201 stories · last 7 days by relevance
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.
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.
Dining behavior data from Zest shows that frequency and habit drive restaurant choices more than active deliberation, suggesting operators should focus on building repeat visits over one-time attracti
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
A CEO reports that consumers are expressing dissatisfaction with fast-food pricing, signaling potential pressure on chains to reconsider their pricing strategies.
QSR brands are reconsidering site selection criteria beyond traditional metrics like traffic counts and demographics, moving toward evaluations based on how customers actually move through locations.
Jeremy Fitzgerald, founder and CEO of 86DeadStock, will participate in a live Q&A hosted by the Restaurant Unstoppable Network on September 14th, 2026.
New York City's mayor signed legislation allowing outdoor dining on roadways year-round and permitting winterized structures, signaling a shift toward permanent infrastructure for al fresco service.
Walmart has added Dunkin to its delivery app, expanding its food delivery offerings and signaling competitive pressure on established platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Cyclospora contamination in the food supply poses distinct challenges for restaurant operators because the parasite spreads through supply-chain routes that are difficult for individual restaurants to
Wendy's breakfast exit and Subway's late-night expansion illustrate that extended hours can backfire operationally and financially for some chains, signaling the need for careful unit-level economics
Restaurants posted job growth in August after two consecutive months of losses, suggesting a near-term stabilization in hiring across the sector.
Pickleman's Gourmet Café appointed Jim Morey, an executive with experience at Wawa, Outback Steakhouse, and McDonald's, to its advisory board to support expansion efforts.
Industry experts debate whether recent moves at Wendy's and Pizza Hut will improve performance, while data indicates independent restaurants are gaining ground relative to chains.
Full-service restaurants have shifted their delivery strategy from simply launching a channel to optimizing operations across kitchens and labor models, signaling that delivery management is now a cor
Franchisors balancing national brand consistency with local franchisee marketing effectiveness — a key lever for system-wide performance and franchisee retention.
Fast food chains' heavy promotional activity in 2024 failed to maintain value perception gains as market saturation and economic uncertainty set in, signaling operators may need to recalibrate their d
A restaurant news roundup covers Chili's performance, operational roles, and iconic breakfast establishments, reflecting ongoing industry dynamics across chains and independent operators.
A majority of quick-service restaurant workers who perceived onboarding as inefficient left before their first day, signaling that streamlined hiring processes may reduce pre-employment attrition in t
A recent ruling involving Starbucks has highlighted tensions between maintaining brand standards and complying with labor rights obligations.
Jollibee listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, expanding its capital-raising options as the Philippine chain pursues international growth.
Franchise owners are managing multiple locations' back-office work during off-hours to avoid hiring additional staff, suggesting operational inefficiencies across multi-unit systems.
SoundHound AI and Acrelec have partnered to develop AI-powered drive-thru technology, signaling continued investment in voice-ordering automation for quick-service restaurants.
Aggregate of seasonal menu drops and single-franchise openings — illustrative of mid-market promotional activity but no systemic operator insight.
Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons have launched a partnership to enhance their loyalty programs.
Dickey's Barbecue Pit incurred a $36.8K regulatory fine and $700K arbitration loss, signaling potential franchise relationship or compliance challenges within the chain.
Uber cut 10% of its workforce (3,300 jobs) as part of a reorganization aimed at streamlining operations, signaling pressure to improve efficiency amid competition in ride-sharing and delivery.
Chowbus and Maple have partnered to offer multilingual voice AI ordering technology to restaurants.
Foodservice automation is becoming economically viable for hospitality operations.
Pilot Flying J has deployed fast-food kiosks at its locations that integrate third-party delivery apps, signaling a shift toward digital ordering infrastructure in the convenience-store channel.
A global dining company is closing 261 restaurants, including a steakhouse chain.
Haidilao has adopted Infobip's data-driven personalization platform to enhance its global loyalty program, suggesting the chain is investing in customer retention tools as it expands internationally.
WOWorks opened 23 new restaurants and announced plans for 15 additional locations, signaling continued momentum in its multi-brand expansion strategy.
PAR Technology has launched Guest360, a platform designed to unify guest data across restaurant transactions.
Domino's is launching a new menu item as it competes more directly with fast-food chains, while Walmart expands into restaurant delivery.
Multiple small-to-mid-size brands expanding regionally — Houston TX Hot Chicken's UK deal via PizzaExpress is the only story with material multi-unit growth signal.
New research indicates GLP-1 adoption patterns are more dynamic and demographically varied than commonly assumed, with men underrepresented in typical characterizations and restaurant-level usage diff
A podcast episode featuring a TD Bank restaurant finance executive discusses Subway's plan to extend late-night hours and its potential profit implications.
September's National Food Safety Education Month highlights food safety as a core operational concern, with food safety and quality standards ranking among top challenges for a significant share of re