Nation's Restaurant News
Tech Tracker: A burst of M&A to start the summer
American Express acquired TheFork for $700 million as part of a broader wave of restaurant-tech dealmaking in June.
81M&A
487 stories · last 30 days by relevance
487 stories · last 30 days by relevance
American Express acquired TheFork for $700 million as part of a broader wave of restaurant-tech dealmaking in June.
Famous Brands outlined its restaurant portfolio amid investor scrutiny of consumer spending patterns.
A Cape Town Spur franchise is facing labour abuse allegations, highlighting potential compliance risks within the quick-service restaurant franchise model.
DoorDash's acquisition of SevenRooms over a year ago has created uncertainty about the future direction of restaurant reservation systems, signaling potential shifts in how operators manage bookings.
Liberty Mutual provided $320 million in financing to inKind, a platform designed to help restaurants access capital for expansion, renovations, and operational needs.
Food service and drinking establishments cut nearly 33,000 jobs in June after a hiring surge earlier in the summer, signaling potential softness in consumer demand or seasonal labor adjustments in the
SoundHound AI is introducing voice and agentic AI capabilities for restaurant ordering, drive-thru, and guest service operations, signaling that voice technology is transitioning from experimental to
A restaurant leadership podcast argues that indiscriminate agreement from hospitality leaders drives burnout and suggests that setting organizational boundaries at all levels can help protect leadersh
Skyline Essentials launched SkAI, an AI forecasting platform designed to help independent and multi-unit restaurant operators predict revenue and labor costs—capabilities historically available mainly
TouchBistro is positioning its POS platform as a unified system for orders, payments, operations, and guest engagement, signaling a shift in how restaurant operators evaluate POS beyond traditional tr
Restaurant chain closures have accelerated, with the share of chains shuttering 10% or more of locations nearly doubling since 2023, mirroring pre-pandemic closure patterns.
SevenRooms consolidation push reflects intensifying reservations platform competition — timing and feature gaps matter as DoorDash reshapes the market.
MarginEdge added real-time cost management, AI forecasting, and back-office automation capabilities to its platform.
Sweet Tomatoes, the salad-bar chain that liquidated during the pandemic, is planning a comeback.
Futurist op-ed on long-term trends — speculative and generic, lacks concrete operator takeaways or data.
Restaurant brands are increasingly centering their apps around loyalty programs, personalization, and direct customer engagement rather than just order-ahead convenience, signaling a shift toward usin
Wonder is partnering with Zipline to add drone delivery to most of its Texas locations by the end of 2027.
Toast, a point-of-sale provider, is opening a restaurant, signaling potential vertical integration by software vendors into hospitality operations.
Burger King introduced new chicken sandwiches, Jersey Mike's disclosed details ahead of a public filing, and industry observers are questioning whether tiered menu pricing remains an effective strateg
MashMore Potato introduced an AI operating system it says is reducing management workload at its Albany location; the company frames this as a step toward making its model more scalable and software-d
Industry observers identify three focus areas for restaurant success in 2026: omnichannel customer experience, transaction tracking as a performance metric, and leadership investment.
Restaurants are increasingly treating catering as a dedicated sales channel rather than an ad-hoc service, suggesting a shift toward more systematic catering operations and revenue capture.
Restaurant chains have faced pressure to maintain profitability as consumer purchasing power diverges, with most struggling to manage cost increases since 2021.
A growing share of major U.S. restaurant chains closed 10% or more of their locations last year, suggesting heightened operational or financial stress across the industry.
Dynamic pricing, subscription programs, and vending machines were once touted as restaurant tech solutions but have largely faded from the industry.
The National Restaurant Association expects restaurants and bars to hire fewer workers this summer amid a stagnant market.
Pending Senate legislation aims to expedite union organizing processes in the workplace.
Recent data shows continued weakness in fast-food traffic and consumer spending, signaling ongoing pressure on restaurant sales momentum.
Placer.ai traffic data reveals weak spring comp trends — consumer bifurcation (gas prices, income splits) is fragmenting performance across chains and requires targeted recovery strategies.
Yelp is integrating AI-powered guest management tools into its restaurant platform, connecting discovery and operations workflows; this suggests a shift toward consolidating reservation, waitlist, and
Commerce media platforms struggle with measuring ad impact due to probabilistic attribution and modeled incrementality, but in-store data offers a potential solution to verify whether digital ads tran
A Binghamton, New York operator built a five-concept portfolio within one block after acquiring a university bar at age 21 through seller financing, suggesting that owner-operator experience and geogr
Paytronix and Qu have announced an upgraded menu and order integration feature for restaurants.
A Bain report finds consumers plan to cut restaurant spending and view grocery as a key competitor, signaling that operators need to strengthen value positioning to justify dining-out costs.
Amex/TheFork deal (700M) plus SevenRooms aggregation move reshape reservation economics—operators now have leverage to multi-source bookings and escape single-platform lock-in.
DoorDash has introduced AI features allowing customers to order food and book reservations using photos and prompts, signaling the company's strategy to reduce friction in the discovery-to-ordering jo
Inspire Brands, parent company of Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins, and Taco Bell, has filed confidentially for an IPO with reported ambitions toward a $2 billion valuation.
Sacramento sushi chain Mikuni settled a lawsuit with former employees for $2.25 million, signaling ongoing wage-and-hour compliance risks for regional restaurant operators.
ezCater is positioning its platform to help restaurants access workplace catering demand through enhanced connectivity features.
Dishio, an AI platform for restaurants, reached 350 customers in its first year by helping operators consolidate guest data and boost retention.
A weekly restaurant finance newsletter examines how social media activity influenced restaurant stock performance, with particular attention to Wendy's.
Casey's, a Des Moines-based chain, is gaining share in pizza and wings through everyday low pricing, suggesting a potential competitive advantage in value-focused positioning.
Large restaurant chains are increasingly shutting down rather than seeking acquisition, a shift from pre-pandemic patterns.
Membership models emerging as loyalty alternative — worth evaluating if your brand hasn't tested recurring membership vs. points-based programs.
A new catering market report analyzes transactional data from over 100 restaurant brands and 8,000+ locations representing more than $1 billion in annual catering volume, offering insights into 2026 c
Red Lobster's bankruptcy in 2024 followed its Endless Shrimp promotion, raising questions about whether the deal was a strategic misstep or the result of deeper operational or intentional issues.
Deliverect and 5&5 have announced a partnership to expand restaurant technology offerings.
Multi-brand menu platform expansion (bowls, wraps, sandwiches) alongside Cracker Barrel's comeback and KFC's three-quarter comp growth show category adaptation and traffic recovery strategies in actio
Richmond restaurants are facing pressure from rising costs and declining customer traffic.
7shifts released findings on restaurant employee priorities for 2026, signaling where operators may need to focus retention and management efforts.