The Latest

  • An image of a person holding a brown bag leaving a Chipotle store front.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Tracking the same-store sales of 23 major restaurant chains

    Q2 2026 saw more evidence of a casual dining resurgence, as fast casual sales stabilized and QSRs posted mixed results.

    Updated Aug. 27, 2026
  • A photograph of a chicken sandwich, criss-cut fries and a soda.
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    Permission granted by Smashburger
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    Smashburger grills up 2 new chicken sandwiches

    The fast casual burger chain has seen sales and revenue growth in recent quarters after focusing on improved operations and hospitality.

  • An image of a red scooter with a DoorDash bag on it.
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    Permission granted by DoorDash
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    DoorDash overhauls operating system for restaurants to deepen consumer relationships

    The delivery giant is tying together customer data from a variety of ordering channels in a move it says can increase sales and frequency.

  • A hand holds a wrap and dips it into a cup of sauce.
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    How Sweetgreen’s Gen Z focus is paying off

    The chain pushed its wraps on social media to capture young consumers’ attention. Now, one out of five transactions include a wrap and repeat visits remain strong.

  • An image ofa brick Cava storefront
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    Courtesy of Cava
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    Cava hires Dr. Squatch marketer as CMO to build on growth

    John Ludeke, most recently chief brand officer at the Unilever brand, is tasked with deepening consumer connections to the fast-casual chain.

  • An image ofa sign that says TGI Fridays against oa red and white background. There isa tree on the left and a blue sky in the background
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    David Rogers via Getty Images
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    TGI Fridays signs first US franchise in over a decade

    The new development agreement could be an early sign of revival for the chain, which fell from 329 U.S. locations in 2020 to 71 this year.

  • Subway restaurant in Orlando, Florida
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    Courtesy of Subway
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    Q&A

    Subway’s CMO on finding room to grow between competitors in QSR

    “The challenges are real, which is why we're taking such a big swing now,” Jeff Klein said of the chain’s new brand platform starring Will Arnett.

  • A daytime photograph of a small gray and orange building with "Salad and Go" signage.
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    The image by Salad and Go is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    7 Brew’s $123M bid for at least 60 Salad and Go units is approved

    The drive-thru locations will be converted to 7 Brews over time, allowing the chain to accelerate its growth toward 1,000 units.

    Updated Sept. 29, 2026
  • An angled image of a restaurant with signage that says El Pollo Loco
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    Courtesy of El Pollo Loco
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    El Pollo Loco hires Shake Shack vet as COO

    Damon Thomas joins the chain as operations chief alongside Tara Hinkle, who is now the chain’s chief development officer, to support expansion into New York and beyond.

  • A photograph of a building that with white signage that says Panera Bread. There is an empty parking lot out front and an outdoor patio on the right.
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    bgwalker via Getty Images
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    Panera hires operations and supply execs to support turnaround

    The chain onboarded Chris Finazzo as COO and Victor Siqueira as chief supply chain officer, both RBI alums, as it continues an ambitious overhaul.

  • An image of an orange bag with Grubhub and pizza boxes.
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    Permission granted by Grubhub
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    Grubhub tests rewards to boost dine-in traffic in NYC, Chicago

    Customers will be able to choose from three personalized weekly rewards to use at partner restaurants and then receive Grubhub credits.

  • A photograph of an empty McDonald's restaurant within a warehouse
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    Permission granted by McDonald's
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    Inside McDonald’s ambitious plans to upgrade its menu, technology, and restaurants

    The fast food chain wants to be a first-choice restaurant, and will invest across its system to solidify that position over the next decade.

  • The exterior of a Dave & Buster's restaurant.
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    Brandon Bell / Staff via Getty Images
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    Dave & Buster’s shakes up agencies amid bid to rebuild brand relevance

    Gut and Mediaplus are joining the chain’s roster to develop more distinctive marketing and better connect national scale to local activities.

  • A photograph of a red and yellow sign with a giant yellow "M" above a red box that says "McDonald's Billions Served."
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    3 Big Numbers: How McDonald’s is investing in its Next playbook

    The Golden Arches is targeting 250 basis points in restaurant-level efficiency gains, backed by major investments in equipment and processes. 

  • A woman in a car holds a chicken sandwich.
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    Courtesy of Popeyes
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    Is Popeyes’ new sandwich a breakfast test?

    The chain says the Honey Chicken Biscuit is designed for all dayparts. It seems built for a time outside the chain’s usual occasions.

  • A meal consisting of a cup of soda, chips, salsa and tacos sits on a napkin on a wooden table against a green background. Text on the cup says Big Gulp Large.
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    Courtesy of 7-Eleven
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    7-Eleven rolls out value menus across its restaurant brands

    The retailer has added meal deals and low-cost options across its Laredo Taco, Raise the Roost and Speedy Cafe restaurants.

  • A close up of a black sign with yellow words that say Yard House and great food classic rock and world's largest selection of draft beer.
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    OntheRunPhoto via Getty Images
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    Yard House becomes Darden’s third billion-dollar brand

    The full-service concept, which posted 10% growth in same-store sales during fiscal Q1 2027, plans to open 13 new stores during the ongoing fiscal year.

  • A photograph of a red and yellow sign with a giant yellow "M" above a red box that says "McDonald's Billions Served."
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s turns to AI for drive-thru, inventory management, order accuracy

    McDonald’s will roll out ArchIQ, an artificial intelligence platform to power restaurant operations, as part of its Next strategy.

  • An image of the exterior of KFC's experimental Open House unit
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    Courtesy of KFC
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    KFC tests breakfast and table service at new restaurant

    The chain wants to offer fast casual service for QSR prices at an experimental unit designed for maximum sales volume, rather than for efficiency.

  • A dawn image of a McDonald's drive-thru. At the foreground is an exit sign and there is a car in the background waiting in line.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    How McDonald’s plans to reactivate 150M infrequent loyalty guests

    The Golden Arches will add rewards tiers, tie-ups with other major brands and increased personalization to its loyalty system.

  • A person dips a chip in Chili's queso
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    Courtesy of Chili's Grill & Bar
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    How Chili’s marketing works — and why Mexican QSRs are its next target

    CMO George Felix dug into the casual dining chain’s past successes and pathway for future growth at Brinker International’s recent investor day.

  • A close up photograph of a crispy chicken sandwich on a table within a McDonald's restaurant
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    Permission granted by McDonald's
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    McDonald’s is designing bigger burgers, chicken bowls and new beverages

    The fast food giant plans to increase its market share with chicken and beverages as it expands those platforms while doubling down on beef.

    Updated Sept. 24, 2026
  • A close up photograph of a partial Starbucks siren logo as seen from the top of an office building.
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    David Ryder via Getty Images
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    Starbucks shutters 250 underperforming stores

    The brand said the closures would impact locations that can’t deliver the coffeehouse experience or financial performance it expects.

  • Customers pass in the Drive Thru lane during breakfast hours at a McDonald’s restaurant on October 23, 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Inside McDonald’s new marketing model as it enters media network fray

    At its first investor day since 2023, the fast food giant announced it is piloting a media network with the goal of building a $1 billion ad business.

  • A photograph of two boxes on a table with various breakfast food items in aluminum pans.
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    Permission granted by Denny's
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    How Denny’s is loading the bases for Project Grand Slam turnaround

    After closing units and going private, Denny’s is prepping for a new era with more catering, an overhauled menu, fresh tech and renovations.