As chains expand drive-thrus, speed of service becomes paramount

Drive-thru ordering remains in high demand long after dining room lockdowns, and chains are making sure their design and layouts help maximize efficiency. 

By Julie Littman • Nov. 16, 2022

How 6 restaurant giants are hiking menu prices

Brands like Chipotle, McDonald’s and Starbucks are walking a tightrope — charge enough to protect the bottom line without alienating customers.

By Emma Liem Beckett , Julie Littman • Nov. 15, 2022

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

Drive-thru drag: Construction delays, rising costs slow development

Inflation and labor disruption are forcing restaurants to get creative with site selection to obtain prime drive-thrus and mobile pickup window real estate.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 15, 2022

Fat Brands hires restaurant tech exec as first chief growth officer

Jeremy Theisen will oversee the recruitment of new franchisees and multi-unit deals with existing partners, the company said Monday.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Nov. 14, 2022

Tim Hortons offers Scan & Pay option for loyalty app

Rewards members can pay for orders and earn or redeem rewards with a single scan if they link a credit card or Tim Card to the restaurant’s mobile app. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Nov. 11, 2022

RBI opens first virtual food hall in Miami, with plans for a second

The concept, called Kylo, offers menus from Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs alongside local restaurant fare.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Nov. 10, 2022

5 QSR CEOs dish on inflation

The top brass at McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Restaurant Brands International, Papa Johns and Chipotle have seen shifts in diner behavior, but are confident they can weather economic headwinds.

By Julie Littman , Emma Liem Beckett • Nov. 10, 2022

The Starbucks union’s contract fight is a race against time

Organizers face slowing new election rates, accusations of bad-faith bargaining and an impending loss of decertification protection.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Nov. 8, 2022

Taco Bell adds in-app delivery with DoorDash

The Mexican chain’s Fire Tier rewards members will first get access to the channel, which leverages the delivery giant’s driver fleet.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Nov. 4, 2022

Jack in the Box to sell company-owned Del Tacos to franchisees

The Cypress Group will manage the sale of select Del Taco units to new and existing operators as part of Jack in the Box’s push for an asset-light model.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 3, 2022

How bad is restaurant inflation? Here’s what the data shows.

As rising wages and operating costs push chains to increase menu prices, consumers are trading down and seeking more value-focused dining options.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 3, 2022

Kroger to add ghost kitchens to 3 Ohio stores

Kitchen United will bring the to-go food halls, which let shoppers order from multiple restaurants at once, to Kroger units in the state’s capital region.

By Sam Silverstein • Nov. 2, 2022

Tijuana Flats names Burger King vet as CEO

Joe Christina, who most recently served as CEO at Church’s Texas Chicken, has joined the 124-unit Tex-Mex chain as it restarts growth.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 1, 2022

Red Robin appoints CFO, chief legal officer

Todd Wilson, formerly of Hopdoddy Burger Bar and Hibar Hospitality, joins the chain as CFO. Sarah Mussetter is returning as chief legal officer after a year-long absence. 

By Julie Littman • Nov. 1, 2022

Did Dunkin’ get its loyalty shakeup wrong?

The revamped program’s emphasis on food items could be a play for higher check sizes, but making members pay a premium for coffee rewards could burn the chain.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Oct. 31, 2022

McDonald’s CEO says affordable digital channels will help chain face recession

Value offerings, especially via online and delivery channels, helped diners tolerate Q3 price hikes of 10% year-over-year, Chris Kempczinski told investors.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 27, 2022

Brinker names chief people officer, chief digital officer

Wade Allen has returned to his role as CDO with an emphasis on off-premise, and the company promoted Aaron White to EVP and chief people officer. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 26, 2022

Yum Brands sells Russian KFC units, exits country

Smart Service, which is operated by local KFC franchisees in Russia, will be responsible for rebranding 1,000 units to non-Yum concepts. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 25, 2022

Papa Johns’ chief diversity officer steps down

Marvin Boakye helmed people functions amid a culture reset at the quick-service restaurant.

By Kate Tornone • Oct. 24, 2022

Report: Full-service chains surpass pre-pandemic sales

The Cheesecake Factory saw the highest sales boost during Q3 2022, increasing 33% compared to Q3 2019, per Bloomberg Second Measure. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 24, 2022

Applebee’s hires Papa Johns, BJ’s vet as culinary lead

Chef Scott Rodriguez has over two decades of casual dining experience, and helped chains create new offerings through research and development. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 24, 2022

How chicken chain Raising Cane’s scaled and modernized

The leadership at Raising Cane’s knew that in order to keep growing successfully, they would need to ditch paper processes and legacy systems.

By Lindsey Wilkinson • Oct. 20, 2022

McDonald’s to sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Louisville

Three doughnut varieties will be available for in-restaurant and drive-thru purchases at nine McDonald’s units starting Oct. 26. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 18, 2022

El Pollo Loco hires Dunkin’ VP as COO

Maria Hollandsworth, formerly regional VP of operations at the coffee chain, will support El Pollo Loco’s expansion as it focuses on multi-unit franchise deals. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Oct. 18, 2022

3 KFC US execs to retire due to inflation impacts

The chain’s COO, CFO and national field operations director are exiting due to rising interest rates’ effect on pension funds, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 17, 2022