Loyalty programs alone are insufficient to boost visit frequency at QSRs; making loyalty interactions more relevant to individual customers is needed to drive repeat visits.
The river · last 7 days by relevance
Domino's introduced a Detroit-style pizza offering while Popeyes reintroduced a $6 Big Box promotion, amid signs that fast-food consumers' perception of value is eroding.
Los Tacos No. 1 secured investment from TSG Consumer Partners to fuel expansion, signaling investor confidence in the NYC-based Mexican concept's growth potential.
Red Robin has refranchised 108 restaurants to three operators, generating $89.4 million in proceeds, with eight additional closures planned through fiscal 2026—a shift that signals the chain's retreat
A cyclospora outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce affected Taco Bell, signaling persistent food-safety and supply-chain transparency challenges that have prompted the industry to develop recove
KFC Global appointed Amy Ellis Durini as Chief Brand Officer in a newly created role, reporting to CEO Scott Mezvinsky starting November 2026, to lead global brand strategy and loyalty initiatives.
TGI Fridays is expanding into the Balkans through a partnership with Devolli Group to open 10 restaurants, signaling continued international growth in emerging markets.
Harri finished deploying its workforce management platform across all 2,112 U.S. Jack in the Box locations in a five-month rollout completed December 1, 2025, signaling a major shift toward centralize
McDonald's divested from a majority stake in a restaurant chain, a decision the source characterizes as potentially costly to the company.
Chipotle, Domino's, and food delivery platforms have announced layoffs.
Kayla Edidin has taken a majority stake and COO role at Red Door Brands following a challenging period for the franchise operator, signaling a leadership transition aimed at stabilizing the company.
Walmart is adding Dunkin' to its delivery service, allowing customers to order coffee and donuts alongside groceries.
Carl's Jr. is ramping up marketing spend and revamping its burger offerings after recent sales slowdown, signaling an attempt to rebuild brand momentum in a competitive QSR segment.
The Credit Card Competition Act has gained bipartisan backing and three new sponsors, signaling renewed momentum in legislative efforts to address swipe fee costs that burden businesses.
Franchised chains are outperforming company-operated models on Wall Street — a signal that asset-light structures are reshaping how investors value restaurant growth.
Twosome Place, a South Korean café brand with a 25-year history, is launching its first U.S. location in Alexandria, Virginia as part of a broader domestic expansion strategy.
7 Brew has made a $143 million offer to acquire 73 Salad and Go locations in bankruptcy, outbidding Dutch Bros for the assets.
Yum Brands completed the sale of Pizza Hut to private equity firm LongRange Capital and Yum China in two separate transactions valued at $2.7 billion total.
Nearly half of restaurant operators surveyed by Toast plan to maintain current staffing levels in 2026, up 10 percentage points from the prior year—signaling growing stability in labor planning after
California regulators penalized Dickey's Barbecue Pit for deceptive practices toward franchise entrepreneurs, signaling enforcement of disclosure standards in the QSR franchise sector.
An Oklahoma Taco Bell franchisee with 23 units is adopting Oscar AI, an operational intelligence platform, to help restaurant leaders identify performance improvement opportunities.
Chipotle opened its first Asian location in Seoul through a joint venture with Sangmidang Holdings, signaling a strategic test market for potential further regional expansion.
Bundles serve as a value-communication tool for restaurants without explicit discounting, but their effectiveness appears to vary by daypart—suggesting operators may need distinct bundling strategies
Uber cut over 3,000 employees (10% of workforce) and Wonder laid off 150 this week, signaling that delivery platforms are shifting strategy as they navigate profitability pressures amid market maturat
Red Lobster closed 160 restaurants following its bankruptcy filing, signaling continued consolidation pressure in the casual dining segment as operators navigate cost and debt challenges.
Restaurant operators can use data and AI to gain visibility across multi-unit systems while preserving human judgment in decision-making, suggesting that technology works best as a complement to opera
Sbarro's CEO credits brand repositioning and expansion into convenience stores and international markets with enabling the chain to open over 100 units annually for the past four years.
Dutch Bros declined to match 7 Brew's bid for Salad and Go locations, signaling a strategic focus on its core beverage concept rather than geographic expansion into quick-service salad.
US Foods launched Menu IQ, a tool that analyzes photographs of handwritten recipes to calculate food costs within minutes, addressing a pain point in restaurant operations.
Chipotle opened its first Asian location in Seoul, South Korea, through a partnership with Sangmidang Holdings, signaling an expansion beyond North America.
Pizza operators are expanding into fast-growing Sun Belt markets like Texas and Tennessee, targeting communities with incoming population and development, signaling where category growth may concentra
The Coffee Club is pursuing franchise expansion as its growth strategy.
Chili's sustained operational improvements and menu innovation are driving traffic and sales growth relative to competitors in casual dining, signaling that operational excellence and targeted marketi
A proposed change to SNAP benefits may affect quick-service restaurant sales across nine states.
PAR Technology launched Guest360, a guest data platform that tracks restaurant customers across transactions regardless of loyalty program enrollment, designed to work with its existing Punchh loyalty
Papa John's brand perception index has improved year-over-year, but the chain still trails competitors in value and customer satisfaction measures.
A CEO reports that consumers are expressing dissatisfaction with fast-food pricing, signaling potential pressure on chains to reconsider their pricing strategies.
Sweetgreen's Q2 earnings are being evaluated alongside other modern fast-casual chains, suggesting investor interest in how this segment is performing relative to broader QSR peers.
California Pizza Kitchen has installed a pizza vending machine at Dayton airport, expanding its off-premise availability.
Sbarro's CEO discusses the brand's turnaround as the 70-year-old pizzeria moves beyond its mall-based legacy, signaling renewed strategic focus in a competitive casual dining market.
Jimmy John's secured an official sponsorship partnership with ESPN's College GameDay, gaining presence at the show's stops throughout the college football season and relaunching its Fan Feast meal as
Grimaldi's is expanding its presence in Southwest Florida.
Evergreens, a Seattle-based fast-casual chain founded in 2012, has launched a franchise program targeting 12 Western states, signaling a shift from company-operated growth to franchisee-led expansion.
Wendy's will remain public after activist investor Trian withdrew its take-private proposal, while the chain appointed a new CMO focused on marketing and customer growth—signaling continued operationa
McDonald's loyalty program collects granular customer data including visit frequency predictions and churn scores, illustrating how QSR operators now build detailed behavioral profiles that extend wel
