7 Brew will open its first college location in the fall

The fast growing coffee chain’s non-traditional walk-thru locations at high-traffic retailers and universities could help it strengthen its on-premise experience.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 1, 2026

McDonald’s creates US COO role

Skye Anderson will return to McDonald’s USA after serving as president of the chain’s global business services for three years.

By Julie Littman • April 1, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Back-of-house Technology

From AI-enhanced inventory management systems and analytics to robot-powered kitchen equipment, restaurants are investing in technology solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce employee turnover. 

By Restaurant Dive staff

Why Rave Restaurant Group cut ties with Uber Eats

Pizza Inn’s owner said the chain is focusing on dine-in traffic through value offerings instead of increasing volume through unprofitable orders.

By Julie Littman • Updated 10 hours ago

IHOP expands value platform, launches proprietary coffee

The menu updates are part of the chain’s strategy to drive traffic with wallet-friendly offers and boost check averages with premium items.

By Julie Littman • March 31, 2026

First Watch cuts its COO

As part of an operations leadership restructure, the company let Dan Jones go on Friday after he served four years in that position.

By Julie Littman • March 31, 2026

Papa Johns launches toasted sandwich lineup

Under pressure from Domino’s growing market share, Papa Johns launched a new menu category that could expand its reach across consumer cohorts.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 30, 2026

Choosing a POS system: What restaurant operators prioritize in 2026

A practical guide to how restaurants evaluate POS systems in 2026, including real operator insights.

By Tessa Zuluaga • March 30, 2026

Town Pump to place standalone coffee kiosks in its parking lots

The 400-square-foot sites will be branded as Stonehouse Coffee Shots, after the retailer’s coffee program, and will feature pickup and drive-thru windows.

By Brett Dworski • March 27, 2026

How OpenTable’s updated client agreements will impact restaurants

Effective April 16, the reservation platform said it will require its partner operators to agree that it is the primary table management system to ensure accuracy and guest data protections.

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

Starbucks tests new ordering channels for licensed stores

Kiosks and scheduled orders could be coming to Starbucks cafes in airports, as the chain looks to speed up operations at high-traffic licensed stores.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 25, 2026

Domino’s uses AI to improve Tracker pickup and delivery times

The tracking engine combines inputs from team members with machine learning to offer more accurate time estimates.

By Julie Littman • March 25, 2026

Popeyes hires US COO from Burger King

Chris Padoan's appointment signals a greater investment in Popeyes’ store-level execution, as the chain lags its chicken competitors in operations. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 25, 2026

Why Chick-fil-A is spending millions to build its own distribution network

A $50 million Lubbock, Texas, facility will open in 2027, while the company builds at least four other distribution centers to serve hundreds of units.

By Julie Littman • March 24, 2026

Panda Express taps tech, distribution network to keep menu fresh

The restaurant chain has only six months to lock in suppliers that can scale to demand for new menu items, Chief Supply Chain Officer Roland Ornelas said.

By Antone Gonsalves • March 24, 2026

McDonald’s Big Arch Burger drives only mild traffic boost

Traffic rose just 2.2% during the week of the premium burger’s launch despite the product generating significant social media buzz, per Placer.ai.

By Julie Littman • March 23, 2026

How Bojangles cut time-to-hire by more than 80%

How Bojangles cut time-to-hire by 80% and boosted applicant engagement.

March 23, 2026

Bonchon hires Pollo Campero vet as chief development officer

Blas Escarcega joins the chain as it focuses on rapid growth in the U.S., where it now has over 150 units.

By Julie Littman • March 20, 2026

Chicago Mayor plans to veto tipped wage freeze

The city council froze the tipped minimum wage at 76% of the city’s overall wage, following industry opposition to the gradual end of the tip credit.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • 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

These 6 restaurant chains will close hundreds of units this year

From Wendy’s to Papa Johns and Pizza Hut, chains facing several quarters of consecutive same-store sales and traffic declines are removing underperforming units from their systems.

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

Wetzel’s Pretzels plans to double c-store presence

After opening a company record 20 QSRs in nontraditional locations in 2025, the chain is pursuing convenience retail growth over the next two years.

By Jessica Loder • March 18, 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