Study: Over 66% of independent restaurants seeing sales declines from inflation

Seventy-six percent of operators surveyed by Seated said they have increased menu prices to deal with current economic conditions.

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 5, 2022

Jack in the Box promotes Del Taco COO to brand president

Chad Gretzema replaces John Cappasola, Del Taco CEO and president, who departed in June months after Jack in the Box acquired the Mexican QSR chain. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Aug. 5, 2022

Just Eat Takeaway reports $3B impairment following Grubhub deal

Despite the impairment, which JET blames on reduction in sector valuation, high interest rates and equity volatility, an earnings call pointed to early positive results from its Amazon partnership.

By Julie Littman • Aug. 4, 2022

Shake Shack expects up to 25 drive-thrus open by the end of 2023

With six drive-thrus currently open, the burger chain has seen average weekly sales of over $80,000 compared to $76,000 at a traditional location. 

By Julie Littman • Aug. 4, 2022

TGI Fridays expands C3 partnership with new virtual brands

TGI Fridays’ test phase, which began with a rollout of Krispy Rice in select markets last fall, generated up to $1 million in sales per restaurant.

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 3, 2022

Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken name new CEO

Joe Guith, a former executive of Focus Brands, joins the brand as its top executive nearly a year after it was bought by High Bluff Capital Partners. 

By Julie Littman • Aug. 2, 2022

Fat Brands plans to open 900 new restaurants in 5 years

The aggressive expansion strategy would raise the company’s total location to over 3,200 while also adding $50 million in incremental adjusted EBITDA. 

By Julie Littman • Aug. 2, 2022

McDonald’s names global CIO following other executive changes

Brian Rice will serve on the global senior leadership team as EVP and global CIO, reporting directly to CEO Chris Kempczinski.

By Lindsey Wilkinson • Aug. 1, 2022

Danny Meyer to resign as CEO of USHG

Chip Wade, currently Union Square Hospitality Group president and COO, will take the top leadership position in the full-service restaurant group, effective Sept. 6. 

By Julie Littman • Aug. 1, 2022

Wingstop expects its food costs to shrink this year

The chain is experiencing a 19% drop in chicken wing costs, allowing it to lean more heavily on value offerings as other restaurants hike menu prices. 

By Julie Littman • July 29, 2022

McDonald’s US plant-based burger test is over

The company said the test “concluded as planned,” but the news comes amid analyst speculation of low product sales.

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 28, 2022

Study: Over one-third of restaurant operators implementing hiring freezes

Despite an ongoing labor shortage, 4% of small restaurant owners said they are cutting staff, a July Alignable report also found. 

By Alicia Kelso • July 28, 2022

Chipotle plans 4% menu increase in August

The price hike will help offset rising operating costs due to increased wages and inflation, especially around dairy, tortillas and packaging.  

By Julie Littman • July 27, 2022

McDonald's digital sales top $6B across top 6 markets

Digital channels account for about a quarter of the chain’s sales in the U.S.

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 27, 2022

Uber is looking to change its ‘frustrating’ US grocery experience

After a rough launch with Cornershop two years ago, Uber is aiming to course-correct by adding new features on Eats for customers, workers and retailers.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • July 27, 2022

How Kitchen United's new access to grocery stores, malls will fuel its growth

With $100 million in fresh funding under its belt, the ghost kitchen operator will build out its tech stack and expand within new and existing markets. 

By Julie Littman • July 26, 2022

Caribou Coffee appoints first chief franchise officer

Matthew Walls will oversee the chain’s franchise expansion. Caribou Coffee added franchising to its U.S. system in October.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 26, 2022

Ampex Brands acquires American bistro concept Bellagreen

The franchise group plans to introduce the eight-unit chain in every major metro area, Ampex CEO Tabbassum Mumtaz said.

By Alicia Kelso • July 25, 2022

Domino's US carryout same-store sales rise 14.6% in Q2

Bolstered by a boost week in late June and its $3 tip campaign for carryout customers, carryout continued to outperform delivery sales.

By Julie Littman • July 21, 2022

Starbucks faces 'indefinite' strike at a Boston cafe

Baristas are refusing to work for an unspecified amount of time, demanding that the chain replace a store manager and bolster staffing across shifts.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 21, 2022

Chili's names George Felix as new CMO

The executive previously held leadership roles at Pizza Hut, KFC and Tinder, with his latest appointment arriving at a time of rebuilding for Chili’s. 

By Sara Karlovitch • July 20, 2022

Former Wingstop CEO joins Salad and Go

Charlie Morrison, who became part of Salad and Go’s board in 2020, will lead the chain as it grows from 60 to 90 units by the end of the year. 

By Julie Littman • July 19, 2022

ChowNow CEO: More restaurant tech industry layoffs are coming

The company had one of its best sales months in June, but rising interest rates and more expensive capital has Chris Webb preparing for a financial hurricane.

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 19, 2022

Report: Chipotle remains cheaper than rivals despite menu price hikes

The chain is about 10% less expensive than Qdoba and Moe’s Southwest Grill, a survey from BTIG indicates. 

By Alicia Kelso • July 18, 2022

Restaurant payments app Sunday cuts staff, exits 60% of its markets

The startup, which launched just 16 months ago, will pull out of four of its seven markets to focus on the U.S., U.K. and France. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 15, 2022