Chick-fil-A cuts 6 items in streamlined menu test

Locations in Arizona and Charlotte will cut Original Chick-n-Strips, Grilled Cool Wraps and more from their offerings to make way for new items, such as a spicy menu that will also be tested in Charlotte, North Carolina.  

By Lauren Manning • Jan. 3, 2020

Applebee's enters the fast casual game

The casual dining chain opened its first Applebee’s Express in Alabama last month, joining IHOP, The Cheesecake Factory and Famous Dave's in testing to-go friendly concepts. 

By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 3, 2020

Explore the 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

Restaurant Dive's Top Trends of 2019

Delivery innovation, the race for consumer data and the fight against the labor shortage were major storylines.

Jan. 2, 2020

How QSRs are leading the way on personalized, omnichannel experiences

Lessons learned by McDonald's, Starbucks and others could help marketers across the industry in 2020 and beyond.

By Chris Kelly • Jan. 2, 2020

62% of Americans prefer dine-in to takeout, delivery

Though demand for dynamic eating experiences is growing, diners are most swayed by food quality and consistency when selecting a restaurant, Vixxo research finds.

By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 23, 2019

British invasion: How LEON plans to dominate — and change — American fast food

The London-based QSR's fresh, quality ingredients have pitted it against U.S. fast casuals, but the chain's founder wants to "reinvent McDonald's" so that it's healthy, sustainable and fun. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Dec. 20, 2019

Lunch Break: Fogo de Chao's CEO on balancing tech and the fine dining experience

Disruption in the restaurant industry has spurred experimentation at the Brazilian steakhouse, from catered delivery to plant-based meats, says Barry McGowan.

By Thai Phi Le • Dec. 17, 2019

80% of millennial parents visit a restaurant at least once a week

Millennial parents spend $22 at limited-service restaurants, twice as much as the average customer, and arethe highest restaurant users of any demographic.

By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 17, 2019

Why video needs to be a New Year priority for restaurant marketing

Using video can increase engagement and diner interaction, providing person-based marketing customers have come to expect, says Hannah Hambleton, content manager at Beambox. 

By Hannah Hambleton • Dec. 16, 2019

Comic Dive: Brand the Halls

It's beginning to look a lot like branded merchandise season as major QSRs and CPGs get in on the holiday spirit.

By John Hazard • Dec. 13, 2019

Supply challenges could delay McDonald's chicken sandwich launch, analysts predict

Research firm Stephens reports there are not enough five-pound chicken products, the same size that Chick-fil-A and Popeyes use for their sandwiches, to supply the fast food giant's U.S. system.

By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 12, 2019

Third-party sales will make up 70% of delivery orders in 2022

Off-premise demand is transforming restaurant real estate to include more ghost kitchens, new interior formats and drive-thru pickup lanes, according to a CBRE report.

By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 9, 2019

DoorDash named fastest growing company in US

The third-party aggregator also had strong brand awareness among consumers, while Grubhub had much weaker representation within Morning Consult's Fastest Growing Brands report.

By Julie Littman • Dec. 6, 2019

More diners seek breakfast beyond morning daypart, report finds

Fifty-five percent of breakfast orders also include coffee, while 32% of millennials want more vegetarian or vegan options, according to Technomic research. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Dec. 3, 2019

Meal wars: The fight for diner dollars

With groceries eyeing hot meal delivery as restaurants consider grab-and-go, competition between the industries will only get fiercer.

Nov. 27, 2019

Alcohol, food sales jump at restaurants on Thanksgiving Eve

The night before, known as "Drinksgiving," is becoming one of the most popular drinking holidays of the year with guest count and sales increasing 23%.

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 25, 2019

Moe's plans to open all-digital, kiosk-only locations

The company will open these formats near the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Virginia in Q1 2020. 

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 21, 2019

Chipotle rolls out Alexa voice ordering

The feature is part of the chain's larger digital sales platform, which is nearing $1 billion, and will allow customers to reorder their favorite meals within seconds. 

By Julie Littman • Nov. 21, 2019

Restaurants are creeping into grab-and-go. Should grocers worry?

Grocers have traditionally owned the space, but fast casuals and QSRs, from Panera to Starbucks, are edging in as customer demand for convenience drives growth.

By Krishna Thakker , Jessica Dumont • Nov. 20, 2019

Burger King: Impossible Whoppers never advertised as vegan

Other QSRs like White Castle and Dunkin' have already put protocols in place to keep the products separate from meat during the cooking process. 

By Lauren Manning • Updated Jan. 31, 2020

Chopt opens delivery/pickup-only store to meet digital demand

The chain opened the off-premise concept in New York City to address digitally generated orders, which account for 40% of all the restaurant's orders.

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 18, 2019

Comic Dive: Chicken Sandwich Kerfuffle

Recent missteps by Chick-fil-A, which is closed on Sundays, has given Popeyes easy marketing fodder around its viral dish.

By John Hazard • Nov. 15, 2019

Chipotle may make its carne asada a permanent menu item

The chain is extending the popular steak, which drove higher checks and new traffic, through the end of this year and into Q1 2019 as it explores its options. 

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 13, 2019

Restaurant gift card sales jumped 15% during the holidays last year

Although third-party retailers are gaining ground for sales of these gift cards, in-store sales remained higher during the holidays for restaurants, presenting an opportunity to boost sales and increase traffic.

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 12, 2019

Popeyes traffic rose 299% during its chicken sandwich relaunch

The spike on Nov. 3 surpassed the initial rollout's traffic peak of 256%, and had a halo effect for KFC, which saw 29% gains on the same day, per Placer.ai data. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Nov. 8, 2019