Papa John's hires Arby's president as CEO

Rob Lynch, who helped turn around Arby's through extensive marketing campaigns, steps in as the pizza chain prepares its own rebranding initiatives.

By Julie Littman • Aug. 27, 2019

KFC's Beyond Fried Chicken sells out in less than 5 hours

The chain is the first U.S. QSR to pilot plant-based poultry and is evaluating the results of its single-store test to determine potential rollout plans.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Aug. 27, 2019

John Schnatter unloads over $30M in Papa John's shares

The pizza brand's founder and former CEO sold over 725,000 since last week, months after selling over 3.4 million shares to UBS for $157.5 million.

By Alicia Kelso • Updated Aug. 27, 2019

Shift Change: Jollibee taps new leadership team for Smashburger

The Filipino restaurant group hired a new president, marketing chief and head of finance for its U.S. burger brand, along with a president for North America. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Aug. 23, 2019

Waitr debuts app redesign amid continued struggles

The new app comes as the platform's stock is on a downward swing and less than a month after its founder and CEO stepped down.

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 22, 2019

McDonald's hypes spoof streetwear line 'Schnuggs' with AR lens, GIFs

A U.K. campaign for the limited release of Spicy Chicken McNuggets includes integrations with Snapchat, bringing posters to life through AR.

By Robert Williams • Aug. 21, 2019

Does DoorDash's latest acquisition give it an edge in autonomous delivery?

The delivery platform bought Scotty Labs, a startup developing autonomous and remote-controlled vehicle technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Aug. 21, 2019

Del Taco reportedly mulling a sale

El Pollo Loco, Dine Brands Global, The Habit Restaurants and other chains and private equity firms have reportedly expressed interest in an acquisition.

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 21, 2019

Postmates introduces 'health care options,' access to college courses for gig workers

Back in July, Postmates CEO Bastian Lehmann expressed support for "a comprehensive approach" to gig workers that removed classification confusion.

By Jennifer Carsen • Aug. 21, 2019

Minneapolis banned drive-thrus. Will more cities follow?

The ban comes two months after Long Beach, California, imposed a six-month moratorium on drive-thrus and as other cities push to reduce carbon emissions and improve pedestrian safety. 

By Julie Littman • Aug. 19, 2019

Meet the multi-format store

Denver's Choice Market is a c-store, grocer and fast-casual restaurant that does nearly a third of its business online — and it has big growth plans.

By Jeff Wells • Aug. 19, 2019

Shift Change: Yum Brands taps COO David Gibbs as CEO

This week's Shift Change also highlights the departure of McDonald's manager of culinary innovation, a new CFO at Bonchon and a new chief legal officer at El Pollo Loco. 

By Julie Littman • Aug. 16, 2019

Papa John's names Camp + King as creative AOR, dropping EGM after 1 year

The Havas Worldwide shop will have a lot on its plate, as the chain announced plans to invest another $80 million in marketing and franchisee relief.

By Barry Levine • Aug. 16, 2019

Pizza Hut's closure plans could cede foot traffic to Little Caesars

From April to August, Pizza Hut led in share of visits with 36%, followed by Little Caesars at 31%, Domino's at 24% and Papa John's with 10%. 

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 14, 2019

Chipotle's quarterly bonus program is reducing turnover

More than 2,600 employees earned an extra week's pay as part of the initiative, which awards workers for meeting sales, cash flow and throughput goals. 

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 14, 2019

Yelp CFO to move to Eventbrite

Lanny Baker, who has overseen Yelp's growth since 2016, will be filling the CFO role at Eventbrite next month. 

By Jane Thier • Aug. 13, 2019

J. Alexander's considers sale as part of strategic review

The company's board of directors is now considering a sale, merger or acquisition following several transactions within the upscale dining segment.

By Julie Littman • Aug. 13, 2019

Postmates planning September IPO, report says

The report contradicts rumors that Postmates was exploring a sale instead of going public, and comes amid growing competition and consolidation in the third-party delivery space. 

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 13, 2019

Chipotle is America's favorite Mexican food chain, survey finds

The chain topped rankings for food safety and overall cleanliness, suggesting that its food safety woes may be behind it. 

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 13, 2019

Yum Brands appoints new CEO

Following systemwide sales growth of 10% during Q2, COO David Gibbs will take the reigns from Greg Creed after his retirement. 

By Julie Littman • Aug. 13, 2019

Vinyl gloves used at major QSRs linked to health risks, study says

Gloves used at McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's contain chemicals that can cause reproductive issues in adults and brain development delays in children, according to the report.

By Lauren Manning • Aug. 12, 2019

Shift Change: Red Robin appoints 3 board members, interim CEO to retire

This week's column also highlights executive changes at CKE Restaurants, Taco Bell, Waitr and California Pizza Kitchen.

By Julie Littman • Aug. 9, 2019

DoorDash snags another $100M in funding

This new influx of funds, from accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Group, could better prepare it to go public and strengthen investor confidence in the food delivery company.

By Alicia Kelso • Updated Nov. 13, 2019

Burger King mascot streams with esports stars to promote Impossible Whopper

Teaming with FaZe Clan is the latest marketing stunt behind the nationwide rollout of a plant-based alternative to the brand's signature burger.

By Peter Adams • Aug. 8, 2019

Why major restaurants want to land airport locations

From Shake Shack to Panera and Pret A Manger, fast casuals are targeting traveling consumers as a new area of growth.

By Julie Littman • Aug. 8, 2019