Why old school pizza delivery won’t disappear, despite third-party dominance

Platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash can bring new visibility and customers to pizza chains. But first-party delivery still often remains supreme.

By Danielle McLean • April 22, 2026

Jersey Mike’s could go public

Rapid store growth and strong unit volumes have made the sandwich chain a restaurant sector success story. Will that track record yield a successful IPO?

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 20, 2026

Carl’s Jr franchisee says California’s $20 minimum wage led to bankruptcy

Friendly Franchisees Corp.’s subsidiary Sun Gir said the pay increase led to significant expenses, while sales declines exacerbated financial woes.

By Julie Littman • April 8, 2026

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill appoints Kura Sushi exec as CFO

Jeff Uttz will join the roughly 70-unit full-service chain on May 18 after four years at the sushi chain, which is in the process of finding his replacement.

By Julie Littman • April 8, 2026

Major Carl’s Jr franchisee in California files for bankruptcy

A 65-unit operator filed for Chapter 11 protections under various subsidiaries after owning the sites for more than two decades. 

By Julie Littman • Updated April 7, 2026

The Cheesecake Factory, Chick-fil-A leads AUVs among major restaurant chains

Pizza brands, sandwich chains and beverage concepts tended to have weaker average unit volumes than casual dining brands and chicken QSRs in 2025, according to Circana’s data.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 6, 2026

Dave & Buster’s CEO: Guest experience ‘can never exceed’ staff experience

The chain is reducing turnover, increasing engagement and “fostering a collaborative culture” among employees to drive traffic, Tarun Lal said.

By Bryan Wassel • April 2, 2026

How Firehouse Subs is leveraging franchise incentives to speed up growth

RBI’s smallest chain wants to speed up openings and fill in key U.S. markets, with bonuses targeting strong operators and multi-unit development.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 1, 2026

Zaxbys appoints GoTo Foods exec as CFO

Michael Dixon will oversee the chain’s financial strategy, planning and analytics and accounting and treasury as it continues to expand beyond 1,000 units.

By Julie Littman • March 30, 2026

Golden Corral appoints Nestlé vet as CFO

Trona Balkissoon will oversee the buffet chain’s financial strategy, including franchised- and corporate-unit health, and ensure the chain grows responsibly. 

By Julie Littman • March 27, 2026

53-unit Applebee’s franchisee files for bankruptcy

Neighborhood Restaurant Partners Florida has faced financial pressures since sales began to soften in 2015 and will now sell its restaurants to Applebee’s.

By Julie Littman • March 26, 2026

How 10 major restaurant chains are overhauling their strategies

From Wendy’s to Outback, heavyweight brands are investing in new menu items and operational improvements  — often accompanied by closures and renovations — to get back on track.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 26, 2026

Wonder hires CFO ahead of potential 2027 IPO

Marc Lore has built a vertically integrated food delivery network including food halls, a makeline manufacturer and Grubhub. Now, he wants to take it public.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 24, 2026

How Fat Brands’ bankruptcy could impact franchisees

From diminishing marketing support to a sale of assets, operators could see changes that impact operations as the Fatburger parent continues through the Chapter 11 process.

By Julie Littman • March 20, 2026

Fat Brands CEO agrees to temporary leave of absence

Andrew Wiederhorn can still bid on the company during its sales process, but will be removed from management in exchange for the company receiving debtor-in-posession financing.

By Julie Littman • March 19, 2026

How snow derailed Olive Garden’s traffic growth

Darden will run an extra week of value promotions for Olive Garden this quarter after bad weather stunted transactions.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 19, 2026

Gas price spikes don’t impact restaurant traffic: BTIG

By analyzing 20 years of data, the firm found little correlation between gas prices hikes and restaurant traffic drops.

By Julie Littman • March 18, 2026

Fat Brands could sell its assets

If approved by the court, Fatburger’s owner, which is undergoing Chapter 11, will seek bids for all or some of its assets beginning in April.

By Julie Littman • March 17, 2026

Q4 2025’s restaurant winners and loses

Casual dining? Good, not great. Fast casual? Bad, not terrible. Taco Bell? Living Más. Wendy's? Living Menos.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 16, 2026

Layne’s Chicken Fingers thinks it has what it takes to go national

Cane’s. Dave’s. Now Layne’s? A small Texas chicken chain wants to be the next big thing. Multi-unit operators, a simple menu and a premium product could make it happen.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 11, 2026

Cracker Barrel reports steepest traffic decline since botched rebrand

Despite focusing on menu quality and value, the chain reported a 10% traffic drop nearly six months after it attempted to remove its iconic Uncle Herschel from its branding.

By Julie Littman • March 5, 2026

Red Lobster hires former P.F. Chang’s CEO as CFO

Brad Hill will oversee the chain’s finances and real estate strategy as it focuses on long-term growth.

By Julie Littman • Updated March 3, 2026

Why are leading fast casuals primarily company owned?

Franchising is the primary model for development in fast food, but different market dynamics prevail in fast casual.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 2, 2026

Papa Johns will close 300 restaurants

As part of its transformation, the chain will close units that are over 10 years old with AUVs under $600,000 and has already cut 7% of its corporate staff.

By Julie Littman • Feb. 26, 2026

First Watch CFO to retire

Mel Hope led the breakfast chain’s fiscal operations through a pandemic, an IPO and high inflation. His successor faces a strained consumer environment.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 24, 2026