstripes
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    Pinstripes CFO departs, company explores strategic alternative

    The eatertainment brand saw same-store sales fall 7.7% last quarter, and failed to maintain a leverage ratio required by a financing covenant.

    By • Feb. 21, 2025
  • An image of Joe Christina, CEO at Tijuana Flats.
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    Permission granted by Tijuana Flats
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    Noodles & Company hires Joe Christina as president and COO

    Christina, formerly CEO at Tijuana Flats, joins the chain as it embarks on a long-term menu overhaul and turns the corner on sales struggles.

    By • Feb. 20, 2025
  • People sit in a coffee shop.
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    Adam Gray via Getty Images
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    Starbucks’ DEI policies labeled ‘discriminatory’ in Missouri attorney general’s lawsuit

    A spokesperson for the chain denied the claims in an email to HR Dive and said Starbucks’ hiring and benefits programs are “open to everyone and lawful.”

    By Ryan Golden • Feb. 19, 2025
  • An image of a white building with red stripes and KFC branding.
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    Moses Robinson via Getty Images
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    KFC US HQ leaves Kentucky for Texas

    Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said the move will contribute to the company’s competitive advantage as Yum looks to remake the KFC brand.

    By • Feb. 19, 2025
  • An exterior pink building with Saucy by KFC signage
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    Permission granted by Saucy by KFC
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    KFC US promotes CMO to president

    Catherine Tan-Gillespie will take over from Tarun Lal as U.S. president for the chicken chain on April 1, after a difficult year for sales.

    By • Feb. 13, 2025